Best Family Ski Resorts for the 2018-2019 Ski Season

Have you made your travel plans for the 2018-2019 ski season? We have! TravelingMoms share their top picks of family ski resorts throughout the United States for this ski season. Read on for been-there-done-that insider tips from our family travel pros at TravelingMom on where to ski with your family this winter.

Best Family Ski Resorts for the 2018-2019 Ski Season

Our TravelingMoms from across the country share tips on their favorite family ski resorts. Use their expert advice to choose the right ski resort for your family. Also, take advantage of their insider tips on how to get there, what’s new and more. Find out where kids ski free and where to find family friendly events. Then have fun on the ski slopes with your family this winter!

Beaver Creek Ski Resort, Colorado

Mountain TravelingMom’s children learned to ski at Beaver Creek and she dubs the resort “the place where locals learn to ski.” The ski school is first class. Her son’s ski instructor has convinced him that his wipeouts are backflips. So he is stoked to tell his family all about them at the end of the day. The mountain has really fun but non-intimidating areas for beginners to learn. There are terrain parks with fun stops. These include Ghost Town and Riparoo’s Cabin. And, Candy Cabin and the warm chocolate chip cookies served at 3 p.m. at the base of the mountain provide much-needed motivation for the kiddos. Beaver Creek is not an inexpensive place to learn to ski. But it really doesn’t get any more hassle-free,.

TravelingMom Tip: For the best pricing try early or late season. Beaver Creek has excellent snowmaking. So even if the snow gods don’t deliver, the snowmakers will.

Copper Mountain Ski Resort, Colorado

Traveling Grandmom says kid-friendly Colorado’s Copper Mountain Ski Resort is perfect for families of all ages — and, of course, multigenerational families. Whenever her grandkids are asked who is their favorite snowboarding instructor…CJ at Copper Mountain is number one! There are so many reasons to love Copper: from its convenient location to affordable accommodations, kids school, other fun family activities and, of course, great snow conditions.

TravelingMom Tip: Get a room! Seriously make it a long weekend and book a condo (like we did) or hotel room.  Totally worth bunkering down together and creating more memories with the family — or in my case the multigenerational family.

Jackson Hole Ski Resort, Wyoming

Midwest TravelingMom, Andrea Guthman, says being a scenery-starved city girl, she loves skiing for the outdoor beauty it brings. Because outdoor adventures are her top priority, Jackson Hole, Wyoming is her pick. The trip always gets off to a breathtaking start, landing in Jackson Hole Airport, located entirely within Grand Teton National Park. Combining skiing with day trips to the Grand Tetons and nearby Yellowstone National Park is her idea of a perfect vacation!

TravelingMom Tip: Another perk for families? Jackson Hole Mountain Resort welcomes kids, 14 and under, to , one child per paying adult, with a four-night resort condo rental. Sweet deal, as junior tickets can be as much as $80.

Keystone Ski Resort, Colorado

Bonding TravelingMom, Breeze Leonard, says that beautiful Keystone, Colorado has one of the most wonderful ski resorts for families. her favorite reasons to visit is that kids 12 and under ski for FREE! During her entire stay, they had Kidtopia activities for the family off the slopes which meant our fun didn’t end once we got off the mountain. They have family game nights, winter movie matinees, River Run fireworks, parades and so much more! Everything is conveniently located in the village so you can eat lunch, rent your gear, warm up next to campfire all before or after skiing.

Midwest Ski Resorts, U.S.

Jamie Bartosch, Suburban TravelingMom says the Midwest may not have big mountains, but it still has fun, family-friendly skiing. One of the Midwest’s biggest and best ski hills is at Boyne Mountain, in northwest Michigan. Besides well-groomed ski runs for beginners and experts, kids love its large indoor water park with a surfing simulator, and on-site fudge and ice cream shops.

Skiing is just one of the many winter activities – like fat-tire snow biking and snowmobiling – at the lovely Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville, Michigan. For a day-trip from Chicago, the newly renovated Wilmot Mountain  – just over the Illinois border in Wilmot, Wisconsin – is a solid choice. Its long, smooth bunny hills are equipped with new “magic carpets” to take skiers from the bottom to the top.

