Multigenerational ski adventures, when grandkids can ski with grandparents in snowy destinations, are my ideal family vacation, spring or winter. When someone wants to hit the slopes, they simply pick up their gear and go. As a fresh powderhound, I raised my kids to never wait around for the slowpokes. For this ski with granparents trip, I wanted to instill the same spirit in my toddling grandchildren.
Multigenerational Snowsports Guarantee Time Together, TIme Apart
Almost any multigenerational or family reunion ski trip works well for several reasons. The opportunities for old sibling rivalries and petty irritations diminish when everyone operates independently throughout the day. There are several other benefits to skiing with grandparents on mountain vacations. Consider this:
- Snowsports resorts today entertain all ages and all abilities, even non-skiers.
- Kids can spend a full day or half-day in a ski lesson while their parents get alone time on the chairlif.
- An afternoon to ski or nap with grandparents can amuse the little ones while young adults hit the après-ski spots.
- What joy when everyone reconvenes for dinner after a tiring-in-the-best-possible-way day in the snow.
Park City, Utah’s Pluses for Multigenerational Skiers
Park City is one of the easiest snowsports destinations of all for skiing with grandparents. There are nonstop flights from most American cities, and no matter where you live, if you fly out in the morning you can ski that afternoon.
Since I’m not one to wait around, an extra half day of skiing at two full-service ski resorts with some of the best snow in the world means a lot. Both resorts are just a 40-minute drive from the airport. So is the very picturesque town that gives one of those resorts its name.
Park City, Utah’s Pluses for Family Groups with Non-Skiers
If you have nonskiers in your group, the town of Park City is packed with excellent restaurants, chic shops, art galleries and buzzy après-ski bars.
Drive a few minutes away to tour Utah Olympic Park’s facilities and museum. It hosted the 2002 Olympic ski jumping, luge, skeleton and bobsled events — and will host them again in the 2034 Salt Lake City Winter Games. That’s when you’ll see Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley back in the Olympic game.
In addition, there is snow tubing nearby at a small snowboard and ski learning mountain with an enormous indoor play and training space called Woodward Park City. (More below.)
The Lay of the Land at Park City’s Two Ski Resorts
The town of Park City was settled in 1860 during the silver mining boom and still has the charm of a real Western town. Its Main Street is on the National Register of Historic Districts with over 50 buildings in the historic inventory.
It’s easy to get out to the powder early, too. Free shuttles and buses take visitors throughout the area and to both resorts. Ubers and Lyfts are plentiful, so you never have to waste time parking.
Park City Mountain Resort, Where Size Matters
Park City Mountain Resort, which combined forces with The Canyons in 2014 to create the biggest lift-served ski area in the country, offers 7,300 acres of skiing and 43 lifts. A chairlift called the Town Lift takes skiers and boarders from Main Street to mid-mountain. A gondola connects the Park City Mountain side of the resort with the former Canyons side.
Deer Valley Resort, The Luxe Mountain
Deer Valley Resort is still skier only, meaning snowboards are not allowed. It’s filled with glamorous slopeside and base area accommodations and is known for its impeccable grooming, family friendly amenities and a high level of guest services. Its expansion for the 2025-26 season gives it new lifts and hotels, and nearly twice as much skiable acreage.
Where to Stay for Multigenerational Family and Reunion Groups
There are private homes, condos, townhouses and Park City hotels galore — on the slopes, in the town of Park City, and at the bottom of the different resort bases.
Park City Ski In Ski Out Options
If you want ski in/ski out lodging, I strongly suggest you book early – the units alongside the slopes sell out first. Check each resort’s website for availability, then branch out to Airbnb and VRBO where some condo owners also choose to list their homes.
Park City and Deer Valley Glam Hotels for Multigen Families
If you want a posh hotel (and I love all these places), pamper your grandparents at a gorgeous one like the Montage, Stein Eriksen Lodge & Residences, the St. Regis Deer Valley or the Waldorf Astoria at the Canyons base.
Park City Rentals & Vacation Packages
If you want to pay less than slopeside yet still want more space (highly recommended from a skiing grandparent’s point of view) , your best option is to call one of the lodging property managers like Park City Lodging, or Park City Rental Properties.
They manage hundreds of properties in Deer Valley Resort, Park City Mountain Resort and historic old town Park City. Tell the staff what you are looking for and your dates, and they can start directing you to options.
