Are you looking for a place to take the entire family skiing? Keystone Resort in Keystone, Colorado is very kid-friendly, offering daily activities for the family off the slopes. If you have beginner skiers in your group, this is a great place to visit. Our Bonding TravelingMom has been there, so she’s sharing all the information you need leading up to your visit.
Best Ski Resort For Families with Kids
When I was invited to visit the Keystone Resort in Colorado to enjoy a long weekend skiing, I knew this would be the ideal trip to take with my 9-year-old daughter. We made it a girls’ trip and invited my stepmom along too. Being new to snow, cold temperatures, high altitude and winter outdoor activities, I was slightly nervous as I packed my suitcase full of borrowed ski clothes. The beauty of trying something new is that you won’t know what you’re missing if you never experience it. And it didn’t take much time for me to fall in love with the family-friendly atmosphere at the Keystone Resort. Now I’m counting down the days until I can bring my other two daughters along to experience the treasures we discovered in the Colorado Mountains.
Family Skiing/Snowboarding
Keystone Resort refers to themselves as the “ultimate mountain playground for families and kids of all ages.” They have five above-tree-line bowls, night skiing, and an in-bounds cat skiing program. With three peaks and 3,000 acres of easy-to-expert ski terrain, it’s ideal for families with different skill levels.
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“Kids 12 and younger ski and ride free every day, all season long, with just two or more nights of lodging booked through the resort.”
You can schedule adult, child, or family ski or snowboarding lessons. We benefited greatly from taking a lesson, so I highly recommend it for beginners. I also had several long-time skiers tell me they start their first day on the mountain with lessons to freshen up their rusty skills. I must say, it was adorable watching the little ones taking group lessons. They easily were much better skiers than I was after only a couple hours.
The instructors are very well trained and if you take a lesson, I highly recommend requesting Emily Moravec. My 9-year-old felt so comfortable with her. Emily was great about helping us appreciate ski techniques and reassuring us the entire time as we were complete newbies.
It’s All About The Kids – Kidtopia
The Keystone Resort is famous for their kid-friendly FREE daily events. You can visit their website to find the date, time, location and details about each activity. Here is a list of the events families can expect to enjoy during their visit:
- Fireside Cocoa & Coloring
- Family Game Night
- Kids Yoga
- Meet the Avy Dog (avalanche dog)
- Super Snowy Science
- Critters Discovery
- Winter Movie Matinee
- Old Fashioned Tubing with Ripperoo
- Cupcakes & Canvas ($15/per person)
- Wacky Tacky Party
- Craft-er-noon Face Painting
- Ripperoo’s Village Parade
- River Run Fireworks
- Ripperoo’s Ice Cream Party
- Starquest Exploration
Join the Parade
Our personal favorites were the Ripperoo’s Village Parade and River Run Fireworks. Your kids get the chance to join the parade as you travel through the River Run Village on floats. Of course, the kids love waving the flags and being a part of the show. My daughter and I also loved watching the fireworks from our balcony since our lodging was located near the River Run Village. It was the perfect way to end our day. They put on a great show. After it ended, you could hear the roar of cheering down in the village.
In addition to all the events listed, they have an incredible snow fort that you have to see to believe. Your kids will be in awe as they ride the gondola up and down the mountain. It was an incredible way to soak up the scenic views.
One of our favorite adventures was snow tubing. I belly laughed like a kid. It was easily one of the most memorable experiences of our trip. Even if you don’t enjoy skiing or snowboarding, you must try snow tubing!
Lodging Options
The Keystone Resort has several different lodging options:
- East, West & North Keystone (a great way to escape to a quiet place at the end of the day)
- River Run Village (here you will be in the middle of the action)
- Mountain Home (a great option for families)
- Keystone Lodge & Spa (if you have a large group this is a good option)
Tips & Information
- If you’re traveling to Keystone from the Denver airport, I highly recommend using the Colorado Mountain Express. They will shuttle you to and from Keystone, so schedule this service before your trip.
- Don’t worry about carrying all your ski or snowboard gear and the kids to and from the slopes. There are complimentary red wagons to help lighten the load.
- The Season closing date is April 8th, 2018.
- You can visit the Keystone Resort website to find a First Timer’s Guide and a Resort Map that will help you navigate around.
- You can rent your ski or snowboarding gear at Keystone Sports located in the River Run Village which is near where you ride the Gondola up/down the mountain.
- If you’re looking for a good restaurant to eat at during your visit, I personally enjoyed the 9280 Tap House (located in the village). My daughter said they have the best chicken stripes you will ever eat! If you’re looking for a tasty adult beverage you should try their Royal Mule!
- Keystone Resort has their own shuttle service that will take you to lodging locations, local restaurants, and the River Run Village.
- If you are looking for Childcare options they do have childcare for Infants (2-15 months), Toddlers (16-35 months), and Playschool (3-6 years).
We had a spectacular time visiting the Keystone Resort. If you have any questions feel free to comment below!
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