Ski resorts for families: 10 destinations that get it right

Family ski trips need not only configuration around the skiing activities. Consider toddlers who are just learning to ski, as well as teens who appreciate the taste of freedom. Family-friendly destinations require care with everything from the hotel room’s distance to the lift, the storage place for ski equipment, to the resting point for tired little legs.

The guide reviews ten ski resorts in the US, Canada, France, Switzerland, and Italy that have developed family-oriented services. Children’s play areas together with well-positioned beginner slopes, hot chocolate chalets, and well-known ski schools are available at each resort, allowing parents to actually unwind when skiing with kids.

For those arriving in a surrounding city, having a rental car enables you to easily control your itinerary, equipment, and sanity.

Beaver Creek, Colorado, USA

Home to the Rocky Mountains, Colorado boasts some of the most famous ski resorts in America. Known for its reliable snow and appealing altitude, it consistently ranks high for Canadian families seeking a complete winter experience. Beaver Creek Resort is only a couple of hours away from Denver International Airport.

Beaver Creek promises guests a regal experience, and somehow everything here seems specifically tailored for families in particular. The moment you step into the region, the arrangements made for you are straightforward. The shuttles drop you right next to the escalators that take you to the village, where beloved staff distribute warm chocolate chip cookies daily around 3 PM, a ritual that excites families.

The resort has 1,832 acres of skiing terrain, but the crown jewel for families is Red Buffalo Park. At the top of the Cinch Express lift, it boasts 13 green trails roomy enough for honing one’s turns, with forest pathways and snow sculptures as added bonuses. Children are catered for by covered magic carpets, age-specific lifts, and harnessed structures that guarantee safety at high altitudes.

The Snow and Ski School For Children offers lift access from the age of 3. It includes indoor warm-up facilities and caretakers especially trained to work with toddlers. Families can skate on the village rink, tour the Children’s Museum, or take a guided snowshoe walk in the tranquil pine woods.

Deer Valley, Utah, USA

The ski resorts of Utah are well known for their family friendly powder and geography oriented family resorts, particularly the Wasatch Mountain Range. Along with the Deer Valley and Park City ski resorts, there are a number of them within an hour’s drive from Salt Lake City International Airport, making Utah one of the most accessible ski destinations in the US.

Families can take advantage of one of the most economical ski mountains having all the frills, Deer Valley. It’s true that this place is known for its elegant feel but it’s also why snowboards are banned here. Since this is a snow skiing mountain, the green and blue runs reserve where the children “spend” the majority of their time are less crowded and therefore, manageable.

More than half of the 103 techniques track long and orderly defined routes. For families, the Ontario and Success ski runs offer ideal conditions for family skiing. Beginners like to stay close to base but more experienced skiers head towards Flagstaff and Bald Mountain skiable terrain.

Fawn Special accepts 3 and 4-year-olds with in-building breaks and short lessons. Lessons occur in the base area of Snow Park where parents can appreciate free parking which is easily accessible to the lifts. This benefit is sometimes underestimated by parents. At the end of the day’s last lesson, the ski valet watches your gear while you enjoy access to a slope side cafe or a superb photo opportunity with stunning views of the mountains.

And it’s not just skiing: the resort features groomer rides, s’mores by the fire in the Silver Lake Lodge, and children’s holiday après-ski activities during major holidays.

Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, Canada

Located along the coast mountains in British Columbia, Whistler Blackcomb sits roughly two hours north of Vancouver. Whistler Blackcomb is a highly praised Canadian ski resort and acts as the epicenter for winter tourism in western Canada, strategically positioned by the well-connected Sea-to-Sky Highway.

As the largest ski resort in North America, Whistler Blackcomb is remarkably accommodating for families. In fact, the resort is heavily family-centric, the Whistler Kids Snow School provides group lessons for kids aged 3 and older, with options for both half and full-day sessions, expertly sorted by age and skill. Families can take breaks between skiing at mid-mountain play zones, The Tree Fort on Whistler and the Magic Castle on Blackcomb, both located in the woods.

The varying terrain is gentle enough for families to enjoy together. Longer green runs like Burnt Stew Trail, Yellow Brick Road, and Ego Bowl are less dependent on lift rides and permit more sightseeing while skiing. The connected villages accessed by gondolas reduce the need to carry skiing equipment while increasing total skiing time, and the Peak 2 Peak Gondola is enjoyable for parents and children alike, especially with its glass-bottomed cars that offer breathtaking views.

