Best ski resorts for families in the USA

There’s no doubt about it: North America delivers when it comes to epic ski resorts. From resorts in the Rockies to the Sierra Nevada, the Teton Range, Coast Ranges, and everywhere in between, there’s something to suit every rider. Waist-deep pow? There’s plenty. Off-the-chain nightlife? The US has it in spades.

However, what about ski resorts for families? Riding with little ones, teenagers, parents, and even aunts and uncles always means you’re hunting for specific ski resort characteristics. That might be awesome ski schools, ski shops with ski jackets and ski pants, childcare, off-mountain activities, laid-back and easy-to-navigate towns, mellow beginner runs, huge condos, or a combination of the above. But with so many incredible resorts spread across the United States, where do you start? 

That’s where we come in. So, sit back and allow us to take care of your ski resort shortlist. We’ve rounded up the 10 family ski resorts from across the US that hit the mark – and then some. And these aren’t just the most well-known, expensive resorts, either! We know that bang for your buck is also important when scoping out the best family resorts, so we’ve included smaller, more independent resorts that hit that bullseye for both value and family fun.

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Smugglers’ Notch Resort, Vermont

Head to New England, and you’ll find one of the most family-friendly ski resorts on the planet – let alone the US. It’s no wonder Smugglers’ Notch Resort is known as ‘America’s Family Resort’. There’s something for everyone here – especially for children. 

The runs are awesome, but so is what’s offered off the hill. You’ll find countless activities like tubing, ice skating, snowmobiles, and hot cocoa at the nightly bonfires. And once you’ve had a dose of fresh air, head into the Fun Zone 2.0, an indoor complex with laser tag, climbing walls, and mini-golf. We’d stay there forever if the mountains weren’t constantly calling us. 

With a newborn? We know it can be tempting to get them on the snow asap. They can do the magic carpet before they can crawl, right? However, Smugglers’ Notch offers impressive daycare facilities. As long as your baby is over six weeks old (yes, really!), the daycare appoints a dedicated member of staff to look after them. Now, that’s service! 

Top tip: Snow Sport University. This is Smugglers’ Notch’s award-winning ski and snowboard lessons for little ones as young as three. If you’re traveling with a special needs child, the Smugglers’ Notch Adaptive Program is also there to help.

Keystone Resort, Colorado 

We totally get that traveling with kids can make those dollar signs add up. So, why not travel to Colorado’s Keystone Resort? All children under 12 can stay and ski at no added cost. That’s music to parents’ ears – and their purse strings. 

The resort offers mind-blowing varied terrain over three epic mountains. That’s more than enough to keep all ages busy. And, if you’re a family who never wants to leave each other’s side, you’ll love Keystone. It offers private lessons for the whole family to learn to ski together. 

For your time off the mountain, there are almost as many activities as there are slopes. Cram in yoga, painting, tubing, dog sledding, ice skating, and more. Or take your kids to Camp Keystone. This is full of slides, mazes, and other activities to wear out your little ones and make sure they sleep like babies. 

Top tip: Want to get some serious shredding in but not sure what to do with the kids? Take them to Kidtopia. This gigantic playground is home to the epic Snow Fort and free freshly baked cookies. It’ll be impossible to pick your little ones up without them begging you to stay for five more minutes.

Park City Mountain Resort, Utah

One of the US’s largest ski resorts just so happens to be about darn perfect for families. There are 348 trails across two mountains: Park City Mountain Village is amazing for beginners, while Canyons Village is epic for lil’ rippers and family members after a challenge. 

As Park City Mountain Resort is just a 30-minute drive from Salt Lake City Airport, this resort is ace for traveling with kids. You’ll arrive before they even have a chance to ask, “Are we there yet?”. 

Once you arrive, there are plenty of large accommodation options and a rad ski school that you can access as soon as you’ve bought your lift tickets. That means you and the family can check-in, buy your ticket, and get shredding. Have beginners in the pack? Take them straight to High Meadow Park, a learning area with groomed runs made especially for learning. 

Top tip: The Little Adventures Children’s Center is perfect for keeping kids busy while you go riding. It takes kids as young as six weeks old up to six years old.  But, for when you want time together, book a 20-minute snowcat-pulled sleigh ride to The Viking Yurt. There, a five-course dinner awaits at 8,700 feet. Core memories right there. 

