15 Best Ski Resorts in the United States for Families

by
best ski resorts in usa

Skiing refers to glide on snow with skis. Skiing is considered a basic carriage, recreational activity, or competitive winter sport. Skiing is exciting; provides you the adventure of hitting the slopes at high speeds while wearing snow pants. Skiing with the whole family makes it even better. Ski resorts allow you to enjoy this exciting sport with all other winter activities. In the United States, ski resorts are one of the best places to enjoy winter holidays with your families. There are numerous ski resorts available in the USA. We did some research and made a list of 15 best family ski resorts in the United States. Let’s have a look at the resorts.

15 Best Family Ski Resorts in the United States        

Smugglers’ Notch Resort

If you are looking for a kid-friendly ski resort, then the Smugglers’ Notch Resort is the ideal choice for you. This resort is located near the village of Jeffersonville, a small town of Cambridge, Vermont, United States. This resort offers snow-seekers a 2,610-foot vertical rise and 78 trails which is the 4th largest in New England and the 3rd largest in Vermont. Smugglers’ Notch was established in 1956 by a group of Vermont skiers. In this resort, you can do outdoor activities like tubing, snowmobile tours, ice skating, air boarding, jibbing clinics, winter walks, and more. There are a 26,000 square feet FunZone 2.0 indoor play complex where you can play Ping-Pong, mini-golf, and family fun with laser tag, a climbing wall, and a bouncy castle. This is the only resort in Vermont with a triple black diamond.

Stowe Mountain Resort

Stowe Mountain Resort is a ski resort situated near the town of Stowe in northern Vermont, USA. This resort includes two separate mountains: Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak. It has 2,360 feet vertical rise, which is the 5th largest in New England and the 4th largest in Vermont. There is child care available in this resort for ages three months to four-years-old from Monday to Friday. There is a Kid Zone in this resort where kids aged 12 and under can play different games. You can stay at The Lodge at Spruce Peak which has 300 luxury rooms for tourists. This lodge also has four-bedroom suites that come with a private concierge.    

Deer Valley Resort

Deer Valley is a five-star alpine ski resort. This resort is located 58 km east of Salt Lake City, in Park City, Utah, United States. This resort is renowned for its upscale amenities. In the 2002 winter Olympics, Deer Valley hosted the freestyle moguls, aerial and alpine slalom events. It is an award-winning ski resort. It has won the United States’ Best Ski Resort award by the World Ski Awards. This resort includes free ski valets, parking shuttles, dining, and boutique shopping in the main lodge. This resort has a vertical drop of nearly 3,000 feet to ensure excitement for the visitors. Apart from snow skiing, you can do other activities like snowmobiling, dog sledding, horse-drawn sleigh rides, etc. This is a luxury resort; therefore, the price tag is very high compared to other ski resorts.

Keystone Resort

Keystone Resort is an ultimate family destination with all the outdoor activities, amazing lodging, dining, and free ski and board for children under 12 years old. This resort is located in Keystone, Colorado, United States. This resort consists of three mountains – Dercum Mountain, North Peak, and the Outback. You can do activities like night skiing, tubing, painting, yoga, etc. For children, there is a kid-only zone named Camp Keystone where they can get a chance to get comfortable in their ski or snowboard boots. Moreover, this kid’s zone features the world’s largest snow fort. In summer, Keystone Resort provides lift service for mountain hiking and you will have the chance to enjoy the single-track mountain biking.

Steamboat Ski Resort

Steamboat Ski Resort is located on Mount Werner Mountain in the Routt National Forest. It is one of the major ski resorts in northwestern Colorado. This resort is operated by the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation. You can expect all the classic features of a ski resort in Steamboat Ski Resort.

Moreover, you will have the chance to enjoy the longest coaster in North America – Outlaw Mountain Coaster. If roller coaster is not your thing, then you can enjoy other activities like snowmobile tours, ice skating, bumper cars on ice, etc. There is also a therapeutic mineral pool, where you can hit up yourself after hitting the slopes. It can reach temperatures from 101 to 105 degrees. This is a great ski resort where you can spend the holiday with your families.

