Caroline Carlson | Daily Press Of the three winter activities on the Gladstone Ski Hill, tubing is the most popular. Shown here, three people take on the chilly weather to hit the slopes on tubes.

GLADSTONE — The Gladstone Ski Hill, located within the John & Melissa Besse Sports Park, is having a good season, according to Parks and Recreation Director Jason Davis. The hill, which is blanketed with approximately a 12-inch base of snow, sees the most visitors in the warmer winter weather.

Ski Hill open hours are broken into two three-hour sessions on Saturdays and Sundays, from noon to 3 p.m., and from 3 to 6 p.m.

The hill offers a variety of runs to accommodate skiing, snowboarding, and tubing. Davis said tubing ranks highest in popularity. When the three tubing runs are open, they offer a motorized lift monitored by attendants. The tubing area also features a warming hut and fire pit, popular with parents and grandparents waiting for children to return from the slopes. The recreation department is considering expanding this popular part of the hill and adding more tubes, depending upon funding availability.

The hill also features runs for skiing and snowboarding. These include a bunny slope, a pony slope, and a snowboard terrain park with a half-pipe. Davis said of these runs, the terrain park is the favorite. Each slope has a tow rope.

A ski chalet sits at the top of the hill, and features grab-and-go concessions, bathrooms and a place to warm up.

When the hill is not open for tubing, it’s available to those who want to go sledding or snowboarding on their own. Davis said although the Ski Hill typically closes after the second weekend in March, the recreation department will evaluate how the season is going before setting a firm closing date.