5 days in Snowmass: a family ski vacation guide

Snowmass’ convenient layout, state-of-the-art facilities, children’s programs, ample kid-friendly activities, and attractions make it one of the world’s best destinations for a winter family getaway. It’s also right down the road from Ski.com’s headquarters and we’re constantly working with our neighbors to provide our guests with the best vacation experience possible.

Day 1: Check in to your accommodations and grab a bite in Snowmass Mall

Whether you’ve opted for lodging in Snowmass Mall/Upper Village or Snowmass Base Village, you’re just a quick click-in and schuss to the nearest lift. Snowmass has a lot of excellent options for families, but if you’re looking for kid-appeasing amenities, like a slopeside pool, home-away-from-home space and kitchens (perfect for large families traveling together), and convenience to Snowmass’ best shopping and the Ice Age Discovery Center, put Timberline Condominiums top of mind.

The Timberline offers families plenty of room to spread out and relax.

Timberline Condominiums provide home-away-from-home amenities like full kitchens.

You can literally ski right up to the pool and hot tub at the Timberline.

Your youngsters will love après-ski pool time and so will you, as you relax in the hot tub. Or, if you’re getting in on the later side, you can pre-arrange to have groceries delivered to your unit via Ski Country Grocer.

Day 2: Check the kids into ski school and explore Snowmass

*Aspen Snowmass is not offering childcare for the 20/21 season. 

Kids love skiing at Snowmass thanks to the gentle beginner areas, like the base area Fanny Hill run and mid-mountain Elk Camp, and incredible services. Starting at 2.5 years old, Snowmass’s ski school is the perfect place to learn how to ski or board with a variety of different, group ski lessons.

The Treehouse Kids’ Adventure Center is a 25,000-square-foot, forest-themed facility located in Snowmass Base Village. | Photo: Aspen Snowmass

Featuring tons of interactive play features, the Treehouse is the epi-center for fun in Snowmass. | Photo: Aspen Snowmass

Children under the age of six meet at the Treehouse in the morning and then are placed in specialized ski or snowboard group lessons based on their age and ability level.

Arts and crafts and imaginative playtime abound at the Treehouse, which is supervised by Colorado, state-licensed child care professionals with a licensed registered nurse on staff. | Photo: Aspen Snowmass

The little ones catch on fast at Snowmass. | Photo: Aspen Snowmass

Day 3: Experience Elk Camp: a high-alpine hub for family fun

On your second day on the slopes, opt for a half-day or pick up the kids a little early, so you can enjoy some family time on the mountain. Offering fantastic dining and a plethora of blue and green runs, Elk Camp is a fantastic place for the whole family to challenge themselves in a welcoming and uncrowded environment.

Zoom down Elk Camp’s snow tubing lanes with your clan. | Photo: Aspen Snowmass

Everyone can enjoy snow biking at Elk Camp. | Photo: Aspen Snowmass

If you happen to be at Snowmass on a Friday, don’t miss Ullr Nights, which is held at Elk Camp from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and features dining, live music, snow biking, snow tubing, a big bonfire and s’mores

If you happen to be at Snowmass on a Friday, don’t miss Ullr Nights, which is held at Elk Camp from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and features all of the aforementioned activities, plus a big bonfire and s’mores.

*Ullr Camp will be closed until February 2021 or until further notice. 

Day 4: Discover tree trails, followed by dog sledding

Whether your kids are skiing with you or in ski school, they’re going to revel in the opportunity to experience Snowmass’ famed tree trails in the Lizard Lodge/Dawdler area. Here, the little ones can play in a wooden fort, ski under tunnels and bridges, and search snow-covered aspen groves for hidden characters and educational signage. While you’re on that side of the mountain, youngsters can test out their speed skills at the Children’s Race Arena.

In Snowmass’ tree trails, the kids can ski to a wooden fort, under tunnels and bridges and search snow-covered aspen groves for hidden characters and educational signage.

Youngsters can test out their speed skills at the Children’s Race Arena. | Photo: Aspen Snowmass

If you’re looking for a unique, après-ski family experience, look no further than Snowmass’ Krabloonik, which offers dog-sled tours.

Day 5: Play in the park and visit the Ice Age Discovery Center

Year in and year out, Snowmass’ terrain parks are consistently ranked at the top of their field by Transworld Snowboarding Magazine, and that includes options for youngsters and beginner park skiers or riders. Offering more than 100 features across three parks, including a 22-foot Zaugg-cut Superpipe, Snowmass will more than please any jibster teens. The little ones one love playing around in the Lowdown Park, situated on Lower Blue Grouse Trail, which features extra small to medium table jumps and a beginner halfpipe.

After you’ve had your fill of gravity-defying thrills, make your way down to the Snowmass Mall for an interactive afternoon at the world-renowned Ice Age Discovery Center. In 2010, Snowmass was put on the international paleontology map. During the excavation of Ziegler Reservoir, construction workers unearthed what would turn out to be nearly 6,000 Ice Age fossils, including mammoths, mastodons, giant ground sloths, giant bison, deer, camel, horses and more. The Ice Age Discovery Center is where you and your brood can learn more about the dig, see some of the fossils and meet paleontologists from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

When dinner time rolls around, make sure you have something a little special planned to celebrate your last evening in Snowmass.

Situated in Snowmass Mall, a quick walk or shuttle ride from the Timberline, Il Poggio, an authentic—warm Italian restaurant—is a treat for parents and kiddos alike. Featuring wonderful, homemade pastas and flavorful entrees, delicious pizza—guaranteed to please the young ones in your dinner party—and a great wine list, Il Poggio is the perfect cherry on top of a perfect ski vacation.

Ready to get the gang together and enjoy the perfect Aspen Snowmass ski vacation? Fill out this free quote form, talk to one of our 65+ Mountain Travel Experts, and get yourselves on the slopes of Snowmass this winter season.