Virtually all ski resorts these days welcome families, and offer kids' programs and ski and snowboard schools. Many go farther, with special features such as child-care centers, nurseries, and cool programs for teens.
See a selection of family ski resorts, below. Keep in mind:
- sometimes non-celebrity places can be star-quality for families. They may not have the glitz, but you get less crowds, lower prices, manageable size, friendly ambiance.
- if timing's tight, be wary of places that need connector flights into small airports. (Such flights add $ too.)
- at some high-elevation mountains in the Rockies, altitude may cause symptoms such as headache.
See also: Family Ski Resort Choices - by Region
Top Family Ski Resort Suggestions (alphabetical)
Alta Mountain, Utah
Skiers-only Alta Mountain is one of seven ski resorts within 40 miles of the SLC airport (--read more about Salt Lake City skiing - great snow, and easy to get to.) Stay at the Alta Lodge: an old-style kind of place where guests meet over meals.Aspen, CO
Famous ski resort Aspen (now part of Aspen/Snowmass) has been synonymous with "cool" for decades. It's also got beautiful Victorian buildings, top shops and eats, kids programs; one lift ticket buys access to four different mountains (Snowmass, Aspen, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk).Big Bear Lake, CA
Guest article about this mid-sized ski resort, two hours from LA and four from Las Vegas, with family-friendly atmosphere.Breckenridge, CO
Multiple peaks, charming historic town, and plenty of fun for kids, including terrain parks and pipes-- and Snow Sculpture Championships (in January.)Bretton Woods, NH
This good-for-beginners family-friendly ski resort jazzed up its image with new areas with black-diamond trails. Lodging includes the classic (and family-friendly) Mountain Washington Hotel. 100 km of cross-country trails, too. Kids programs and nursery.Copper Mountain, CO
Four mountains, tubing hill, sleigh ride with dining in the woods, snowmobiling; snow-skate park, and beginner terrain park; special map for kids shows easiest trails.Crested Butte, CO
230 miles SW of Denver, nearest airport is Gunnison; great snow, uncrowded slopes, and a quaint former mining town restored into shops and restaurants.Deer Valley, UT
One of several great ski options within an hour of Salt Lake City, Deer Valley (Near Park City) is skiers-only, a foodie's paradise, and has top-of-the-line services, and much-o real estate on the slopes. Sign up early for kids programs.Lake Placid, NY In the Adirondacks, Lake Placid has an Olympic Center (-try the bobsled), and old-fashioned town toboggan run; nearby Whiteface Mountain has 3430 vertical feet, kids program, Teen Experience.
Mammoth Mountain, CA
Mammoth Mountain is, well, mammoth: over 11,000 feet at the summit. Mammoth is a top destination for spring skiing, and sometimes stays open right through June. Location is 300 miles north of Los Angeles, and 264 miles east of San Francisco.Northstar-at-Tahoe, CA
Nice-priced ski resort with kids programs and child care; tubing park; Adventure Parks for kids, lots more.Okemo VT
Okemo earns the name "family ski resort", with excellent kids' programs, lots of intermediate runs, many different types of lodging; activities such as family New Year's Eve celebrations; kids six and under ski free.Salt Lake City, Utah - Family Skiing
Seven very different mountains, all within an hour's drive of a major airport: Park City, Deer Valley, The Canyons, Soliltude, Brighton, Alta, and Snowbird. Utah's motto is "The Greatest Snow on Earth."--Continue to more Family Ski Resorts: Smugglers' Notch, Steamboat, Snowmass, Whistler, and more
*Always check web sites for updates!
Photo © Teresa Plowright
