111 of the 229 parks we track publish a minimum height, and 56publish a minimum age. Here's what those numbers actually look like, and why the limits exist.
A minimum height requirement is almost always about the lift, not the tubing lane itself. 30 of the 58 tow-rope or handle-tow parks we track publish a minimum height or age, against 33 magic-carpet parks with no minimum at all. A rider needs enough grip strength and balance to hold a moving handle tow for the ride uphill; a magic carpet only requires the ability to sit or stand steadily, which is why parks using one are far more likely to welcome younger children with no published minimum.
Age is a rougher proxy for the same thing — two four-year-olds can differ by six inches in height — which is probably why more parks in our data publish a height minimum than an age minimum.
Among the 111 parks that publish a minimum height, the typical figure is42 inches, with published minimums ranging from 32 to 48 inches. 92 of the 229 parks we track (40%) publish no minimum height or age at all — usually the magic-carpet or walk-up hills rather than the tow-rope ones.
| State | Parks tracked | Publish a height/age minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 2 | 2 of 2 |
| Arizona | 1 | 1 of 1 |
| California | 21 | 18 of 21 |
| Colorado | 12 | 10 of 12 |
| Connecticut | 2 | 1 of 2 |
| Georgia | 1 | 0 of 1 |
| Idaho | 6 | 4 of 6 |
| Illinois | 3 | 2 of 3 |
| Indiana | 3 | 0 of 3 |
| Iowa | 2 | 1 of 2 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 2 of 2 |
| Maine | 4 | 3 of 4 |
| Maryland | 2 | 1 of 2 |
| Massachusetts | 6 | 5 of 6 |
| Michigan | 16 | 10 of 16 |
| Minnesota | 17 | 12 of 17 |
| Missouri | 3 | 2 of 3 |
| Montana | 3 | 1 of 3 |
| Nevada | 1 | 1 of 1 |
| New Hampshire | 5 | 2 of 5 |
| New Jersey | 3 | 3 of 3 |
| New Mexico | 3 | 2 of 3 |
| New York | 20 | 10 of 20 |
| North Carolina | 3 | 3 of 3 |
| North Dakota | 2 | 0 of 2 |
| Ohio | 4 | 1 of 4 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 1 of 1 |
| Oregon | 4 | 1 of 4 |
| Pennsylvania | 18 | 6 of 18 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 1 of 1 |
| South Dakota | 2 | 1 of 2 |
| Tennessee | 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Texas | 4 | 4 of 4 |
| Utah | 6 | 1 of 6 |
| Vermont | 8 | 5 of 8 |
| Virginia | 3 | 2 of 3 |
| Washington | 5 | 4 of 5 |
| West Virginia | 4 | 3 of 4 |
| Wisconsin | 19 | 6 of 19 |
| Wyoming | 4 | 2 of 4 |
Policies vary and we don't have reliable data on this across every park, so this is worth an actual phone call rather than a guess: some parks allow a child under the height minimum to ride on an adult's lap, some don't allow it at all, and a few operate a separate, gentler lane for younger children with its own (lower) minimum. Don't assume either way — call the specific park before you drive out with a child close to the published limit.
Browse by state to see the published minimums for parks near you.