25 Marvelously Skiable Mountains

It's a Challenge For Parents To Choose ~ Location, Terrain, Ski School or Day Cares?

With five of the top 10 best ski resorts in the country, according to Forbes magazine, Colorado is a powder hound’s paradise. Shredder heaven. In fact, the Centennial state has more than 25 marvelously skiable mountains, making it a challenge for parents to choose the best fit for a family ski vacation. Does one choose a resort by location, terrain, lift ticket prices or ski school? What about a resort’s amenities, like day cares, additional activities and kid-friendly dining? It’s enough to boggle the mind. So let’s break this down.

With the exception of Aspen, all major Colorado ski resorts have plenty of beginner runs, kid slopes and “magic carpets” for novices and the ski school. Beaver Creek even has a kids-only gondola, and other resorts have a variety of mini chair lifts and other accommodations for emerging skiers.

All of Colorado’s most well-known resorts offer day care for babies and little kids, and many have a ski school/day care option for preschool and elementary-age kids. Each resort puts its own spin on high-quality day care, activities and ski lessons for young children so parents can have a worry-free time on the slopes.

Let’s face it: You’re lucky if your little ones will ski for even two hours. Why pay for a lift ticket for junior if you don’t have to? At Steamboat, kids up to 12 years old ski and rent gear for free (with the purchase of a five-day adult lift ticket), and many other resorts, including Vail, Copper, Beaver Creek and Breckenridge offer free skiing for kids under age six and reduced-price lift tickets for kids six to 12. In Telluride, kids under age five ski free, and kids five to 12 receive discount pricing.

The best family-friendly resorts have loads of activities in addition to skiing and snowboarding. Keystone’s Kidtopia offers parents and kids all kinds of free events, games, cookie time and more. Snowmass’ huge Treehouse Kids’ Adventure Center is a drop-off, supervised play area for infants and children up to age four. Want more? With a la carte pricing, most resorts offer extra activities such as ice skating, sledding, tubing and horse-drawn sleigh rides. But activities aren’t limited to the ski area. Breckenridge and Crested Butte have children’s museums and outdoor play areas, and don’t miss Vail Village’s pirate ship.

Colorado’s ski schools are the best in the country. When parents enroll their kids (as young as three) in ski lessons, they can rest assured that while they’re enjoying their powder runs their kids are in the hands of instructors who know how to teach children and will do everything they can to make it safe and fun.