Skiing is an excellent option if you want a fun and recreational activity to try out while vacationing with your kids. It is a great way to escape the heat!
There are many skiing locations across the United States, but picking one for your next vacation might be challenging. Here is a priority list of some of the best family ski resorts that could help you choose and plan for your skiing trip.
- Smugglers’ Notch Resort
Smugglers’ Notch Resort in Jeffersonville in Vermont, New England, is the first on this list.
Why choose Smugglers’ resort?
It is the kind of ski resort with something to offer everyone, from kids to adults. Even more remarkable is the type of service provided to families and guests at this resort.
There are classic accommodation options, but their most significant feature is the skiing experience.
It is a massive property with eight lifts set between three mountains, each with a different experience and challenge gliding down the slopes.
The resort cares about the safety of your kids, and therefore you don’t have to worry about missing out on the experience because you have kids. The resort’s daycare facility is fully equipped to cater to your babies while you have fun.
The appointed staff has the expertise to step in as long as your baby is at least six weeks old. Children between 3 and 20 should also not worry you; Smugglers’ Notch Resort routinely arranges for kids’ camps to keep them engaged.
Not to forget, children with special needs are in a safe place at the resort, with plenty to enjoy.
Outdoor activities such as ice skating, tubing, and snowmobiles are offered as well as the alternative of the indoor complex with climbing walls, mini-golf, and laser tag.
- Stowe Mountain Resort
Bottom of Form
The Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont, under the Epic Pass covering ski hotels in North America, is another fantastic choice for skiing with your kids.
The resort offers a rise of 2,360 feet, which is possible with the 12 world-class lifts provided. There are about 116 trails along the area that the resort covers.
The Lodge at Spruce Peak comes highly recommended and can be accessed with the help of a gondola.
The luxurious four-bedroom suites within the property provide enough space for an entire family to stretch out.
There is also the Von Trapp family-owned Trapp Family Lodge which you can access with the help of the Stowe Mountain Road shuttle running between the mountain and Stowe town.
The resort has an Adventure Center, which comes in handy if you’re traveling with kids between 3 and 16 years. Here, they can learn more about camping activities to maximize their enjoyment.
The Kid Zone of the Stowe Rocks Climbing Center is perfect for kids who prefer climbing.
Daycare and childcare facilities and services are also available for the tots and infants.
- Deer Valley Resort
The kind of luxury offered at Deer Valley is exceptional.
It is a fantastic option if you want a place to ski with kids. Deer Valley offers classic family accommodation, a boutique shopping experience, and amazing restaurants to satiate those hunger pangs before or after you hit the slopes.
The exciting part is that daily tickets are limited to a certain number, so the 21 different trails and lifts don’t get crowded.
Located half an hour from the Salt Lake City International Airport, Deer Valley offers different activities for the family.
You could try dog sledding, snowmobiling, or sleigh rides if you are not skiing.
It’s a good ski resort to go with babies since there is a daycare facility on the property to attend to them, an uncommon feature with most ski resorts.
The kids’ programs are great for parents who want to hit the slopes alone.
Deer Park has an excellent ski school on the property that offers classes for people of all ages.
- Keystone Resort
There are many reasons to choose Keystone Resort for your family ski vacations in the U.S.
It covers three mind-blowing mountains offering varied terrain to people of all age groups, with the major attraction being that children under the age of 12 can stay and ski at no extra cost.
The resort offers accommodations in the lodgings, with a touch of specialized dining experiences.
For those visiting to learn how to ski, the resort can arrange private lessons for the whole family.
The Ski & Ride School tailors the sessions on a need basis and for each case.
While at Keystone Resort, you can enjoy various non-skiing activities such as yoga, tubing, painting, and much more.
Camp Keystone offers mazes, slides, and fun activities for the kids.
Kidtopia, an enormous playground, offers a snow fort that is a massive attraction for the children and a good way for them to stay busy while the adults entirely focus on skiing.
- Steamboat Ski Resort
It is a popular name when defining excellent family ski resorts in the Western U.S.
