Camden Maine is home to many incredible skiing spots, but Camden Snow Bowl draws crowds every year for a very different attraction: the longest, and possibly oldest, wooden toboggan chute in the country.
The 400-foot long wooden chute was handmade in 1936 and has been flooded with ice for tobogganing most years since. The chute has been renovated since that first build and is up to contemporary safety standards.
Camden Snow Bowl / Facebook
The toboggan’s home, Camden Snow Bowl, is a unique destination in its own right. This community-owned recreation area and ski resort actually has a view of the ocean. While zipping down mountains, outdoor adventurers can enjoy stunning views of the Atlantic.
Camden Snow Bowl / Facebook This chute is home to the U.S. National Toboggan Championships, the first of which were held in 1991. As far as the facility is aware, this is the only organized wooden toboggan race in the country, possibly the world.
The chute rises about 70 feet in elevation so riders can reach up to 40 miles an hour while zooming down the 400 feet of wood. The chute releases at the frozen Hosmer pond and riders with enough speed have been known to slide the entire way across the pond after a run, an additional quarter mile in length.
camdensnowbowl.com
Though many entering the Nationals take tobogganing very seriously, the chute can also be used by visitors most weekends.
Camden Snow Bowl / Facebook
The chute is named for local hero Jack Williams, who not only documented the history of the Snow Bowl but also spearheaded the chute rebuilding effort in the early 90s. It’s thanks to Williams that visitors now have the terrifying pleasure of speeding down the mountain in a wooden sled.
camdensnowbowl.com
If you do decide to take to the chute there’s one piece of advice that sounds above all others: hold on tight!
Camden Snow Bowl / Facebook
This chute is home to the U.S. National Toboggan Championships, the first of which were held in 1991. As far as the facility is aware, this is the only organized wooden toboggan race in the country, possibly the world.
camdensnowbowl.com
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Address: The Camden Snow Bowl, 20 Barnestown Rd, Camden, ME 04843, USA
