As the weather gets colder, many people are beginning to look for fun activities to do in the winter. Snow Mountain at Stone Mountain Park used to be an exciting winter experience; however, the park has canceled the event for the third year in a row to focus on its new Christmas attractions.

“It is pretty disappointing because me and my family have been wanting to go to Snow Mountain for a while, and it is annoying that it is closed,” Carter Mentzel, junior, said.

In 2007, the park introduced the Snow Mountain concept, a large area on the mountain’s slope covered in fake snow, but a drought caused it to delay its debut until 2008. Snow Mountain was an annual event until the COVID-19 pandemic caused it to shut down after the 2020 winter season, and it has not yet reopened, though it is unknown why it was closed the past two years. The activities include a 400-foot slope of fake snow divided into lanes for tubing as well as a Snow Zone where families can make snowmen and have snowball fights.

“I went tubing and [my family] was dressed up like we were in the Rocky Mountains, while everyone around us were in sweats and sweaters. Some were [even] in shorts. It was fun, though,” Kason Price, junior, said.

There are plenty of other activities to do at Stone Mountain during the 2022-23 winter months instead of Snow Mountain. Besides the year-round attractions, such as the Scenic Railroad or Summit Skyride, the number of special holiday events grow as the season progresses. The annual Christmas Parade and World’s Largest Light Show are as popular as ever, and the family-friendly Christmas Dino Glow Experience and “The Polar Express” movie showings are fun for families with young children. This year, Stone Mountain has also added the Christmas Drone Show, where a large group of drones are flown over the audience in a similar manner to the Light Show.

“New this year, watch in amazement as hundreds of drones light up the sky as they fly above the reflection pond in the Christmas Drone Show. See larger than life festive aerial formations professionally choreographed with color changing lights and synced to favorite holiday music in this twelve-minute, must see show,” Stone Mountain Park said on its website.

Though Snow Mountain is closed, families wishing to learn more about the other Stone Mountain Christmas events can visit the park’s website for ticket purchases and more information.