It used to be that visiting a ski resort was the kind of thing you only did in the winter. And who could blame you for thinking that was still the case? Many ski destinations still don’t exactly scream summer vacation. But in recent years, some of North America’s most family-friendly ski resorts have upped their summer vacation game. In fact, there’s so much to do that it might be even more fun to visit these ski resorts during summer than it is during ski season.
With summer offerings that include everything from alpine coasters and high-flying zip lines to music festivals, fireworks, and even giant water parks, the best summer ski resorts have everything you need for a fun family vacation, no skis required.
1. Vail Mountain
Vail, Colorado
Two hours west of Denver, Colorado’s Vail Mountain and its pedestrian villages are a dream destination for families in the summer months (mid-June through early September). Board a gondola to visit the mountain-top playground Epic Discovery and zip around on the Forest Flyer Mountain Coaster, a 3,400-foot alpine thrill ride worthy of Disney World. Play a round of mini golf or do some summer tubing (yup, an inflatable tube on a track). Younger kids can get air on the bungee trampolines and feel like spiders on the climbing walls, while hiking, biking, ATV/UTV rentals, and fly-fishing are great choices for older children and teens.
Grab a bite to eat at Chasing Rabbits, which has a cinema, arcade, speakeasy, and library lounge in addition to its restaurant, all under one roof. Stay at the incomparable Antlers at Vail for spacious condo-style accommodations with fully equipped kitchens and amenities like a heated outdoor pool and hot tubs overlooking gorgeous Gore Creek and a complimentary Pantry of home essentials available for guests to borrow.
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2. Smugglers’ Notch Resort
Jeffersonville, Vermont
Affectionately known as “Smuggs,” Vermont’s Smugglers’ Notch ski resort is a gorgeous four-season vacation destination with a wide variety of kid-friendly activities during the summer (mid-June through early September). For the water lovers in your group there are multiple pools and waterslides at the resort’s water park, and the Bootleggers’ Basin freshwater reservoir swimming area was recently updated with new aqua inflatables.
Indoors you’ll find bounce houses, climbing walls, warrior courses, and mini golf for when the weather isn’t cooperating. Outside, you can enjoy everything from pickleball and a llama trek to farmer’s markets, disc golf, and a zip line canopy tour. The magic shows and county fairs are a hit with all ages. Smuggs even hosts summer camps that are literally guaranteed to be a good time—if your child participates in a summer camp program for at least two days and doesn’t have fun, Smugglers’ Notch will refund the cost.
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3. Boyne Mountain Resort
Boyne Falls, Michigan
When you visit the Boyne Mountain ski resort during summer, your family can zip-line through the trees, paddleboard and play at the beach, test your toss at disc golf, and swim indoors or out at one of the top family vacation destinations in the Midwest. Located in the peaks of Northern Michigan, Boyne Mountain is home to popular indoor water park Avalanche Bay and the world’s longest timber-towered suspension bridge, SkyBridge Michigan, connecting the peaks of McLouth and Disciples Ridge.
Older kids can get their daily dose of adrenaline with paintball games or wakeboard camps. Parents will be pleased with the options for tennis, golf, fishing, horseback riding, and being pampered at The Spa at Boyne Mountain, the largest spa facility in Michigan. And the whole family will love to new electric boat rides on Deer Lake. The resort’s on-site lodging, which includes hotels and vacation rentals, puts you in the middle of all the action.
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4. Blue Mountain Resort
Blue Mountains, Ontario, Canada
Live music, bike skills camps, a tree fort canopy climb, high and low ropes courses, an alpine slide, a swimming pool, and a thrilling triple zip line highlight the kid-friendly vacation experiences at Canada’s Blue Mountain ski resort during the summer. Purchase Play All Day tickets and get access to mountain biking, hiking, gondola rides, a private beach, and a putting course, too.
You can also pedal water trikes across the pond, speed down the Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster, or take a mountaintop Segway tour for unmatched views. And when it’s time to settle in for the night, stay in the on-site lodging that includes both private resort homes and hotel-style accommodations.
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5. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
Teton Village, Wyoming
Your ticket to sensational summer views of the Tetons and Jackson Hole Valley is available via the Aerial Tram at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. One of the most popular activities in Jackson Hole, it’s a 12-minute skyward ride providing access to trails and opportunities to explore Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park.
Get stoked for cycling at Jackson Hole Bike Park, which has exhilarating jumps, tabletops, and corners for novices to more experienced downhill bikers. You can book your own private biking guide or sign your kids up for youth bike camps to enhance their skills and safety. The resort even offers adaptive off-road recumbents and handcycles so that people of every ability who want to ride can feel the exhilaration.