Situated in Colorado is this expansive ski resort offering luxurious accommodation with diverse dining options to suit all your family members’ needs and tastes.
The property is home to the Outlaw Mountain Coaster, one of the continent’s longest mountain coasters, plunging to about 400 feet vertically and with various waves, dips, and pumps to make the experience even more enticing. The ski trails are also well laid out.
There are adventurous activities for the younger children, such as snowmobiling tours, to keep them occupied as they have fun.
The resort’s proximity to Steamboat Springs is a big yay since visitors can warm themselves in the many natural hot springs before heading to the slopes.
- Okemo Mountain Resort
Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont is a great pick when planning a vacation with the children.
It suits everyone of all ages, whether a beginner learning the ropes or an experienced skier seeking to better their skills.
A fitness facility and an aquatic center are alternatives for that day when you don’t feel like heading to the slopes.
The resort also has other family-friendly facilities such as water slides, swimming pools, fountains, saunas, and hot tubs.
You can enjoy yoga, play racquetball or enroll in Zumba classes within the resort.
The Kids Night Out is excellent for the younger ones after a super active day, keeping them busy at dusk, thus making it an opportunity for parents to enjoy date nights at the exquisite dining options.
The mountainous terrain is also great for biking. The 18-hole golf course within the property is so relaxing during summer.
- The Mount Washington Resort, Bretton Woods
It is New Hampshire’s premier area for skiing and snowboarding. The resort sits on a 464-acre land with 62 distinct trails and three separate parks, which qualifies it among the best-known family ski resort on the East Coast.
Here you get to enjoy sleigh rides, head to the slopes for a skiing experience, walk along the trails or explore the adventure of the canopy tours.
Children can make the most out of the resort snowmobile park and attend the après ski party organized for the kids at the Alpine Club, where they can enjoy music, clowns, and storytelling sessions.
Parents can hop in for couples massage at the renowned spas to relax while kids are at the ski parties.
The resort has existed for over a hundred years, hence the perfect combination of modern amenities and traditional touches to be hosted during your ski vacation.
- Park City Mountain Resort
Having been an Olympic venue in the past, Park City is one of the largest skiing resorts in the States, consisting of two separate mountains.
The resort has 348 skiing trails spread across the property, offering more relaxed skiing, while Canyons Village presents a more significant challenge in terms of the terrain.
Its proximity to Salt Lake City Airport, about a 30-minute drive, shortens your traveling time and makes traveling with kids convenient.
The diverse accommodation options suit all family sizes.
While at the resort, you can access an excellent ski school once you purchase your tickets. Kids aged up to 6 years can also enjoy ski and snowboarding lessons at the resort.
You don’t need to worry about kids taking up all your time when you need to go skiing. The Little Adventures Children’s Center will be perfect for them while you are away and having fun.
- Diamond Peak
You can enjoy the spectacular view of Lake Tahoe while having lunch at the Snowflake Lodge within the resort.
Diamond Peak is the perfect choice for families and beginners looking for relaxed terrains and trails to spend their time on the slopes.
The Child Ski Center works for enthusiastic kids to learn about skiing. It has a well-equipped and spacious learning area with a lift and an instructor-to-child ratio of 1:5, which makes it efficient to have private lessons.
There is a range of accommodation options, such as the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, with 422 rooms. After the skiing sessions, you can enjoy the small private beach and a heated swimming pool.
- Heavenly Mountain Resort
It is a South Lake Tahoe property offering a range of fun activities for the entire family.
With 97 trails across thousands of acres, you can showcase your skiing skills regardless of your level of expertise.
Kids over four years can enjoy lessons alone, or the family can choose family private lessons packages and learn together.
With the help of a gondola, you can access Adventure Peak and enjoy snow tubing and UTV tours.
The resort has many accommodation options to suit different family sizes and preferences.
Besides skiing, you can take a stroll and enjoy shopping in centers near the resort. There are grocery stores where you can buy ingredients to make your family dinner while at the resort.
