Kids are destined to fall in love with Denver from the moment they touch down at the city airport and spot the cowboy hat wearing greeters. Could it get better? Yes and it does. One of the highest cities in the US and in view of the Rockies, Denver’s spirit of adventure runs naturally high. It’s an incredibly friendly, relaxed city, easy to get around and very outdoorsy with over 90 golf courses, hectares of cycle paths and hundreds of parks and playgrounds to prove it. And if it’s not one of the 300 annual days of sunshine, there are indoor science centres, museums, art galleries and events all over the city designed just for kids.

• Don’t miss: Denver’s buzzing Downtown AKA DoLo, First Friday Art Walks, kids’ shows at Denver Performing Arts, the Black American West Museum, Colorado Avalanche and Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

Far from the biggest US national park (Yosemite covers 3027km²), Rocky Mountain’s 667km² spread is brilliantly accessible and peaks of 4000m and higher beat anywhere else for sheer grandeur. Add in mountain lakes, dense forest, the wildest wildlife and long experience creating unforgettable family holidays and you have mighty Colorado in miniature just over an hour’s drive from Denver city centre.

• Visit in winter for sledding, snowshoe walking, cross-country skiing, free ranger-guided ‘Ski the Wilderness’ tours and wildlife watching – best time of year for moose, elk and deer.
• Go in summer for camping, hiking, walking, driving, bird watching, fishing and rock climbing.
• Estes Park is a good base for a Rocky Mountain family summer or winter sports’ holidays.

Winter Park, just over an hour from Denver, is Colorado’s longest running ski-resort and in the state’s top-5 family favourites – officially. It’s also one of the first areas to open (middle of November every year), has an average of 8.8m of snow annually and 1246 hectare of skiable terrain including 143 runs and 490 hectares off-piste.

• Colorado’s most consistent snow record, 25 lifts and home to the National Sports Centre for the Disabled.
• Wide range of hotel and self-catering accommodation in The Village.
• Friday and Saturday night family skiing programme.
• Tube Park, sledding, ice skating, snowmobiling, snow-cat skiing, Nastar racing, fat biking, dog sledding, Nordic skiing.
• Award-winning Ski & Ride school teaches kids from age 3.

120km from Denver, Copper Mountain’s another very accessible, family-friendly resort with outstanding skiing, a long season (early November to mid-April) and the cutest resort village known for spacious apartments and cosy hotels. The ski area covers 985 hectares and has 140 runs, 23 lifts and altitudes of over 3700m.

• Runs include: 21% beginner, 25% intermediate, 36% advanced and 18% expert.
• 25km cross country trails through White River National Forest.
• Best for long runs, high altitude, stunning forests and snowboarding.
• Good choice of ski-schools and childcare.