In the Bubly Tube Park, families engage in tubing activities, skate at the Olympic Plaza, or head to the Whistler Core indoor play centre which offers climbing walls and supervised play sessions for children who need to take a break.

Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA

To the northeast, New Hampshire boasts family friendly traditions with skiing available at lower elevations. Bretton Woods is situated at the base of Mount Washington in the White Mountains, which is famous for its historic beauty and its ease of access from Boston and New York.

East coast families will find Bretton Woods to be a hassle free accommodation that meets their needs. New Hampshire’s largest resort, with 464 acres of skiing terrain, is designed in a way where navigation is effortless. The majority of slopes are easy, over 90% of them being green and blue, which is ideal in fostering confidence amongst young skiers.

The Learning Center Quad has a separate beginner area, devoid of faster skiers, featuring carpets and a slow ski zone for young children. Close to this area, the Kids’ Alpine Club (ages 4-12) offers half to full day programs with indoor rest breaks, supervised by child development trained ski instructors, not just ski technique.

Bretton Woods has an adaptive program for children with disabilities, a big base lodge with ample indoor seating capacity, and free parking, making it stand out in child-friendly amenities. For the more adventurous older kids, there is at night skiing, snow tubing, and even ziplining winter canopy ziplines. And if you’re staying in the sharp Omni Mount Washington Resort, ski-in/ski-out access allows you to easily ski right up to the front door.

La Plagne, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

La Plagne lies in the Savoie department of the French Alps, one of the French regions situated in the south-eastern part of the country. Like many of the French high altitude ski resorts, it is easily reachable from big cities like Lyon, Geneva or Chambéry and has child friendly villages all around the mountains.

La Plagne is a part of Paradiski resort, which is the second largest ski area in the world, La Plagne is divided into 11 linked villages each with its own access lifts. This makes it easier to pick which village best suits your family. With motorways so accessible, and the apartment lifts nearby, you can ski from your front door to magic carpet satisfaction in as little as five minutes. This makes La Plagne one of the few alpine ski resorts with such luxuries.

Beginners and those learning to ski and snowboard have their own “Cool Ski” areas which are slower and have more forgiving first turns. In addition to Colorado Park’s extensive sledding hill, the FunSlope trail serves mini-bumps, tunnels, and banked turns; great for those aged 6-12 who are starting to outgrow the green runs.

The ESF (École du Ski Français) offers group ski lessons from the age of 3 in the Piou Piou Club where toddlers have access to a playground, mascots, and snow-themed games. Evening shows during school holidays, torchlit descents, and snowman-building competitions are included for the families.

La Plagne is also “Famille Plus” certified, which indicates the resort offers specially tailored family services, from childcare facilities, to family-friendly dining with children’s menus. With access to Les Arcs via the Vanoise Express double-deck cable car, parents can leave their children in the capable hands of village-based clubs.

Northstar, California, USA

Deep powder meets California culture in the region surrounding Tahoe, only 45 minutes from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport and a few hours from San Francisco. Tahoe is an all-inclusive resort with easy access from Northstar Ski Resort. The area is known for its deep powder and sunshine.

Designated for walking only, Northstar California is the first ever pedestrian Ski-in/Ski-out village. It is ski school, rentals, family restaurants, and even an outdoor ice rink with free afternoon s’mores all a stone’s throw away.

With 90% of their ski paths serving Easy and Intermediate levels, Northstar is perfect for families. Integration of fun within skill-building in these age groups is fostered at the school. Power recuperation breaks are also included for zest- sapping kids.

Older children will find a bit of a challenge with the small jumps and rails in the beginner’s solamente terrain park. For those staying mid-mountain in the Ritz-Carlton, it’s possible to ski in and out of the room. The Northstar resort also offers the EpicMix app which allows parents to track the child’s lesson and their precise location on the mountain, something that lessens the stress of separation on the terrain.

Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada

This resort is situated in the Laurentian Mountains, approximately 90 minutes from Montreal. It combines the character of French Canada with the ease of North American skiing and is an accessible option for families from the US or Canadian East Coast.

Mont Tremblant is one of the easiest ski resorts to access from eastern North America and is very family-friendly. The pedestrian village, with its vividly painted houses and shops, is set right out of a storybook, especially with cafes, bakeries, and ski shops right off the lifts, which give you the option not to use a car or bus. They can walk everywhere in ski boots, including to all shops.