Okemo Mountain Resort 

Okemo Mountain Resort is a ski resort, and it is located in the town of Ludlow, Vermont, United States. According to “Parents Magazine,” this is the top family snow resort. The resort was founded in 1955 by some local businessmen. You can do skiing and boarding terrain, enjoy state-of-the-art amenities, and tons of kid-friendly activities available. This resort is perfect for new and advanced skiers as they can develop their skills and explore some truly beautiful trails. There are an 18,000-square-foot fitness and aquatic center available in this resort. You can spend some quality time with your family members playing pool, slides, and fountains. You can also do relaxation in hot tubs or a sauna. Apart from skiing, you can enjoy other outdoor activities like mountain biking and trampoline bungee jumping.

The Mount Washington Resort

The Mount Washington Resort is in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. It is located near Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeastern United States. Charles Alling Gifford designed this ski resort. It is New Hampshire’s largest ski area. It has 464 acres of skiing and snowboarding terrain, 62 trails, 35 glades, and three parks. This resort is considered as one of the East Coast’s most renowned winter ski resorts. The beautiful scenario of the surrounding area will blow away your mind. This resort organizes a kids-only party where they’ll be entertained by jokers, storytellers, and bands at the Kids’ Alpine Club. This is over a century-old ski resort, and it’s worth visiting with your families.

Park City Mountain Resort

Park City Mountain Resort is a former Olympic venue, and it is situated 32 miles east of Salt Lake City, in the western United States. It is in Park City, Utah. The resort was opened in 1963 and since then, it has been the most important tourist attraction for skiers from all over the United States. This resort consists of two mountains and they are connected by gondola. It has 348 trails and combining the three mountains; it is the largest ski and snowboard resort in North America. This resort offers various facilities for the whole family. It has a daycare center for kids, skiing lessons for both young and adult so anyone can enjoy skiing here. The best thing about this ski resort is, there is something for every skier whether he is a beginner or pro. You also have the chance to enjoy other activities like sleigh rides, ice rinks, etc. With all these facilities, this is one of the best ski resorts in the United States to bring your family and spend some quality time with them.

Diamond Peak

Diamond Peak ski resort is located in Incline Village, Nevada. It is in the western United States. This resort has an area of 655 acres, and it includes six chairlifts, 30 runs, open glades, and tree skiing. From this resort, you will have the best view of Lake Tahoe. This is the best ski resort to visit with the whole family. This resort offers a lot of things for every member of the family. There is a Child Ski Center for kids. For a beginner, there are ski training sessions available from the pros. You can attend these training sessions and improve your skiing skills if needed. You can also do other fun activities like snowshoeing, tubing, ice skating, etc. This resort also has a swimming pool, a paddling pool for kids, and two oversized jetted whirlpools.                                

Heavenly Mountain Resort

Heavenly Mountain Resort is a ski resort located on the California–Nevada border in South Lake Tahoe. The resort was found on December 15, 1955. This ski resort has 97 runs and 30 lifts that are spread between California and Nevada. This resort also includes four base facilities. It has an area of 4,800 acres and 33% currently used for skiing. The Heavenly Mountain Resort has a peak elevation of 10,067 ft. If you feel bored, then you can watch a movie at the eight-plex movie theatre or you can do some skates at the rink. This resort includes licensed childcare and nursery for children age 12 or below. Children who are at least four years old will receive ski lesions before hit the snow. You can also do other activities like snow tubing, guided UTV tours, etc.

Wilmot Mountain Ski Resort

Wilmot Mountain Ski Resort is in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, located in the Census-designated place of Wilmot. This resort lies in the Town of Randall and the Town of Salem, just north of the Illinois border. This resort has a vertical drop of about 200 feet. It has 22 tube lanes and this is why people keep visiting this resort year after years. The Wilmot Mountain Ski Resort has an area of 120 acres that includes 23 runs and seven lifts. There is also a bar where you can spend some time to refresh yourself. For kids ages three to six, skiing and snowboarding lessons are available. This resort offers other activities like year-round zip-lining, snow-sculpting contests, building ice castle, etc. This resort was established in 1938.

