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Want to plan a family ski trip to Colorado, but not sure if you can afford it? I feel your pain, and I’m going to be straight with you about skiing with kids in Colorado. Yes, it’s expensive. Yes, it can feel overwhelming when you’re looking at $200+ lift tickets and wondering how on earth you’re going to get all of your kids on the mountain without taking out a second mortgage (I have 5 kids…I feel this in my CORE). But after spending years both as a ski instructor and teaching my own crew to ski on Colorado slopes, I’ve cracked the code on making family skiing in Colorado actually affordable.
The secret isn’t just knowing about the programs – it’s knowing how to work them strategically. I’ve made every mistake in the book (hello, showing up without registering and getting turned away!), and I’m here to save you the headaches I’ve already endured.
READ: 8 Best Kid Friendly Colorado Ski Resorts
The Best Kids Ski Free Deals in Colorado
Let me cut through the marketing fluff and tell you which programs will genuinely save you serious money. This isn’t a little discount, but something that will help your younger kids trip expensess hundreds of dollars cheaper.
Also Read: How Kids Ski Free in Utah!
Epic SchoolKids Colorado Pack: Free Skiing at Vail Resorts
This is the big one. Four free days for K-5 kids at each of Vail Resorts Colorado ski areas: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Crested Butte. I’m talking about resorts where a single day ticket for a child runs $150+, so this program can save you $600 per kid per resort… or $3000 if you ski at all 5 resorts.
But here’s what the fine print doesn’t tell you: registration opens in August and closes on October 8th. Set a calendar reminder because once it’s full, you’re out of luck. Also, those blackout dates? They include pretty much every day your kids are actually off school. Plan accordingly.
My strategy: Book your Epic SchoolKids days for weekdays in December or January. The snow is usually great, crowds are lighter, and you’ll actually be able to use those free lessons that come with the program (they require a 2 week advance reservation and fill FAST).
Here are the dates that the FREE first timer ski lessons and FREE ski rentals are available:
Monday, December 1, 2025 – Saturday, December 13, 2025
Monday, January 5, 2026 – Friday, January 16, 2026
Tuesday, January 20, 2026 – Friday, January 30, 2026
It’s also important to note that if this is the first tiem your child is getting an Epic School Kids pass, they’ll need to verify their age and grade IN PERSON at a Front Range Epic Mountain Gear Store (not one in the mountains, so plan accordingly).
READ: Family Tips for Skiing at Crested Butte
Power Pass Kids – Free Season Pass at Purgatory
Here’s a Colorado gem that deserves way more attention! If your children are twelve and under, Purgatory Resort in Durango participates in the Power Kids Pass program. What makes this special is that it’s not just a few free days – it’s a full season pass with no blackout dates and no catches for kids 12 and under.
Purgatory offers something most Colorado families never experience: legitimate powder skiing without the I-70 traffic nightmare. Located in southwestern Colorado, this resort gets absolutely dumped on with snow and has that authentic mountain town vibe that’s becoming harder to find at bigger resorts.
Best of all, you can technically stretch the season pass into your child’s 13th year in many cases. I have a child who turns 13 in the summer, so we got his Power Kids Pass while he was still 12, and it will be good for the entire season.
If you really want to make a budget ski trip happen, Purgatory offers some of the most reasonable adult lift ticket prices in Colorado when you buy online in advance. I’ve seen them as low as the $60-80 range. Combine that with free kids’ passes, and you’re looking at a legitimate family ski vacation that won’t require a second mortgage.
The drive to Durango is longer than hitting Summit County, but the payoff is worth it – less crowds, better snow, cheaper everything, and your kids get to experience what Colorado skiing used to be like.
Keystone’s Lodging + Ski Free Deal
Here’s where Keystone gets it right. Book two nights, kids ski free every day you’re there. No blackouts, no tricks. I’ve done the math – even with Keystone’s lodging prices, this often works out cheaper than driving up from Denver multiple times when you factor in gas, food, and your sanity.
The real win? Keystone has night skiing. Your kids can ski during the day on their free tickets, you can all grab dinner, and then hit the slopes again under the lights. It’s like getting two ski days for the price of one.
Colorado Ski Country Passport: The Most Skiing For Your Buck
$69 for up to 76 ski days across 19 resorts? This is math even I can get behind. But let’s be realistic – you’re not going to hit all 76 days. What this passport IS perfect for is trying different mountains without the commitment.
This is the perfect pass to let kids figure out what they actually like and some of their favorite terrain. My 10-year-old discovered he loves the steeps at Loveland, while my 8-year-old prefers the wide cruisers at Copper. Would I have dropped $300+ to find that out? Absolutely not.
The Colorado Ski Country Passport gives kids 4 days of skiing at 19 different Colorado family friendly ski resorts. It’s important to note that none of the Vail Resorts are included in this pass, so it might be a good idea to get the Colorado Ski Country Passport and the Epic SchoolKids Pass.
Pro tip: The passport works through 6th grade, but they check birth dates, not just grade level. If your kid’s birthday falls before the ski season ends, buy it the year before they turn 12.
The Resort-by-Resort Reality Check
Every resort claims to be “family-friendly,” but having skied at all of these resorts, I can tell you there’s a big difference between marketing and reality. The truth is, bigger usually isn’t better when skiing with kids, and those off the beaten path resorts often offer a better experience for learning to ski (ski instructors at tiny resorts undergo the same certification process as those at huge resorts).
