Are you planning a family ski vacation? Thinking of skiing out West but don’t know where to go? Where are the best ski resorts in Colorado for families? We asked Suburbs 101 contributor, Joanna (our go-to for everything skiing) to give us her recommendations on where to ski, where to stay and what to do in Colorado. Here are the best ski resorts in Colorado for Families.
Best Ski Resorts in Colorado for Families
Vail Ski Resort
Situated along a 7 mile stretch of the Rocky Mountains, Vail is often considered the King of American Ski resorts and is one of the best places to ski in Colorado for families. Known for its legendary Back Bowls and Blue Sky Basin, it boasts 195 named trails and over 5,200 acres of skiable terrain. I would highly recommend staying at the Four Seasons Vail. While not slope side (it’s a short five minute walk through Vail Village), the hotel offers a ski concierge service at the base of the mountain where they will store your gear, along with heated boot lockers and complimentary refreshments. Hotel highlights include child-size in-room tents and an excellent on-site steakhouse. Also not to be missed is the apres-ski scene at The Remedy Bar, which features an outdoor patio with fire pits and mountain views and the single best hot chocolate that I have ever had. For family members that don’t ski, or want a break from the slopes, the Adventure Ridge snow park located at the top of Eagle Bahn Gondola is a must. My kids especially loved the child-sized snowmobiles and race track, but there is also ski biking, tubing and a mountain coaster on offer. Lastly, a trip to Fuzziwig’s Candy Store, located in the heart of Vail Village, is a great way to reward little skiers at the end of the day. If you are looking for a ski resort in Colorado that is great for families, then you should definitely check out Vail.
Need help packing for your ski trip? Check out these packing shortcuts: What to Pack for a Family Weekend Ski Trip: The Ultimate Packing Guide
Beaver Creek Ski Resort
Just 20 minutes from Vail, Beaver Creek Ski Resort, in my opinion, is one of the best places to ski in Colorado for families. With 150 trails and a little over 1,800 acres of skiable terrain, it’s smaller and I’ve found it to be more manageable for families. We love staying at the Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch, which offers true ski in/ski out access on Beaver Creak Mountain. Hotel highlights include afternoon visits with Bachelor, the hotel’s Saint Bernard mascot (and the stuffed animal version of Bachelor sold in the gift shop makes a great souvenir), the co-ed grotto located in the Spa which offers daily family hours when kids are allowed inside, and the morning guided snow-shoeing hikes. For a special evening, book a table at Zach’s Cabin, a restaurant located on-mountain and accessed via a star-lit sleigh ride that departs from the hotel. We have found The Ritz Kids program here to be top notch, and they offer evening camps on the weekends which is a great option for an adults-only date night. My kids also love the Candy Cabin, an old-fashioned candy by the pound store located at the top of the Strawberry Park Express Lift, and the homemade donuts at Northside Kitchen in downtown Beaver Creek. Definitely check out Beaver Creek if you are looking for a family friendly ski resort in Colorado.
Colorado Ski Resorts: Telluride Ski Resort
Telluride is a bit more difficult to get to logistically, but well worth the trip and another great place to ski in Colorado. A former mining village located in the San Juan Mountains, Telluride boasts 148 trails and over 2,000 skiable acres, with great weather conditions (averaging 300 days of sunshine a year) and mostly crowd-free lifts. Telluride consists of two areas, the incredibly picturesque Downtown Telluride, which has an old timely Wild West feel and offers incredible dining and shopping, and the slope-side Mountain Village, where the resort hotels and ski lift access are located. The Fairmont Heritage Place Franz Klammer Lodge is a great ski in/ski out hotel option there. The two areas are connected via gondola and a highlight of our trip was talking the gondola at night to dinner and back. In downtown Telluride, we especially loved There Bar, with its signature jam cocktails and steamed buns. Other great on-mountain dining options are Alfred’s which is located at the top of the gondola with breathtaking mountain views. We had a wonderful lunch there, and I especially loved that they greet you with slippers so that you can remove your bulky ski boots while dining. Another favorite was Alpino Vino, a wine bar located at 12,000 feet (the highest restaurant in America!). They are known for their signature grilled cheese and outdoor patio. On sunny days, they will gift you souvenir sunglasses to combat the glare. We left our kids at home for this trip, so I can’t speak first hand about the family offerings, but I noticed that there were complimentary children’s activities available throughout each day in the center of Mountain Village, as well as a small skating rink.
Are you thinking of skiing in Mont Tremblant? Here is everything you need to know to plan a family ski vacation in Mont Tremblant: Family Vacation in Mont Tremblant
Do you know we have a Northeast Ski Resort Finder with smart filters. Filter by ski school minimum age, type of accommodations available (ski in/ski out), by Non-Ski Activities (find nearby non-ski activities like dog sledding, ice skating, casino, outlet shopping, indoor waterpark, etc.)
Need help packing for your ski trip? Check out these packing shortcuts: What to Pack for a Family Weekend Ski Trip: The Ultimate Packing Guide
You May Be Interested in Discounted Colorado Ski Resort Lift Tickets
If you are thinking of taking the family to ski in Colorado, definitely check Liftopia for discounted lift tickets. You may be able save on your Colorado ski resort lift tickets. See below for discounted Colorado lift tickets for the family:
Snowmass (CO) 2 Day + Rental from $127/day (save 25%)
Steamboat (CO) Lift Tickets from $100 (save 34%)
Winter Park (CO) Single Day Lift Tickets from $70 (save 21%)
Arapahoe Basin (CO) Single Day Lift Tickets from $43.99 (save 46%)
Durango Mountain (CO) Lift Tickets from $44/day (save 35%)
Copper Mountain (CO) Lift Tickets from $69/day (save 30%)
Monarch (CO) Single Day Lift Tickets from $23 (save 60%)
Aspen Highlands (CO) 2 Day + 2 $20 Dining Voucher from $97/day (save 25%)
Buttermilk (CO) 2 Day + 2 $20 Dining Voucher from $97/day (save 25%)
Ski Cooper (CO) Single Day Ticket from $35 (save 26%)
Loveland (CO) Lift Tickets from $35.34 (save 42%)
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About Joanna Y
Joanna is the Content Creator behind My Candid Closet, an Instagram feed following her detail-obsessed, chronically overdressed day to day life and travels featuring collaborations with fashion and lifestyle brands. She is a passionate mother, a voracious reader, an overzealous coffee table book collection and has a weakness for pink peonies and anything with a monogram. A former Public Relations Executive, Joanna started her Instagram feed to document her own personal style and share her favorite tips and finds. Instagram: @mycandidcloset
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Suburbs 101 is an online lifestyle guide for the New York Suburbs of Westchester County, Long Island, Fairfield County and Northern New Jersey. Get the inside scoop on what it’s really like to live in the New York suburbs through our interviews with local suburbanites and features on Food, Fashion, Home, Travel, and Local Events. Be sure to Follow Us on Instagram, Like Us on Facebook and subscribe to our Monthly Newsletter.
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