Having fun outdoors can be difficult in the winter, but it is not impossible. If you want to commune with nature this time of year, consider winter sports. Skiing is a great opportunity to get outside during a season where spending time indoors tends to be the norm. If you’re planning an alpine vacation with your loved ones this winter, head to one of the best family-friendly ski resorts in the United States.
To determine the best ski destinations for families, the Family Vacation Guide ranked the nation’s top-rated ski resorts on a number of factors. Instead of prioritizing experienced adults, these locations are geared towards younger people as well. The total length of each resort’s easy runs, the hourly capacity of the ski lifts, the number of movers and the offers for children and families all influenced its final ranking.
Vail, Colorado was named the Best Family Ski Resort in the United States, with a 4.6 out of 5 star rating on the Kid-Friendly Scale. The White River National Forest destination has 57 kilometers of beginner trails, seven passenger vehicles, and an ascent capacity of 63,658 people per hour. Colorado’s world-famous ski trails appear on the list multiple times, with Breckenridge at No. 3 and Keystone at No. 4. Park City in Utah and Big Sky Resort in Montana are also in the top five.
The destinations on this list are not just for children and their parents. Adults who are new to the sport may also enjoy going up and down the rabbit hills of a world-class ski resort. Before your next ski trip, train with these ski workouts you can do anywhere.
- Vail // Colorado
- Park City // Utah
- Breckenridge // Colorado
- Keystone // Colorado
- Big Sky Resort // Montana
- Sunday River // Maine
- Stratton // Vermont
- Mammoth Mountain // California
- Beaver Creek // Colorado
- Angel Fire // New Mexico
- Brian Head // Utah
- Arapahoe Basin // Colorado
- Celestial // California
- Powder Mountain // Utah
- Wolf Creek // Colorado
- Windham Mountain // New York
- Okemo // Vermont
- Alta // Utah
- Mount Baker // Washington
- Tahoe // California Palisades