Colorado Ski Resorts for Families – Quick Reference Guide
Arapahoe Basin (A-Basin)
Best For: Budget families, first-time skiers Why families love it: Most affordable ($79/$39), old-school vibe, kids 4 & under free Terrain: Beginner area next to expert lifts, whole mountain funnels to one spot Bonus: Kids play area in lodge, cheering from chairlifts encouraged.
READ: The Ultimate Buide to Arapahoe Basin Ski Resort
Loveland
Best For: Denver families avoiding traffic Why families love it: 1 hour from Denver, kids 5 & under free, separate beginner mountain Terrain: Loveland Valley for beginners ($50/$30), Basin for all levels Bonus: Free season passes for 5 & under, skis over Eisenhower tunnel.
Purgatory Resort
Best For: Budget families, avoiding I-70 traffic, authentic mountain experience Why families love it: Kids 12 & under ski free (Power Kids Pass), no crowds, adult tickets $60-80 Terrain: More natural snowfall than Front Range, wide family runs, manageable lift lines Bonus: Located in Durango, authentic Colorado skiing experience, easy parking.
Steamboat Springs
Best For: Authentic Western ski town experience Why families love it: Kids pulled in wagons, 12 & under free with 5+ day adult ticket Terrain: All levels, magic carpet for kids, Olympic training ground Bonus: Strawberry Park Hot Springs, lower elevation, cowboy charm.
Crested Butte
Best For: Avoiding crowds, hidden gem Why families love it: Minimal crowds even weekends, affordable Epic resort Terrain: Great intermediate terrain, Rambo (steepest in North America) Bonus: Free ice skating/sledding, charming Elk Avenue town.
Keystone
Best For: Big resort experience without Vail prices Why families love it: Kids 12 & under free with lodging, Kidtopia snow fort area Terrain: 3,000 acres across 3 peaks, night skiing available Bonus: Free parking, daily cookies, parades and fireworks.
Copper Mountain
Best For: Terrain park families, action sports Why families love it: Woodward indoor training facility, free snowcat skiing Terrain: 9 terrain parks, foam pit training, expert snowcat access Bonus: Everything walkable, 15 minutes to Ice Castles.
Breckenridge
Best For: Best Colorado ski town experience Why families love it: Resort connects to charming town, 5 different peaks Terrain: Something for everyone across 2,903 acres Bonus: Less crowded than Vail, cute shops and restaurants.
Vail
Best For: Luxury experience, special occasions Why families love it: Classic resort, amazing amenities, world-class terrain Terrain: Excellent beginners to extreme expert, Adventure Ridge activities Bonus: Premium everything, including prices (tubing, mini snowmobiles, gondola rides).
What Nobody Tells You About These Programs
The Equipment Trap: Free lift ticket doesn’t mean free gear. Budget $35-50 per kid per day for rentals, or invest in used equipment. I’ve outfitted entire kids for less than one day’s rental cost by shopping end-of-season sales and Facebook marketplace.
The Lesson Reality: Those “free” lessons with Epic SchoolKids? They book up incredibly fast. If you don’t reserve as soon as possible, you’re not getting one. Have a backup plan for teaching your kids to ski in case you can’t use the Epic SchoolKids first timer lesson.
The Food Factor: Resort food is brutal on the budget. My family of seven can easily drop $200 on lunch. Pack sandwiches, bring hot chocolate in thermoses, and save the lodge meal for a special treat, not a necessity. We typically have everyone put a sandwich and some energy bars in their pocket and then share a basket of warm french fries.
The Parking Game: Popular resorts charge $30+ for parking now. Look for free shuttles from nearby towns, or factor this into your budget. At Breckenridge, you can park at the rec center and take the free shuttle – saves money and stress.
Are Kids Ski Free Lift Tickets Worth It?
Look, I’m not going to sugarcoat it – skiing is becoming a rich person’s sport, and that breaks my heart. I grew up skiing on $20 lift tickets, and now I watch families skip the sport entirely because they can’t afford a single day on the mountain.
These free programs aren’t charity – they’re smart business. Resorts know that kids who fall in love with skiing today become lifelong customers. But they also represent something bigger: a chance to keep skiing accessible for regular families like ours.
Every time I see a kid nail their first pizza wedge turn or finally link their first parallel turns, I’m reminded why I fight so hard to make this work financially. Those moments are priceless, even if getting there requires some serious budget gymnastics.
Making Your Colorado Plan
Start with your kids’ ages and skill levels, not the marketing materials. A nervous 6-year-old will have a better time at Loveland than Vail, regardless of which one is “better.” A confident 10-year-old might be ready for A-Basin’s harder terrain.
Consider your home base. If you’re in Denver, focus on Summit County and I-70 corridor deals. Colorado Springs families should look at Monarch and smaller southern mountains. Don’t overlook the smaller resorts – some of my family’s best ski days have been at places most people have never heard of.
Most importantly, remember that the goal isn’t to ski the most days or hit the most resorts. It’s to create those magical family moments where everyone’s laughing, even if someone’s crying about cold toes five minutes later. These programs just make those moments financially possible for the rest of us.
Trust me, the investment in figuring out Colorado’s free skiing programs pays dividends in family memories and kids who actually want to spend time with you – at least until they’re teenagers and everything you do embarrasses them!