TravelingMom Tip: For a no-frills, budget-friendly ski resort, try Indianhead Mountain in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The price is much lower than most Midwest ski spots, and they have an outstanding ski school. Since they’re in the Lake Superior snow belt, they will have tons of real snow up until late March (spring break!) – none of the fake slushy stuff.

Northstar Ski Resort, California

Frequent Flyer TravelingMom, Leslie Harvey, says one of the best parts of traveling with kids as a parent is taking them to destinations that had meaning in your own childhood. For my family, Northstar California Resort in North is one such meaningful place.  Northstar has changed a lot since our childhood, but it remains one of the premier ski resorts for families in the country. My husband and I skied it many times before kids, and we now return regularly with our two children.

For families, there are a lot of perfect wide groomed greens and blues to ski. The food and dining choices are the most extensive in the Lake Tahoe area. Foodies will not be disappointed. All the restaurants welcome kids – even high-end Manzanita at the Ritz – so no worries about choosing too carefully.

TravelingMom Tip: One word of warning to families skiing together – there are quite a few lifts at Northstar that lead only to blue and black terrain. Check the map and the grooming reports closely before taking your kids (or yourself) up a ski lift that will lead to runs you cannot ski.

Snowmass Ski Resort, Colorado

Snowmass, Colorado has always been a family-friendly ski resort with ski-in ski-out condos lining the base of the mountain. But this 2018-2019 ski season they’ve really upped their game.

Last winter saw the addition of a winter playground atop the mountain including a new alpine coaster. And, now Snowmass is now home to Colorado’s largest indoor rock-realistic climbing wall, towering at 54 feet high. It runs directly up front of the new Limelight Hotel Snowmass.

TravelingMom Tip: Take your family on a search for the branded s’mores carts, resembling oversized marshmallows.

Sunlight Mountain Resort, Colorado

Unstoppable TravelingMom, Susie Kellogg likes Sunlight Mountain Resort, located just outside Glenwood Springs, CO on the Western Slope as our local Uncrowded Colorado Ski Resort of choice. This Colorado ski resort is small, rugged and offers the bare minimum in amenities, but the snow is great. In fact, Sunlight’s tagline is “Where the Powder Lasts For Days.” And, really, that’s all I need to know.

Sunlight is a place where families can enjoy amazing terrain and snow for about half the cost of the other major resorts nearby. Sunlight delivers great snow, epic terrain and almost zero crowds on the daily, which is why it is our top choice of family-friendly resorts in Colorado.

TravelingMom Tip: At the top of the mountain, there is a bathroom with a vault toilet. Stop at the little hut with heaters to warm up your little groms on the coldest of days.

Squaw Valley Ski Resort, California

National Parks TravelingMom, Catherine Parker, says, after years of lessons and scooting down the bunny hills, she finally introduced her kids, 9, 12 and 14-years-old, to Squaw Valley. It was an epic weekend where they ran the mountain like Olympians. There nothing better than carving the perfect line through glistening snow while sneaking peeks of the pristine alpine lake. The National Parks Traveling Mom of three found a huge area packed with lots of family-friendly green runs, perfect for kids.

TravelingMom Tip: Take everything you need in one trip since the good green skiing is at the top of the mountain. Also, check the weather before heading out. The winds can be brutal for little people. It’s my favorite place to ski in North America under a bluebird sky.

Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico

Traveling Grandmom, Diana Rowe says to add this family-friendly winter destination to your ski vacation list! Last year she road tripped, with her multigenerational family packed in the car, to Taos, less than 5-hour drive from Denver. At 9,500 feet, Taos offered so much to love including nearly 1,300 skiable acres with 13 ski lifts and a new and improved Children’s Center.

Located just 18 miles from the town of Taos, Taos Ski Valley is a privately owned ski destination, with fewer crowds and more fun in a family-centric winter playground.  From her adult daughter to her 4-year-old granddaughter, everyone loved the slow pace with fewer people on the Taos mountain.

Vail Ski Resort, Colorado

Mountain TravelingMom considers Vail her hometown. For skiers looking for unlimited terrain, Vail is it. The back bowls are epic. Skiers could ski all week long and not repeat a ski run, at least until the end of the day. The ski resort itself is best for families with older kids or more advanced ski families. The town has much to offer too. With a free bus system and a variety of dining and other family winter activities, no one will be bored.

TravelingMom Tip: Mountain TravelingMom also recommends that families take advantage of the ski condo option, and one that offers ski valet service.