January is Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month and if you’re looking to teach your kids to ski, now is the time! But where should you go? These three ski resorts in the west are the best ski resorts for kids.
Alta Ski Area, Utah
Alta is skier’s paradise with 2,614 acres of skiable area, 116+ runs and over 545 inches of snowfall annually. That’s all well and good, but it’s not why Alta is one of the best ski resorts for kids.
Alta’s Ski at 3:00 Program
What makes Alta great for kids is their unique Ski at 3:00 Program. Every ski family knows skiing can get pricey, and when a kid is first learning chances are they won’t last more than two hours before begging to go back to the car. That’s why I love Alta’s Ski at 3:00 program!
Every day from 3:00 to 4:30 pm you can ski on Alta’s Sunnyside lift for just $12. Even better, a Ski at 3:00 season pass is just $39 when you purchase online.
This is the perfect solution for beginner ski kids and parents! No need to drop the big bucks for a full day lift ticket when your child will be staying on the beginner lift all day. With Alta’s ski at 3:00 program you can help your child learn to ski for way less than it would cost for a traditional day pass.
If You Can See It, You Can Ski It
On a recent review visit to Alta, Big E and I experienced the Alta magic of steep slopes, hidden powder stashes and awesome views. I really enjoyed it, even though Alta doesn’t allow snowboarding (my first love). But what I loved even more was how committed Alta is to having a positive skier’s experience.
Alta is well known as a skier’s mountain with lots of steep, challenging terrain. While I won’t be taking my kids down cliff drops and steep chutes, I love that that kind of terrain is available for advanced skiers. If you can see it, you can ski it at Alta.
Grand Targhee Ski Resort, Wyoming
A long-time favorite ski destination for our fam, Grand Targhee Ski Resort in Wyoming is one of the best ski resorts for kids.
Kids Adventure Zone
Grand Targhee’s Shoshone lift provides access to an entire lift area of beginner friendly runs – the Kids Adventure Zone. The beginner green runs off of Shoshone offer beginner skiers a wide variety of terrain in a kid only zone. Really! An entire mountain side just for kids of all ages!
Kids can learn the basics of skiing while gliding down the Meadows, ski through trees in the eyeball forest and Gremlin Gulch, feel the sensation of flight on Alley Oop Alley or Bobsled run, or practice new tricks in the North Pole terrain park.
It’s easy (and fun) to spend an entire day just on the Shoshone lift. All that beginner friendly terrain is a big reason Grand Targhee has become our favorite ski vacation destination. It’s one of the top three best ski resorts for kids for sure.
Grand Targhee is for Kids
In addition to amazing beginner terrain for kids, Grand Targhee has designed special perks for the younger crowd. We love these parts of a Grand Targhee visit.
- Tubing – instead of skiing all day, take an hour and ride down the tubing hill with the kids. So much better than sledding – you can take the Papoose magic carpet surface conveyor lift uphill after each run.
- S’mores – On Fridays and Holidays throughout the ski season Grand Targhee provides complimentary s’mores for guests at 3:00 pm on the plaza.
- Kids Club and Child Care – Targhee has an on site kids club and day care for even the youngest family members. Combine the day care with a mini moose lesson and introduce your 3 1/2 to 5 year old to skiing in a fun and playful way.
- Kids Ski Free – Kids age 5 and under always ski free at Targhee, but if you book three nights as a lodging guest, kids 12 and under ski free with their accompanying adult as well.
- Grand Targhee Nature Center – My kids LOVE the Grand Targhee Nature Center where you see pelts from local animals, learn about plants native to the area, read books about flora and fauna or even take a guided snowshoe tour. It’s well worth a ski break to check out the Nature Center.
Brighton Ski Resort, Utah
Brighton Ski Resort in Utah holds a special place in my heart because it’s where I learned to ski back in 2007. Why do I think it’s one of the three best ski resorts for kids? Because kids ski free!
Kids 10 and Under Ski Free
Most ski resorts in North America allow kids age 5 and under to ski free, but Brighton takes that goodness to the next level. Kids age 10 and under ski free with a paying adult!
Two children age 10 and under can ski free at Brighton per paying adult and each additional child is just $20. That means me and my three kids could ski all day for $109 – less if I purchased my tickets on Liftopia.com.
Multi Day Clinics
As if free skiing wasn’t enough, Brighton also offers amazing multi day lessons and clinics.
When I learned to snowboard I participated in their four week women’s clinic in January and loved it so much I signed up for another four weeks in February. Not only did I learn to snowboard in a small group of other women at my same ability level, but I also saved money.
The Brighton multi week clinics include group lessons, lift tickets for each day on the mountain and sometimes meals (depending on the program you choose) all for what it would cost to buy lift tickets for those days – sometimes less! Seriously, it’s such a great program.
Kids’ multi day clinics include Young Shredders (8-16), Little Rippers (4-7), Freestyle Ski Camp, and Girl Power Workshop.
Best Ski Resorts for Kids
So if you’re hitting the slopes with the kiddos, be sure to check out these three best ski resorts for kids – Alta Ski Area, Grand Targhee Ski Resort and Brighton.
You won’t regret it!
See you in the outdoors,
~Mountain Mom
