Winter Park Resort Family Activities

Kids' Activities
Winter Park's known for its comprehensive children's snow sports program. Along with day-long schools for children in skiing and snowboarding, Winter Park is noted particularly for its National Sports Center for the Disabled. The 40-year-old program, one of the largest of its kind in the world, provides lessons in 20 winter and summer sports, including Alpine and cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing in winter as well as rafting, hiking and biking in summer. For children and adults with disabilities, many of which limit or prevent movement, the sense of freedom gained by using adapted equipment to maneuver downhill or glide cross-country through the snowy woods is a powerful experience.

In ski season, the resort's Just Because I'm Three program combines ski fundamentals with snow play and sled rides plus crafts and other indoor games for pre-schoolers. The Kids' Ski & Ride School offers day-long programs for skiing for ages four and older and snowboarding for ages six and older. Programs operate from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (register by 9:00 a.m.). At Wee Willie's Child Care, infants at least two months old and non-skiers through age six enjoy indoor and outdoor snow games. Wee Willie's operates only during ski season. Because of limited space, reserve ahead.

Although the resort does not provide supervised children's programs in summer, there's much to do. At the mountain's plaza, kids can play mini-golf, try a rock climbing wall, conquer a maze, take a gryroscopic ride that spins them to a state simulating weightlessness, plus jump on a trampoline hooked up to bungee cords.

Family Activities
With 3,060 skiable acres, you will find trails that suit any level skier or snowboarder. After never-evers get their ski or rider legs at Sorensen Park, take a lift to Discovery Park. First try the Turnpike trail, the easiest, then graduate to Village Way, a slightly more difficult green. The wide runs make it easy for families to ski together. My kids proudly escorted me down the slope.

Winter Park is also noted for its six terrain parks, catering to skiers and boarders from beginners to advanced. Knuckle draggers can try out the wide, low rails at Starter, the basic park; proceed to Bouncer for upgraded beginner challenges; then build skills at Ash Cat and Gangway, medium-level terrain parks. Advanced skiers and snowboarders perfect tricks at Rail Yard and Dark Territory, advanced terrain areas.

In winter, aprés-ski fun includes tubing at Winter Park, as well as in Fraser, the nearby town. Outfitters offer dogsledding, sleigh rides as well as hot air ballooning, the latter in both winter and summer. For old-fashioned (and free) hill sledding, visit Hideaway Park, Highway 40 and Rendezvous Way in the town of Winter Park. Don't worry if you didn't pack a sled; you can borrow one. Four cross-country centers attract Nordic skiers—Devil's Thumb Resort is the closest. Also nearby is the YMCA of the Rockies' Snow Mountain Ranch's cross-country center.

In summer, bike along hundreds of miles of mapped trails, with options for beginner, intermediate and advanced pedalers. Non-bikers can savor the slopes by riding the chairlift up and hiking or sliding down. Of the two hikers-only paths (no mountain bikes allowed), the 2.7-mile Ute trail is family-friendly, gently crisscrossing spruce thickets and wide clearings before ending at the ski village. For a faster descent, zip down on the Alpine Slide, one of Colorado's longest with 3,030 feet of dips and turns.