Natalie Verschoor, left, and Rosario Chaclan slide downhill on their tubes at Cone Park in Sioux City on Jan. 29.
Jesse Brothers, Sioux City Journal
Dawson Sundsted pushes Natalie Verschoor down the hill at Cone Park in Sioux City on Jan. 29. Verschoor said you should avoid hitting the sides of the lane with your tube if you don't want your tube to spin.
Jesse Brothers, Sioux City Journal
Parks and recreation employee John Byrnes uses a snowblower to remove snow from a skating rink at Sioux City's Cone Park in December.
SIOUX CITY -- With Cone Park's third winter season of operation now in the books, the park seems to be as popular as ever.
Between December and March, 25,731 people visited the park at 3800 Line Drive, which boasts a 700-foot tubing hill, bunny hill and 5,400-square-foot ice skating rink. That number is up nearly 6,000 people from last year.Â
"We were very pleased with the weather and the participation this year," Sioux City Parks and Recreation Director Matt Salvatore said. "This season will be hard to top. We had an extended Christmas break and great weather on the weekends, which always drives up our attendance. We couldn't be more happy with how the season turned out this year."
For the third season, adjustments were made to the grade of the bunny hill. A new parking lot was another welcome addition for the park's third year. During its first two years of operation, visitors parked in an overflow area at the IBP Ice Center.
"We feel like the parking lot made a huge difference in our attendance," Salvatore said.Â
The Iowa Tourism Bureau and the Travel Federation of Iowa bestowed the 2019 "outstanding attraction" honor on Cone Park. Besides tubing, visitors can also skate at the ice skating rink during their time at Cone Park. Skate rentals are available.Â
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The park's tubing hill, which usually has at least six lanes open, can accommodate up to 250 users during three-hour sessions. Cosmic tubing, an LED light show set to music, is offered Friday and Saturday nights during the winter.
Besides the main tubing hill, Cone Park also offers Blue Bunny Hill, which is a shorter hill designed for people of all ages. Take the carpet lift up and exit to the left at the blue signs for the bunny hill. When park-goers need a break from the snow-covered slope, they can warm themselves around a brick fire pit or walk a few extra feet to the day lodge.
The modern-looking building's floor-to-ceiling windows offer panoramic views of the park. The lodge, which features two flat-screen TVs, free WiFi and an LED fireplace, is furnished with chairs and pub tables. The building also has lockers and a concession area where pizza, chicken strips, french fries, hot chocolate, Blue Bunny ice cream treats and more can be purchased.
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In the summer months, Cone Park's ice skating rink is converted to a splash pad. Visitors also have access to a two-mile trail loop. With the park's third winter season now complete, Salvatore said staff have shifted their focus to the park's spring and summer programming.
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"We really gear up for rentals during the months of April and May. We've got a lot of graduation parties, wedding receptions and small weddings, so the lodge is going to get a lot of usage this spring," he said.
Dawson Sundsted pushes Natalie Verschoor down the hill at Cone Park in Sioux City on Jan. 29. Verschoor said you should avoid hitting the sides of the lane with your tube if you don't want your tube to spin.
