There are hundreds of incredible ski resorts across the U.S. but not all of them are a great choice for families. Kid-friendly aprés-ski is just as important as first-rate ski schools and good terrain when you’ve got little ones in tow. We’ve rounded up the resorts across the U.S. and Canada with best aprés-ski for your little snow bunnies.
Tremblant, Quebec
Canda’s most family-friendly resort is located north of Montreal in Quebec. Traffic-free Tremblant has a charming French-Canadian ambience and superb aprés-ski with a great range of restaurants, shops, indoor/outdoor water park Aquaclub La Source, and an array of activities for all ages including dog sledding, ice fishing and ice skating. A sleighride through the forest is hugely popular with little adventurers. There’s also a kids club for 1 to 6 year olds.
Beaver Creek, Colorado
Although we’re already sold on the fact they hand out hot chocolate at the ski lifts and cookies in the afternoon at the base, the après-ski scene at the exclusive Beaver Creek is unbeatable. Family-friendly restaurants, an ice-staking rink (with weekly jukebox skate night) and a smorgasbord of activities such as dog sledding and snow tubing, make this one of the best spots for après-ski in the U.S. Teens will love the weekly sunset shoe trek and pizza party and a sleigh ride to one of the mountain restaurants is fun for the whole family.
Smugglers Notch, Vermont
Aprés-ski doesn’t get much better than at family-oriented Smuggs, as it is affectionately known. As well as a superb range of restaurants, 26,000-square entertainment complex and a zip-line canopy tour, there are activities such as snow shoeing and tubing, daily bonfires and weekly winter carnivals and fireworks. Energetic teens get to hang out at the Teen Alley Center (no parents allowed!), which is open all day long and runs events such as Airboard Slalom and Teen Jam Band.
Keystone, Colorado
Keystone is a family winter wonderland with 3,000 acres of skiable terrain and a highly rated ski school. There’s always something happening on and off the snow for kids and families. Highlights include sleigh rides, dog sledding, snow tubing and ice-skating (with weekly jukebox skate nights). Kids can explore the world’s largest snow fort, watch fireworks on Saturday nights or hang out at Kidtopia, a space designed for families. A must when dining out is a fun-for-the-family fondue.
Bretton Wood, New Hampshire
Bretton Wood undoubtedly puts families first and the après-ski is awesome! There’s plenty of kid-friendly restaurants, a sports center with a swimming pool, a snowmobile park just for kids and activities such as tubing, fat biking and sleigh rides. A big hit with young visitors are the supervised après-ski parties just for snow bunnies with clowns, magicians and sledding parties.
Okemo, Vermont
Considered one of the most family-friendly resorts in the East, Okemo is the ideal post-slope hangout for young ones. It has a day-care center and a solid list of fun things to do with or without parents, including Kids’ Night Out, which gives mom and dad some well-deserved time off. Older ones will love the Rampage Teen Center, which has an indoor skate park. Kids of all ages can go ice skating, tubing and play in the Snow Fun Playground, and the nightly snowmobile tours and snowshoe romps up the mountain are always a hit.
Northstar Tahoe, California
For families seeking a charming mountain village vibe with great après-ski for all ages, Northstar is hard to beat. Activities include sleigh rides, tubing and night snowshoe tours. The “build your own S’mores” cookout nights are a firm favorite with kids.
Deer Valley, Park City, Utah
This swanky resort in Utah has so much to offer families on and off the slope. There’s a children’s center for tots ages 2 months to 12 when you want some downtime, plenty of casual, kid-friendly cafes and grills, and endless activities ranging from snowmobiling to fat biking. The resort mascots are always popular with little ones and the Snowshoes and S’mores tour is a must.
Aspen Snowmass, Colorado
This four mountain resort checks all the boxes for an awesome family ski vacation. There’s plenty to keep tots, teens and even grandparents after ski school is over. The Treehouse Adventure Centre provides a dedicated kids program for babies as young as 8 weeks to the age of 4. When you’re not skiing, there’s activities for all the family including snowmobling, tubing, iceskating, as well as super cool snowcat dinners and their legendary winter wonderland party held every Friday night at Elk Camp.