For more high-altitude fun, go up high on the resort’s aerial adventure course, get some air on the bungee trampoline, or ascend to the top of the climbing wall. Or get your adrenaline going on the Via Ferrata, a guided climbing experience across bridges, up ladders, and through the scenic Casper Bowl. Alpine hikes, paragliding, or simply dining out on The Deck are fun ways to enjoy the ski resort during summer, too, while fly-fishing and yoga are more low-key. Summer accommodations range from standard hotel rooms to lakeside lodging.
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6. Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
Bear-viewing tours, multimedia night walks, and spinning in a human gyroscope are all on the agenda this summer in Whistler, British Columbia. The Whistler Blackcomb ski resort boasts a Family Adventure Zone with an inflatable hamster ball two humans can roll around in, a bouncy castle, a ropes course, bungee trampoline, and a rock-climbing wall. The high point of your summer may just be the 360-degree views inside the Peak 2 Peak gondola ride, where you’ll drink in views of volcanoes, glaciers, and rainforests between Whistler and Whistler Blackcomb.
Test your bravery on the breathtaking Cloudraker Skybridge. Savor alpine hiking with wildflowers in bloom. Picnic in lakeside parks, or kayak, canoe, or standup paddleboard in the fresh mountain water. The Whistler Children’s Festival kicks off the summer season with internationally acclaimed children’s performers, dance parties, science shows, and circus acts.
7. Jay Peak Resort
Jay, Vermont
The 60,000-square-foot Pump House Waterpark is not only Vermont’s only full-scale indoor water park, but it also ranks among the best indoor water parks in the whole country. You’ll find it at Jay Peak Resort, a four-season destination that shines especially bright for families in the summer. The resort’s water park even has a retractable roof to let the summer sunshine in.
Jay Peak’s Summer Music Series draws guests from around the northeast and over the border. Your teen might enjoy meeting new friends, including some from Canada, at events. The golf course is gorgeous here, as are the panoramic views from the aerial tram. Hike, bike, play disc golf, or hit the spa when the mood strikes, and if the weather turns rainy there’s an indoor climbing gym and a movie theater to help pass the time. Half-day and full-day childcare is available for guests staying at the resort (and even for those staying off property, too).
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8. Winter Park Resort
Winter Park, Colorado
Summer is a sensational time to visit Winter Park. It’s home to the longest alpine slide in Colorado (only reachable by gondola), which you can ride over and over again with an Unlimited Activities Day Pass. The day pass also includes mini golf, a climbing wall, and two ropes courses perfect for kids ages two to 14.
This ski resort just 75 miles from Denver also offers a number of guided outdoor activities during the summer—think hikes, astronomy, e-bike tours, even high-peaks painting. At the Aerial Adventure Course, activities include rock climbing, paintball, and a ropes course. You can also raft the canyon-encompassed Upper Colorado River with MAD Adventures (choose a gentle family float or more adventurous whitewater excursions) or show off your tricks and jumps at Winter Park’s Trestle Bike Park. And summer lodging specials make it more affordable to stay slopeside.
9. Chestnut Mountain Resort
Galena, Illinois
At Chestnut Mountain Resort, summer excitement includes flying high on the Soaring Eagle zip line, a two-seater thrill ride with killer views of the Mississippi River Valley. You can also race down the mountain’s 2,050-foot alpine slide, savor scenic views on a Mississippi River cruise, and glide across 220 rolling acres of picturesque mountain terrain on Segways.
Other activities at this Midwest ski resort during the summer include testing your downhill biking prowess on six trails, putting through 18 holes of mini golf, and tossing discs on the nine-hole disc golf course. At the end of the day, kick back at the indoor pool, sauna, and whirlpool, then settle in for the night at the resort’s 100-room slopeside lodge.
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10. Club Med Quebec Charlevoix
Quebec, Canada
The first Club Med mountain resort in North America is located in Charlevoix, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve 90 minutes from Quebec City. An all-inclusive family resort where most of the food, drinks, and childcare costs are included, Club Med Quebec Charlevoix also serves up an array of summer activities, such as downhill biking and guided hikes. Kids love the circus acrobatics and ping-pong tournaments. Parents can participate in yoga, water aerobics, and evening entertainment.
The resort’s Summer Reimagined offerings include an evening astrodome show and expert-led creative and outdoor experiences. Nearby white-sand beaches beg for summer lounging, sandcastle building, and children’s giggles. The stunning natural landscape offers opportunities to kayak past fjords and whale watch from June through October.
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