We headquartered in a condo just off Main Street and skied both resorts. (Each is about a 5-minute drive from downtown.) We could walk to restaurants and the Town Lift that took us to Park City Mountain ski area and even to the base of the resort for a sleigh ride dinner one night. The shuttle to Deer Valley stopped a block from our condo.
Getting Started the Easy Way – Skis on the Run Ski Rental Delivery
One of Grandma’s top ski moments? One child was eating dinner, Grandpa was having a beer, and 3-year-old Ella was getting her boots, skis and helmet fitted while her doting parents snapped photos.
Instead of navigating equipment rental lines, you can lounge on the couch while Skis on the Run technicians outfit your crew. We’d filled out forms in advance with our ages, proficiency levels, height and weight, so the skis arrived with bindings set. We simply had to try on the boots to make sure they fit comfortably. When my son needed bigger snowboard boots and I wanted to size down my ski boots, our technician Lucas fetched new sizes out of the van and then adjusted my bindings on the spot, double checking everything carefully.
When we were done for the week, we placed our equipment outside of our condo and Skis on the Run picked it up. If you have trouble with equipment while you’re on the mountain, they’ll come to the base and help.
Why You Should Ski with Grandparents at Park City Mountain Resort
This behemoth of a resort has so much terrain you could explore it for a week before repeating one of its 346 trails. Simply put, it’s perfect for multigenerational groups because there are runs for all abilities.
- Broad ribbons of beautifully groomed snow amble down from every lift. Park City is an intermediate skier’s and boarder’s paradise.
- Black Diamonds Galore. There are plenty of steeps and bumps to keep grandparent skiers and adrenaline seekers happy along with easy runs for beginners. No matter where you stay, you can ski into Park City’s Main Street for lunch and catch up with any nonskiers if you don’t mind clunking around in your boots. The Town Trail that takes you there (and to the base of the Town Lift to get back) is long, wide and well groomed, with very few cattracks.
- Despite the scale of the place and the number of visitors it can handle, kids ski lessons (school starts at age 3) is impressively personal, smooth and well organized.
- There’s licensed daycare if your family members are too young to ski or board — or don’t want to. The LIttle Adventures Children’s Center offers daycare and activities for children ages 6 weeks to 6 years.
Why Skiing Grandparents Love Deer Valley Resort: Paying for the Very Best!
Known for its celebrity-magnet accommodations, slopes groomed by perfectionists and a “your wish is my command” approach to customer service, this posh skiers-only resort is also known for being particularly family friendly. What’s to love at Deer Valley Resort:
- They have a terrific ski school (one of the biggest in the country for both adults and kids.)
- There’s a lively daycare program for ages 2 months to 12 years and children’s programs off the mountain in some Deer Valley hotels.
- Grandparents Who Ski Alert! Families with younger kids like mine often like the no-snowboard rule since the slopes seem slower and safer without fear of collisions.
- There’s something for everyone on the mountain. Long smooth groomers lure beginners and intermediate skiers. Steep moguls, bowls, glades and chutes of fresh powder attract experts.
- There’s rarely a lift line! Deer Valley limits the number of skiers to make sure it stays reasonably uncrowded during peak vacation times, so ticket reservations are advised.
- The 2025-26 season will debut six new chairlifts, a 10-person gondola and 100 new ski runs that will add up to 5,726 acres across 10 mountain peaks. This new area is called Deer Valley East Village and will feature a ski school, children’s programs, rentals, retail and dining options.
Ski with Grandparents Tip: Deer Valley has one of the biggest inventories of ski-in ski-out lodging in the world, so if you want to strap on your skis at your front welcome mat and head out, you have lots of options.
Our Favorite Après-Ski & Dining Spots for Kids & Grands
My kids – foodies from the start — would not let me finish this story without raving about our favorite places to dine in and around Park City. The order of this list is theirs!
Park City Après-Ski with Grandparents in Style
Chute Eleven in Deer Valley is a mid-mountain après-ski yurt with flowing champagne, lavish lobster-studded seafood towers and Petrossian caviar. Somehow the word yurt sounds clumsy and cold, but this place is all Deer Valley glamour, furnished with a glimmering bar, comfortable couches and a swanky outdoor patio with heaters and high tops. Most noteworthy are the “Slopeside Sets” with some of the hottest DJs around, like grammy-nominated Wuki. Check the website for the DJ line up.