After the long day, you can visit the multiplex movie theatre within the property to unwind.
- Wilmot Mountain Ski Resort
Wilmot Mountain Ski Resort is located in Kenosha County, where you can enjoy skiing and snow tubing on the 22 tube lanes spread across the property.
It sits on an extensive 120-acre land with 23 trails that can be accessed using seven lifts across the property.
A childcare program for kids between 3 and 6 years hosts engaging lessons for them.
You can try out ziplining or participate in snow-sculpting competitions in the village.
Kids can enjoy the ice castle and the hot chocolate trail.
Accommodation options are diverse at the resort, including The Cove, which has a great view from its location, a swimming pool, and well-lit and spacious rooms.
From the resort’s bar, you can enjoy free Wi-Fi and take snaps of the vicinity. The menus are also child-friendly.
- Winter Park Resort
Winter Park Resort in Colorado is about an hour from the Denver International Airport.
It has seven terrain parks with impressive snow for the ultimate skiing experience down the slopes.
Kids can be enrolled for the Kids Night Out, where they enjoy movie nights, games, pizza, and art and crafts, which gives parents/guardians time to grab dinner from the options in the village.
- Telluride Ski Resort
Telluride Ski Resort is exciting since the area’s climate combines snow and sunshine throughout the year.
The resort offers everyone something to enjoy.
There is a gondola operating across the property; hence no need for renting or hiring transport around the place.
The resort offers ski-in and ski-out accommodation options making your stay even more convenient.
Newbies don’t have to worry about crowded spaces. The Terrain-Based Learning program allows them some peace to master the skill.
The Children’s Center is perfect for children between 2 and 14 years to enjoy ski lessons and other programs such as night outs and arts and crafts. For kids over five years, snowboarding lessons are offered.
- Aspen Ski Resort
The terrain around the four mountains at Aspen Snowmass Resort is suitable for everyone regardless of their skiing experience.
The resort is not far from the Aspen regional airport, with flights from many popular cities in the United States. You can arrange a free pick-up on arrival alongside your accommodation.
The Buttermilk mountain terrain is a bit relaxed, while Snowmass, Aspen Highlands, and Aspen Mountain offer more of a challenge.
The Kids Mountain Explorers program offers adventure camps for 8-12-year-olds while adults head out to the slopes.
Besides skiing, the Snowmass Base Village has a beautiful ice-skating rink and a climbing gym at the local hotels.
Kids can enjoy slides, bridges, and towers at the Buttermilk’s Fort Frog, while the elder kids and adults can have more fun at the Breathtaker Alpine Coaster.
- Beaver Creek Resort
Beaver Creek Resort is the appropriate ski destination for skiers of all ages and skills. It has about 150 trails and an impressive vertical rise of 3,340 feet with slopes of varying steepness.
The gentler terrain is on the resort’s lower slopes, which suits children and beginners, while advanced skiers can try out the steeper zones further up the mountain.
The resort offers a gondola for transportation within the property.
After a long day down the slopes, you can enjoy the complimentary chocolate chip cookies at the resort.
The two learning areas, Haymeadow and Red Buffalo Parks, offer a range of activities to visitors of all age groups.
Concerning accommodation, the resort has a wide range of options to make everyone cozy, regardless of whether you travel as a small or a larger family unit.
You can access formal dining options at Beano’s Cabin, Allie’s Cabin, or the more casual buffets, all of whose menus are child-friendly.
Couples and kids can stay busy at this resort’s facilities.
- NorthStar California Resort
Last but not least is the NorthStar California Resort on the West Coast, which falls under the umbrella of Vail Resorts.
The terrains offered around the resort are relatively more manageable, making it suitable for families that aren’t ready to explore more significant challenges.
There are many accommodation and lodging options, all more towards the center of the village, making it easier to access the snow.
The resort offers transportation wagons for free near the mountain’s base.
Other facilities around the property include coffee shops like Starbucks and an equipment rental shop for all the ski – or different – equipment that your family and kids may need at the resort.
