Mountain TravelingMom has been living in and skiing Colorado ski resorts for twenty years. Since she moved within 30 miles of two of the best ski resorts in Colorado fifteen years ago she admittedly hasn’t visited enough of the others. Last winter she and her family (kids ages 5 and 9) had the opportunity to spend a couple of days skiing Copper Mountain. Her entire family was so impressed with the expansive ski terrain that offered something for every ski ability. However with the many fun things to do at Copper Mountain with a family, skiing was just icing on the cake. Read on for 6 fun things to do at Copper Mountain Ski resort.
6 Fun Things to do at Copper Mountain Ski Resort with Kids
1. Yes, You Must Ski on a Copper Mountain Family Ski Vacation
2. Tubing on Copper Mountain Family Ski Vacation
3. Ride the new Alpine Coaster at Copper Mountain Ski Resort
4. Visit Woodward Barn at Copper Mountain Ski Resort
5. Enjoy an Après Treat at Copper Mountain Ski Resort
6. Take Advantage of the Complimentary Kids Night Out
Most of our many years of skiing have been spent on the slopes of Vail and Beaver Creek. So it has been several years since my husband & I have ventured to other ski resorts. But when such an opportunity arose last March we jumped for it. We ventured a short drive over Vail pass to experience a different Colorado ski resort and had so much fun! Copper Mountain is a fantastic ski resort for families with much more to offer than just skiing. Here are our 6 favorite things to do at Copper Mountain Ski Resort on a family ski vacation.
1. Yes, You Must Ski on a Copper Mountain Family Ski Vacation
Okay, so this is a given. You’ve traveled to Copper Mountain for a family ski vacation. You are going to ski (or snowboard). But we are putting it number one on our list because it really is a great mountain, particularly for families with beginner skiers.
The trails are laid out from east to west starting at a higher difficulty to lower. The trails are grouped together by difficulty. Blacks (expert) are on the east side, blues (intermediate) and and all greens (beginner) are on the west side. This means there is very little chance of a beginner skier ending up on black trails which can easily happen at resorts that have more of a mix of trails throughout the mountain.
As a bonus, the trails are long and expansive, which our family loved. We also happened to be there on a day when Mother Nature had graced Copper Mountain with 8″ of snow overnight and then the sun came out and blue skies opened for the perfect day. Our time spent together on the slopes as a family was wonderfully memorable.
2. Tubing on Copper Mountain Family Ski Vacation
Our entire family ages five and up all absolutely loved tubing at Copper Mountain. I would consider us veteran sledders. But this was a whole different experience. We grabbed a tube, let the magic carpet hoist us up the hill and then zipped down one of the five lanes in a square formation with four tubes held together by our hands holding the straps. The banked curves add an extra thrill. And, the snow storm that came in at the end of our hour completed the experience. It was certainly an adrenaline rush.
3. Ride the new Alpine Coaster at Copper Mountain Ski Resort
The winter of 2017/2018 Copper Mountain debuted the new Rocky Mountain Coaster. If you don’t know what an alpine coaster is, you should. We are huge fans. It is like a roller coaster, but you drive your own cart which is attached to the rails of the track, and it is set in the middle of a natural mountain environment rather than a concrete jungle. This raised alpine coaster track runs along the natural curvature of the mountain. It dips, zigs, zags and makes 360 degree turns all the way down the track.
4. Visit Woodward Barn at Copper Mountain Ski Resort
We know families who regularly make the trek over the pass to take their kids to the Woodward Barn. While the building may look a little like a barn, what is inside is very different. Woodward Barn is a training facility with indoor ski and snowboard training, skateparks, Olympic-grade trampolines, foam pit jumps and more. Sign up for a two-hour intro session and make sure to bring your ski/ snowboard boots and a helmet!
5. Enjoy an Après Treat at Copper Mountain Ski Resort
The villages at Copper Mountain have a variety of restaurants as well as specialty sweet shops. Treat the family to mini donuts covered with chocolate sauce and sprinkles at Sugar Lips Mini Donuts. Enjoy a freshly-baked cookie from Mary’s Mountain Cookies. Or, let the kids pick out bulk candy at City Pop Gourmet Popcorn & Candy.
6. Take Advantage of the Complimentary Kids Night Out
Kids ages 3-12 years can enjoy Kids Night Out while the adults have an adult-only night out for free. When you spend $30 during the time of care anywhere in Copper’s village areas Wednesday – Saturday, 5:30 – 10 pm, you receive 3 hours free fun of childcare at Kids Night Out. Activities include arts and crafts, games, interactive Wii, dinner, and a movie.
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