Best Vacation Spots to Take the Kids Skiing

I didn’t learn to ski until I was 19 and that was only because I had a few friends who dragged me along. But as soon as I hit the slopes I was hooked. Within a few years I had a job at a local mountain ski school and I was teaching little kids how to ski.

I vowed then that when I had a kid I was going to teach her early. That’s exactly what I did. I love taking your offspring skiing with you. There’s nothing better than spending a day out in the great outdoors in something as pure and wonderful as a ski resort setting. Granted you may not be able to hit all the hills you want and have to come in a lot more often, but it pays off. There’s something satisfying about passing the love of skiing on to the next generation. Taking the kids skiing when they are little also ensures a way to connect with your kids long into adulthood. So get those skis waxed because there are some great family friendly ski destinations to be had.

Mammoth

Located in the southwest corner of the volcanic Long Valley Caldera on the eastern edge of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountain Range; Mammoth Mountain reaches over 3,500 skiable acres and a 3,100ft vertical drop.

The mountain is blessed with over 400 inches of snowfall a year and it’s the highest elevation in California at a neck-bending height of 11,053ft.

The modern resort has world class terrain options, and an ski season that can sometimes last into July.

Click here to go to Mammoth Mountain
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Ski at Alta

Alta is one of the oldest ski areas in the United States and has been running the lifts since 1939. Sorry snowboarders, Alta Ski Area restricts access to skiers only.

Located only about a mile up the road from Snowbird in the Little Cottonwood Canyon, Alta Ski Area features 2,200 acres of prime skiable terrain with average snowfalls each season of 560 inches.

Alta Ski Area is renowned for having excellent snowfall combined with some of the most diverse and challenging terrain in North America.

Go here to learn more about Alta Ski Resort.
Go here to learn more about kids ski school lessons at Alta

Breckenridge, Co

Breckenridge is a world-class destination for Colorado vacations with kids who are looking to experience a fun Colorado family vacation in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. There are tons of activities and restaurants on and off the mountain and lots of options of where to stay.

Parents can also watch their kids excel on the hill after a day of lessons at their world renowned ski school. Adult, Child, and Private Lessons are available for all family members.

Need a break from skiing? Take the kids ice skating, sleigh rides or snowmobiling. You can even enjoy a ride on Breckenridge alpine slide or just relax in the historic Town of Breckenridge.

When fortune seekers flocked to Breckridge back in the 1800s little did they know they found something better, the perfect ski mountain town.

Click here to learn more about Breckenridge Ski Resort
Go here to learn more about family travel deals and packages at Breckenridge Ski Resort

Taos New Mexico

Taos Ski Valley is located in the Sangre De Cristo Mountains in Northern New Mexico, with access to 1,294 acres of skiable terrain, and receiving an average 300 inches of snowfall annually. The ski area has a great mix of terrain combined with a distinctive mix of European, local Native American and Spanish cultures. It’s also home to one of the country’s highest rated ski schools.

Telluride

Nestled in the southwest corner of Colorado, 100 miles from the nearest stoplight, Telluride encompasses 2,000 acres of lift-accessible terrain. Once dubbed “To-Hell-You-Ride” from its mining town days, Telluride is now a chic, modern town.

Telluride Ski Resort boasts some of the steepest, deepest and most diverse terrain of any ski resort in North America.

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Stowe Mountain, Vermont

Stowe Mountain resort is just totally lux and I got very used to having the ski valets run up to me at the end of my run and grab my skis, tag them and whisk them away to storage. The next morning they were magically waiting for me. At $400 a night the rooms were not cheap, but the views were stellar, the restaurant food superb, and the spa was ultra relaxing. Our in-room fireplace made it the perfect evening with a blustery snow storm just outside.

Stowe Mountain Resort, is the definition of the luxury Eastern resort, and provides quality skiing and riding for all levels of family abilities. The area’s lift system includes a gondola to shuttle guests between Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak, and its “sister” mountain, Spruce Peak.