Beaver Creek Resort, Colorado

Whatever your age, Beaver Creek Resort will plaster a smile across your face. That might be down to the impressive variety of riding across 150 trails. Or it could well be because of the complimentary 3pm chocolate chip cookies – the resort’s signature. 

Traveling with little ones who are going to be learning to ride, or are you a beginner yourself? Beaver Creek is perfect. The resort’s lower slopes provide gentle terrain that’s awesome for building your confidence. Just check out Red Buffalo Park, McCoy Park, the Haymeadow Park Learning Area, and Beaver Creek Kids Ski and Snowboard School. Then, as you progress, just head further up the mountain for more of a challenge. 

There are also plenty of lodging options. Choose large accommodation and bring along the extended family. Or how about going for a cozy cabin for more of a Hallmark Christmas movie vibe? Dining out also offers plenty to choose from. There are causal buffets or more formal dinners at the likes of Allie’s Cabin or Beano’s Cabin. You can even jump on an open-air sleigh ride to Allie’s Cabin and turn up in style.

Top tip: If you or the kids begin to tire on the mountain, head for the Ice Cream Parlor or vintage Beaver Creek Candy Cabin. Both are at the top of the slopes and are primed to deliver the ultimate sugar rush.

Northstar California Resort, California 

What’s better for a family ski trip than staying in an easy-to-navigate village slap-bang next to the slopes? Not much! That’s why you’ll love Northstar California Resort. And, if you can’t be bothered to walk (especially little ones in their ski boots), there are rad gear wagons near the mountain’s base. Just load up and get going – and it’s all completely free!

Everything’s so close to everything else in Northstar. The base is just a short walk to the lift ticket office, Starbucks and other coffee shops, and a rental shop. Then, when it’s time to hit the mountain, the whole family can ride together in the Kids Adventure Zone. This is a series of blue trails over two mountain areas, safely separate from the steeper, faster slopes. 

And, when it’s time to hang up the ski and snowboard boots, Northstar knows how to treat the family. Soak up après-ski around a fire pit or get your ice skates on – all while listening to live music every Saturday from 2pm to 5pm. Then, for the rest of the week, it’s back down the mountain for hot cocoa and s’mores by the fire. Perfect. 

Top tip: Okay, so this one’s more for the adults in your crew: you’ve got to get involved with tōst, one of Northstar’s most special traditions. This is Lake Tahoe’s only ski-up mountain view with bubbles. Yep, kick back and unwind at midday with a glass of apple cider or bubbly to a backdrop of stunning scenery. Trust us – it’s pretty close to heaven.

Sunday River, Maine

©Nick Lambert - www.sundayriver.com

Sometimes a family can have different wants and needs during that trip – and that’s perfectly okay. For example, one parent might want a hot tub and leisurely lunches while the other wants epic après-ski after riding gnarly terrain. One kid might need a terrain park, and another might plead for slope-side lodging. Whatever they want, Sunday River can deliver. 

There’s T72, a 15-acre terrain park, slope-side hotels with hot tubs, sit-down restaurants for lunch, and live music bars for après. Sunday River is also one of the most kid-friendly mountains on the East Coast. With 135 wide-open trails across eight peaks, Sunday River is an epic place for little ones to start their lifelong obsession with all things snow. 

This ski resort is a proper winter wonderland. There’s plenty on-resort to get kids and teenagers stoked, such as zip lining, magic shows, fire dancers, fireworks, and more. Is your family not one for early nights? Take them night skiing!

Top tip: You can’t come to Sunday River and miss the Après Aglow Winter Trail. This special half-mile path takes you through snowy woods lit with twinkling fairy lights. You’ll wonder if you’ve stepped onto a film set or into a dream. 

Snowmass, Colorado

How about visiting one of the world’s most famous ski resorts and entertaining the family on the same trip? That’s exactly what you’ll get when you visit Snowmass, one of the four mountains in the Aspen ski area. 

In fact, Snowmass is bigger than the other three resorts combined, with plenty of steeps and glades for the adrenaline seekers in your crew. And for little ones, there’s so much here that you’ll have to come back more than once. Apart from the riding, there’s also ice skating, snowshoeing tours, alpine coasters, snow tubing, and so much more. 