The Tremblant Snow School teaches French and English to children from the age of three and has different programs according to their level and age. For the younger ones, the more advanced slope has a separate, guarded beginner area to build confidence. For families skiing together, the picturesque green “Nansen” slope, which is the longest in North America, is a gentle slope that the whole family can enjoy together.

For younger children, the resort’s Tam-Tam Club provides monitored indoor activities, while older children tend to enjoy fat biking in the snow, ice climbing, and even night tubing. During school breaks, families with children also appreciate the strong lift infrastructure and low waiting time at lifts when skiing or snowboarding at Tremblant.

Park City Mountain, Utah, USA

Just east of Salt Lake City, the mountains that encircle Park City serve as some of the most conveniently located ski resorts in the Western US. The slopes around here are famous for their light, soft, dry powder, and well-designed resort towns, and they provide excellent skiing just 35 minutes from an international airport. This is helpful for families who have to travel to an airport, as most parents have to bring along gear and kids.

In the United States’ largest resort, Park City Mountain, navigation with kids is straightforward because of the design. Everything is within proximity, with the base area being compact and rationally arranged. Within a few minutes, we can find the rental shop, ski school check-in, and beginner slopes. If staying in town, the resort is directly accessible from Main Street on a chairlift so grab a morning coffee and be on the mountain without having to get in the car.

The green run ‘Home Run’ provides easy access to the base while ski school groups enjoy their large learning area. This enables seamless family descents after spending the day on the slopes. Park City also boasts gentler family terrain parks that feature lower-speed elements for children looking to safely dabble in new activities.

Skiing aside, families can also enjoy snowshoe walking trails, the Alpine Coaster, and horse-drawn sleigh rides. Park City’s location, just 35 minutes away from Salt Lake City Airport, offers easy access for those looking for a short getaway or during school vacations, making it one of the most accessible resorts.

Skiing or Snowboarding with Kids

If you are skiing with small children, be sure to find out what the base-area learning zones are, as this will make a big difference. From the very first day, avoiding long lift rides will really help keep toddlers excited (and warm). Beaver Creek, Deer Valley, La Plagne, and Mont Tremblant excel in this area.

Arosa Lenzerheide, Switzerland

Switzerland is famous for its postcard-worthy scenery and astonishing Alpine accuracy. Arosa Lenzerheide in the canton of Graubünden merges two ski resorts with a beautiful cable car connection, and you can take a train directly into the heart of Arosa.

Arosa Lenzerheide pairs Swiss efficiency with an unmatched laid-back vibe, making it a clear winner for families with kids who prefer a more relaxed pace. Families Welcome accredited, the resort is not just child-friendly but works hard to accommodate children: ski school zones are well-marked, beginner slopes are thoughtfully segregated, and baby-changing facilities plus warming rooms are the norm on the mountain.

The Kinderland Aurora in Arosa is home to utterly sheltered snow slides and magic carpets set within themed learning zones, beginner slopes, and enhanced protective barriers. Parents can also celebrate the sun-drenched mountain plateaux as older children are transported from Arosa to Lenzerheide via picture-perfect forests on simple blue routes. Stätzertäli piste, in particular, offers effortless gliding alongside breathtaking valley views.

Alta Badia, Dolomites, Italy

📍 46.5545° N, 11.9016° E

The northern parts of Italy, where the Dolomites are located, have their own distinctive mountain experience, which includes a sunnier and milder landscape with a great food culture. Also known as the beating heart of the South Tyrol region, Alta Badia is part of the Dolomiti Superski circuit.

Located in the South Tyrol Dolomites, Alta Badia is serene, sunny, and relatively beautiful, which makes it a perfect destination for families with small children who want to enjoy skiing. The skiing area is dominated by intermediate terrain; however, a large number of easy slopes are located in the lower parts of the villages, such as La Villa, San Cassiano, and Corvara. Ski lifts during holidays are crowded, but they are modern and efficient, and queueing is rare even during the busy Italian school holiday periods.

Children as young as three can join the Ski kindergarten program, where they are taught the basics of skiing in a safe setting. The family park contains waves for jumping over and tunnels to crawl through, which is an excellent escape during non-lesson time.

Food is no less important than other parts of the Alta Badia experience. Most mountain huts offer a good selection of kid-friendly meals like pasta al ragù or Kaiser Smart. While children are having their meals, parents can enjoy a cappuccino on a sun terrace and oversee the children from a reasonable distance. Alta Badia has a cozy, less crowded, and pleasantly down-to-earth feel, especially when compared to large Italian resorts such as Cervinia or Sestriere.