Mt. Mansfield gets 333 inches of average annual snowfall that falls over it’s 2,360 foot vertical drop and 485 acres of skiable terrain.

The Stowe Mountain Lodge, located in the base village, is a 312 room luxury hotel and spa that has been recognized as one of the greenest, most sustainable luxury hotels in the world.

Click here to learn more about Skiing at Stowe Mountain

Heavenly Resort Ski Resort

It’s an interesting mountain with beautiful views. Most of the trails are intermediate so it’s great for families with children. Everywhere you look there are decent, long, wide trails with slopes that are challenging but not super aggressive. There are a few blacks but you have to work to get to them and then my friends who used to teach there, told me there’s a big jump between blue and black in these areas. So be careful if you have young children. You might find yourself going from a nice easy blue to a monster black. Even so, the trails were covered in powder so even if you had to pick your way down with a little one it might not be so dire.

Since I didn’t have my daughter with me this time, I was able to go full throttle, which was nice, except that I found myself bored with the mountain. For the $125 lift ticket price, I would have liked a few tougher trails besides the scary blacks tucked away in the corner. So I would say if you have a mixed bag of skier levels with you, and kids, this is the place to be. If you are on your own or with very experienced skiers, I’d opt for another mountain. My ski instructor friends said Squaw is better for expert level.

It’s a little odd how you can’t buy your tickets from anywhere on the mountain. I find that obnoxious. I would have liked to have been able to order my tickets and have them waiting in my room the way I can in Tremblant. And there are no discounts, so if I am going to pay $125 a person, I don’t want to have to wait on line to do it. Order them on the mountain’s website and give yourself time because the site is a little clunky. Desktop is a lot easier than mobile. Also parking is tough but there’s free parking behind Harrah’s. From South Lake you actually take a Gondola up to the mountain so it’s a little disconcerting not being able to walk to the main lodge from the parking lot. I drove around and around trying to find a big entrance to the mountain until I realized the bottom of the Gondola was it. There are also a few other access points to get on the hill from the Gondola is the main one.

Overall, definitely a mountain I would go back to when in the area but wouldn’t make a big trip out to go there if I have to make a big trip out of it.

The Ridge Resort

I got an upgrade because I’m an Expedia gold member and while I booked a hotel room I ended up in a beautiful apartment with views of the village. Large master bed, a living room, with fireplace and a full size kitchen and dining table. The bed pulls out as well, plenty of room for a large family.

One thing that wasn’t made clear to me was that you can’t just rent any car from the airport to get up the hill. The Ridges is located at the very tippy top of exactly that, a ridge. The road goes straight up. I rented an Elantra and on the way up were signs all over about chains and 4 wheel drive when signs are flashing. With the sun melting the snow and the run off continually soaking the road, I knew if I went down into town I better get myself back up that mountain before the sun went down and it began to freeze. So I would recommend not booking this place unless your car can handle steep drives up and down in inclement weather, unless you feel like being stuck up there after sundown.

The Ridges is more of a compound with several buildings, scattered around the main lodge. There’s no housing inside the lodge itself but it’s where you go for the fitness room and spa. I didn’t love that you had to trek out in the cold to get to the spa or fitness center, or grocery store, especially since it was a pretty steep walk. They do have buses but it seemed kooky to me to wait for a bus to take you only a short distance, so I just hoofed it.

There’s a nice bar and restaurant in the lodge, except sadly the weekend I was there it was completely booked for a wedding. So I only got to hear the party going on from downstairs. One of the reasons I booked this place was because I knew they had a nice bar and restaurant on the premises, so that combined with the fact that I didn’t want to risk the drive down the mountain, really kind of stunk.

The best part of the Ridges is it has it’s own private gondola that will take you right down to the ski area. It’s about a ten minute ride and remember to bring your key with you to call the gondola. It’s a great feature, the only downside to it is you don’t get to go to all the cool restaurants down in town by the main gondola.