Winter Park Resort

Winter Park Resort is located in the Rocky Mountains, Winter Park, Colorado. It is an alpine ski resort. The resort was established in 1939. It has an area of 3,000 acres that includes seven unique territories. This ski resort is blessed with over 325 inches of annual snowfall. So you, along with your families, can take advantage of these snows by doing activities like skiing, boarding, and many more. This resort provides visitors other activities like tubing, scenic gondola rides, moonlight snowshoeing tours, and mesmerizing snowcap tours. There is also a kids-only zone available where your kids can enjoy some quality time and you can have adults-only time. Kids will enjoy crafts, games, pizza or can watch their favorite movie while you can have dinner out in the village.

Telluride Ski Resort

Telluride Ski Resort is located Mountain Village, Colorado, near the town of Telluride. You can visit this resort all year-round. It is in the northwestern San Juan Mountains which is a part of the Rocky Mountains. This ski resort has the highest vertical rise of 13,000 and 14,000-foot peaks in North America. The Telluride Ski Resort has 280 inches of annual snowfall and you can get over 300 days of sunshine which is a perfect combination of skiing. This resort has 2,000 skiable acres of terrain where skiers of any level can enjoy skiing. There is a free transportation system available for the visitors so you can skip renting cars. This resort provides Terrain Based Learning program for a beginner so if you don’t have any knowledge or experience about skiing, there is nothing to worry about.

Moreover, your kids also can learn about skiing thanks to the dedicated Children’s Center. They have separate lessons divided by age and ability. They provide ski lessons for kids ages two and a half to 14 and snowboard lessons for ages five to 14. You can have dinner with your family at Alpino Vino, the highest elevation restaurant in North America.

Aspen Ski Resort

Aspen Ski Resort is in the western United States, located in Pitkin County, Colorado. It is situated just outside and above the city of Aspen. This resort has an elevation of 11,212 ft. This resort was founded in 1946 by Walter Paepcke. It is the first ski area venture of the Aspen Skiing Company. Skiers of any level can enjoy skiing here, and you don’t have to cover the same terrain twice. They have kids Mountain Explorers program for ages 8 to 12. It is a week-long adventure camp where your kids can learn ski lessons and make new friends. Apart from skiing, you can do other activities like carving up ice at the rink or do indoor activities like the climbing gym. Kids can have some exciting time in the new Fort Frog over at Buttermilk. It is a frontier-style wooden fort with features like lookout towers, a swinging bridge, a snowball launcher, a turbo twister slide etc. If you are looking for something more exciting, then there is an Alpine Coaster that will go a mile of forest. This coaster runs on an elevated track at a speed of up to 28 mph. You also have the chance to enjoy live bands, tubing, snow-biking, etc.

Beaver Creek Resort

Beaver Creek Resort is a very popular ski resort in the western United States, near Avon, Colorado. The resort includes three villages: Beaver Creek Village, Bachelor Gulch, and Arrowhead. This ski resort was first open during the 1980–81 ski seasons. Now, this resort is owned and operated by Vail Resorts. This resort has 150 trails and a vertical rise of 3,340 feet. Skiers of all ages and skills can enjoy skiing in Beaver Creek Resort. There is an ice cream parlor available for ice cream lovers. There are plenty of activities available for the whole family to enjoy like tubing at Hay Maker Tubing Hill, ice skating at the rink, snowshoeing, etc. For small kids, there is a Small World Play School & Nursery and for a teenager, there is Twilight Snowshoe, Pizza Party place, and Anti-Gravity Center where they can engage in different activities.

Final Thoughts

Skiing is a great way to enjoy the winter season with your whole family. The United States of America is packed with different resorts, and ski resorts are the best to visit in the winter season. The ski resorts we have mentioned above provide some excellent features and facilities that you and your family will love. So make a plan and visit the resort with your family and take a look for yourself!

Reference

Leave a Comment