You can currently ride a real bobsled in just a few places in the US, mainly at former Olympic venues.

Main places to bobsled in the US

1. Lake Placid, New York – Mt. Van Hoevenberg

  • Historic Olympic track used in the 1932 and 1980 Winter Games.
  • Offers a “Bobsled Experience” where you ride in a four‑person sled with a professional driver and brakeman, hitting very high speeds and heavy G‑forces.
  • It’s run by the Olympic Regional Development Authority and can be booked like a paid attraction (often popular with tourists and sports fans).
  • As of late 2024, the official Lake Placid visitor site notes that public bobsled rides are temporarily unavailable due to track updates, so you need to check current status before you go.

2. Park City, Utah – Utah Olympic Park

  • Built for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and still used as a high‑performance training center.
  • Offers public “bobsled experience” rides on the Olympic track, in winter on ice and in warmer months often in a wheeled bobsled on the concrete track.
  • You ride with an expert pilot; the whole experience with check‑in and orientation can take around an hour, even though the actual ride is under a minute.

Think of both of these like theme‑park rides built on real Olympic tracks: you’re strapped into a competition‑grade sled, a pro drives, and you get an intense 40–60 seconds of speed and noise while staff keep it safe.

Nearby but not in the US

Calgary, Canada – Winsport (bonus option)

  • Not in the US, but often mentioned to Americans because it’s another former Olympic track (1988 Games) that offers both winter and summer bobsled rides for the public.
  • If you’re in the northern US, it can be a relatively short flight for another world‑class run.

How to actually plan a ride

If you’re serious about going, here’s a quick game plan:

  1. Pick your venue
    • East‑coast / Northeast: Lake Placid, NY (check if public rides are back open first).
 * West‑coast / Rockies: Park City, UT.
  1. Check official sites
    • Look up Mt. Van Hoevenberg (Lake Placid) or Utah Olympic Park and confirm:
      • Whether public bobsled rides are running this season.
      • Age, height, weight, and health restrictions.
      • Winter vs. summer (ice vs. wheeled sled) schedule.
  1. Book ahead
    • Slots can sell out on weekends and holidays, and some experiences shut down in shoulder seasons or for track maintenance.
  1. Prep for the ride
    • Expect strong G‑forces, loud noise, and a very bumpy, fast run; people with back or neck issues are often advised to skip it.

Quick HTML table of key spots

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Location</th>
      <th>Venue</th>
      <th>Country</th>
      <th>Public bobsled rides?</th>
      <th>Olympic connection</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Lake Placid, New York</td>
      <td>Mt. Van Hoevenberg / Olympic Sports Complex[web:3][web:5]</td>
      <td>USA</td>
      <td>Yes, but currently listed as unavailable due to track updates; check latest info.[web:7]</td>
      <td>1932 &amp; 1980 Winter Olympics track.[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Park City, Utah</td>
      <td>Utah Olympic Park[web:1][web:9]</td>
      <td>USA</td>
      <td>Yes, winter ice rides and often summer wheeled bobsled experiences.[web:1][web:9]</td>
      <td>2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics sliding track.[web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Calgary, Alberta</td>
      <td>Winsport (Canada Olympic Park)[web:1]</td>
      <td>Canada</td>
      <td>Yes, winter and summer bobsled rides for visitors.[web:1]</td>
      <td>1988 Winter Olympics venue.[web:1]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

TL;DR: In the US, your best bets to bobsled are the Olympic tracks at Lake Placid, NY and Park City, UT; both run guided public bobsled experiences, though Lake Placid’s rides are temporarily paused for upgrades, so always check current conditions before you go.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.