There’s also the Treehouse Kids’ Adventure Center, a Colorado-themed wonderland for kids between eight weeks and four years old. Children as young as two and a half years old can join ski school lessons, too, with a max of five kids per lesson. It’s no surprise Snowmass’s ski school is one of the best-reviewed in the country.

Top tip: It’s got to be Ullr Nights! Over six select dates, Snowmass transforms into a nighttime winter wonderland. And there are heaps of activities and attractions – from gondola rides to kids’ snow biking, Elk Camp, bonfires, tubing, fire dancers, and more. 

Bretton Woods, New Hampshire

©️Courtesy of Omni Mount Washington Resort

If your family’s after more than skiing and snowboarding, you’ll want to head for Bretton Woods. Yep, there’s riding, but there’s also sleigh rides, fat biking, snow tubing, a 62-mile cross-country skiing trail network, and canopy tours!

If you’re there for the riding, though, Bretton Woods won’t disappoint. There are 467 acres of skiing making it New Hampshire’s largest ski area. 98 trails offer some of the best grooming in the East with stellar beginner slopes. Plus, there’s an average annual snowfall of 17 feet of the white stuff. Not bad at all! 

If you’re with kids learning their Pizza from their French Fries, take them to Hobbits Ski & Snowboard School. Designed for kids aged 4 to 12, various programs suit their level and learning style. Traveling little ones only just figuring out the magic carpet? There’s the Ski & Snowplay Program which offers a relaxed introduction to riding for kids between three and five. 

Top tip: It’s got to be the Canopy Tour! How often can you say you’ve had a dose of zip lines and sky bridges alongside time spent skiing and snowboarding? 

Camelback Resort, Pennsylvania

Camelback Mountain - Courtesy of Camelback Resort

Okay, so Camelback Resort might not be the biggest ski resort on our list. However, arguably, it brings the most family fun. Arrive at the Pocono Mountains and stay at one of Camelback Lodge's 453 luxury guest suites. Once there, you and the kids will be spoilt for choice with things to do. 

At the Camelback Mountain ski resort, you’ll be so stoked. It has its own indoor water park! Yep, Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark is home to 13 water slides, a wave pool, a surfing simulator, and a swim-up bar. There are also fudge and ice cream shops. So prepare for the sugar highs! 

If you’re more into water in its frozen form (i.e., snow), fear not. There’s plenty of riding with 39 trails over 166 acres which can be accessed by their new high-speed six-person, enclosed lift called Black Bear 6. The new lift rises 667 vertical feet. But that’s not all. There’s also Camelback’s outdoor adventure park and snow tubing. In fact, there are more snow tubing lanes than there are ski runs: 42 versus 39. Well, Camelback Resort is home to the largest snow tubing park in the US. 

Top tip: Watch the family go wild for the fun mountain coaster – the only one in Pennsylvania. Yep, fasten your seatbelt for a heart-pumping ride that takes you through twists and turns on a 4,500-foot steel track. 

Boyne Mountain Resort, Michigan 

You won’t find much better than Boyne Mountain Resort for an awesome balance of on and off-mountain fun. Yep, this Midwest resort offers both – and plenty of options for the brand-new-to-skiing amongst you and the more experienced. 

For mountain fun, there are 60 trails over 415 skiable acres. Okay, so there is only 500 vertical feet of drop here, but that makes it more than ideal for beginners – and lil’ learners. There’s also 200 acres of night skiing terrain – perfect for tiring out the whole family if a day’s riding hasn’t quite done it. 

When your skis and snowboards are stashed away, take the family to Avalanche Bay, the biggest indoor water park in Michigan. There’s also the chance to tube at the Top Notch Tubing Park, which you can get to with the Top Notch Lift. There are even snowshoe trails, fat tire snow biking, and the chance to go winter horseback riding. Anyone else tired – but super ready to go – from reading that list? 

Top tip: Try something different with Boyne Mountain Resort’s winter ziplining adventure. Grab the family and soar above the trees and terrain at 50 feet, reaching a heart-pumping 25 miles per hour. 

Wrapping up

So, that’s family ski trips sorted for the next decade, then! Make your way down the list year after year, or create the ultimate road trip and hit as many as you can in one season. Whatever you do, you’re guaranteed good times for all the family. Please can you pack us in your suitcase?