Snowmass ski slopes beckon families with their variety of 91 trails over an incredible 3,132 acres of skiable terrain — 36 Disneylands can fit within the ski-area boundaries! The majority of terrain caters to intermediate skiers, with 50% of the trails considered “more difficult,” but there is truly something — including bowl skiing, plenty of groomed cruisers, steep moguls, three terrain parks and a 22-foot-tall superpipe — for everyone. Children as young as 2.5 can sign up for ski school — renowned for its friendly, knowledgeable instructors — at the new Treehouse Kids Adventure Center. Children learn on the easiest terrain and use dedicated ski-school lifts, including fun “magic carpets” that whisk pint-sized skiers to the top of “bunny trails.” (Babies and toddlers are watched by licensed caregivers in specially themed rooms.) The Adventure Center also hosts many free apres-ski and evening family activities, including movie nights, campfire sing-a-longs and Kids’ Krafts. It’s likely you won’t run out of trails to sample at Snowmass, even on a weeklong vacation. But, if you’re looking for other action, your Aspen/Snowmass lift ticket is good at the other three area mountains: Aspen, Buttermilk and Aspen Highlands.

Snowmass’ ski mountain is open in the summer months, as well, with two-seater chairlift rides that can also carry mountain bikes; a myriad of hiking and biking trails can be found at the top of the chairlift. Other summertime family fun on the mountain includes free Frisbee golf and outdoor paintball for kids, ages 8 and older. Thursday nights bring the Snowmass Summer of Free Music, which features face-painting and other activities for kids in the Base Village, as well as a free Sky Cab gondola ride to a free outdoor concert on Fanny Hill. If kids don’t want to listen to music, they can hang at Movie Night at the Adventure Center (for a fee).