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The family ski trip … if only it could be as magical as those fireside snapshots made it look.
If your last Christmas vacation achieved Griswold family levels of disfunction, we’ve got you covered with expert-endorsed, stress-free slopes from Aspen to the Catskills.
These mountains put parenting on autopilot with ski schools, snacks galore and off-mountain activities to keep the clock moving.
The one with options
With four mountains to ski in Aspen, Colorado’s buzziest resort, your adrenaline-chasing kiddos will never get bored. Kids under 6 always ski free, and a lift ticket gives you access to all four peaks — Buttermilk, Snowmass, Aspen Highlands and Aspen Mountain.
Start with skiing or snowboarding lessons at beginner-friendly Buttermilk (discounted lift tickets available for kids and teens when your lesson ends).
“It’s a great place for kids to learn to ski in a mellow, non-intimidating atmosphere,” said Aspen local Cory Lowe, an advertising executive and father of two boys, ages 9 and 12, noting that the Tiehack side of the mountain provides great trails for adventurous grown-ups. Kids can see the X Games jumps at Buttermilk each January, he added, “and aspire to hit them themselves one day!”
Or, entertain youngsters with area favorites like tubing, ice skating, guided snowshoe tours and the alpine coaster. On select nights this winter, families can look forward to Ullr Nights — named after the Norse god of snow — a dreamy alpine experience with bonfires, s’mores and more. Recover at the Aspen Meadows Resort (from $346 a night), which puts on a snowman scavenger hunt, or ski in, ski out from Limelight Snowmass (from $483 a night) with its game room and five-story indoor climbing wall.
The big one
Welcome to Park City in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. Here stands Park City Mountain — America’s largest ski mountain with over 7,300 accessible acres — and Deer Valley. In the valley, there’s a surplus of beginner terrain, said Emily Summers, director of communications at Deer Valley Resort, perfect for her 5-year-old daughter, as well as new bubble lifts and themed children’s adventure zones.
“When she needs a break, we can always pop back into the lodge for the hot chocolate and jumbo Deer Valley cookies,” she said.
For luxury digs, call the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley (from $799 a night) home. Ready to be on the powder already? Plan an early trip, as kids 12 and under ski free from Dec. 6 through Dec. 12 at Deer Valley (you can also pair the promotion with the resort’s Ski, Stay & Save Package for up to 30% off lodging and lift tickets, plus a $100 resort credit).
The place to be in Canyons Village at Park City Mountain is Pendry Park City (from $1,095 a night), with the new Sunrise Gondola launching from its doorstep this season. Aching muscles? Head to Pendry’s Ski Beach at Pendry Plaza, where the après-ski set will find live music, s’mores kits and lawn games. Be sure to inquire with the property about their partnership with Compass Sports for family-friendly outings running the gamut from stargazing to antelope wild safari tours.
The local one
Mary Bruno, a Sullivan County resident for 20 years, calls night skiing at Holiday Mountain in Monticello, NY, one of her favorite insider secrets.
“The slopes are quiet, the lights make everything sparkle, and it feels like you have the mountain to yourself,” she said.
Now, double-black-diamond trail Hackledam has new lighting and will be open for night skiing for the first time. Even if you’re not skiing in vesper hours, Holiday Mountain is well worth venturing to — having recently undergone a multi-million-dollar renovation.
This season, the ski mountain is debuting Independence Park, its first terrain park for freestyle skiing (those wild folks doing jumps, twists and flips) and an improved snow tubing experience. Additionally, Holiday is hard at work building new cross-over trails linking the north and south sides of the mountain.
Settle in at the Kartrite (from $199 a night), an all-suite hotel in Monticello where your crew can enjoy the state’s biggest indoor water park (the indoor ropes course and Scrapeskyer climbing wall here are pretty rad, too). Or, kids of a more mellow disposition may savor time at the Arnold House (from $249 a night), an inn in Livingston Manor with in-room Little Camper teepee setups, a star projectors, plus milk and cookies.
The affordable one
After dropping your stuff off at Grand Sierra Resort (from $107 a night) in downtown Reno — complete with a year-round pool, laser tag and ice rink — start chasing the adrenaline in Tahoe.
“There are few places as special as Lake Tahoe,” said Nick Visconti, a former pro snowboarder, Reno resident and founder of Drink Coffee Do Stuff, a local coffee roaster. His wife, Laura, and 1- and 3-year-old daughters, adore family days at Diamond Peak, “with the most iconic views of the Lake and all the local businesses just down the street,” he added.
To celebrate its 60th season, that resort will be selling lift tickets, rentals or ski lessons for $60 on select days.
Newer skiers should head for Mt. Rose on the Nevada side of Tahoe. Considered a locals’ paradise, you can book lessons with patient instructors and there’s even an “Enchanted Forest” area that is ideal for building confidence as you learn the sport. New for the ’25/’26 season is the WildSlide tubing area, another surefire hit for kids.
The gentle one
More like the Powder Heel State. Get ready to shred at Appalachian Ski Mountain in Blowing Rock, NC, home to the French Swiss Ski College, established in 1969.
Parents will love the gentle terrain and green runs aplenty, along with children- and tween-friendly programs like “SKIwee” (ages 4 through 10) and “Cruiser Camp” (snowboarders ages 7 through 12), which include two- to four-hour sessions with lift tickets and rentals.
“Add in the amazing staff, the community atmosphere, and the top-notch food in the cafeteria and ‘App’ truly lives up to its tagline as ‘your first resort for family fun!’ ” said Boone resident of 18 years Brian Williams. He’s the owner of the Blue Ridge Tourist Court hotel and a father of a 13-year-old and 7-year-old.
Off-piste, there’s a skating rink, a Bavarian-style lodge (fireplace central!) and nearby experiences like Mystery Hill, a tourist attraction unlike any other featuring a gravitational vortex, and Tweetsie Railroad’s Christmas celebration aboard a steam locomotive.
Kick your boots off at the SnowBird Chalet (from $388 a night with a two-night minimum), a three-bedroom ski-in, ski-out vacation rental. In nearby Boone, we’re partial to the Rhodes Motor Lodge (from $129 a night) for its spacious accommodations and retro feel.
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