High West Saloon in downtown Park City calls itself the world’s first and only ski-in gastro distillery. It’s right next to the Town Lift — which means you can ski to the front door, drop your skis in the rack and head in for a cocktail crafted from their sought-after High West whiskey. It’s one of the most popular après-ski venues in the area, or anywhere in ski country, really. The 30-somethings in our group stopped there every day whether they skied in or not for a cocktail and a bite — there’s a full kitchen, too.
Favorite Family-Friendly Dining in Park City
There are many, many fine dining options between the mountains, the town and the elegant hotels. During the winter and spring school breaks, you must book a table ahead. That’s been true during the midwinter Sundance Film Festival, too, which is moving to Boulder, CO in 2027. However, since grandparents and grandkids usually like to eat early, you should be fine.
Le Depot Brasserie in downtown Park City with its modern twist on French classics is the new kid on the block and it’s getting lots of well-deserved buzz. The children’s menu charmed us with its starters of shrimp cocktail or a kid-oriented charcuterie plate and healthy salmon and chicken breast or a classic cheeseburger for mains. The adults swooned over unusual cocktails and dishes like Moules Frites au Roquefort (steamed mussels with blue cheese, pecans and french fries) and Canard Rôti et son Pithiviers (duck breast and mushroom puff pastry tart).
350 Main is downtown. When we saw the prix fixe three-course Children’s Menu, we were intrigued — we’d never seen one before. Appetizers for the little ones started with crackers, blueberries and a mild cheese followed by classics like mac and cheese and surprises like Utah red trout and Wagyu top sirloin medallions. Adults savored dishes like tea smoked carrots and charred elk chops.
Ski with Grandparents, Sled to a Truly Memorable Dinner
Get Snowed Inn Sleigh Company at Park City Mountain Resort. Pile onto blanket-covered seats in an old-fashioned red sleigh pulled by enormous thick-coated Percheron horses and head to dinner at a cabin on the mountain. After a welcome hot apple cider, you can enjoy a veggie chowder or chili and main courses. Choose from Utah trout, prime rib, short ribs, or chicken along with options for children and vegetarians. Chocolate cake and homemade ice cream are served for dessert.
Often, novelty experiences like this have pleasant but somewhat average food. However, this place takes it up a notch in flavor and flair while a cowboy musician entertains as you dine.
There’s More to Do Before You Hang Up Your Poles
No need to spend every day skiing or snowboarding on the slopes. It’s wonderful to share any kind of experience with grandkids. These were my favorite down days.
Develop an Olympian at Utah Olympic Park
This 400-acre active Olympic training ground for the US Ski Team also has development programs for ski jumping, luge, skeleton and bobsled. Its two free museums have plenty of exciting exhibits for Olympic and snow sports enthusiasts to pore over, but kids especially like the more interactive ones, like the virtual reality ski jump ride. Hour-long venue tours include a bus ride to the top of the world’s highest Nordic ski jumps and views of one of the fastest sliding tracks in the world.
But the most exciting attraction in winter is the bobsled ride. Passengers 13 and over and 100+ pounds can take a thrilling ride with a professional pilot down the Olympic bobsled track, reaching speeds of up to 70 miles per hour. The ride lasts less than a minute, but it’s a wild experience you’ll never forget.
Raise Xtreme Athletes at Woodward Park City
Woodward wears a number of hats. Snow tubing is great for the nonskier to get a taste of the quick downhill slide, and Woodward’s seven lanes of snow tubing use a conveyor belt system to get you to the top of the runs. Reservations are a good idea because it’s popular all the way up to its 8pm closing time.
Ski and snowboard lessons for kids start at age 4. They are an excellent and inexpensive option for families on a budget, with prices half of the other resorts. Parents won’t find much vertical here, but the terrain parks offer lots of opportunities for practicing tricks.
The 66,000 square foot Action Sports Hub indoor facility has a bike pump track, scootering, parkour zone, Olympic trampolines, foam pits, and more. Kids can explore the indoor space or work on basic terrain park and aerials skills. Introduce the grandkids to concepts like balance, air awareness and agility before attempting the real thing.
Or, book private lessons on trampolines and roller skis and boards. Watch the family fly into foam pits to develop their tricks.
After all, when you ski with grandparents, some of that lifelong love of snowsports should wear off.
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