The famous snow fort that is part of Kidtopia at Keystone Mountain Resort, Colorado © 2016 Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
Keystone Resort, one of the easiest major resorts to reach from Denver International Airport, one of the few major resorts that offers night skiing, as well as combined access to Arapahoe Basin with its lift ticket, is famous for its family-oriented Kidtopia programs.
Keystone Resort offers a wide variety of comfortable and family-friendly lodging options, from affordable hotel rooms to welcoming, family-sized condominiums. Plus, an unmatched Kids Ski Free program, free daily events, and unique offerings and special events perfectly complement the more than 3,000 acres of skiing and snowboarding terrain.
Here are some of the many things to look forward to this winter at Keystone, one of the Vail Resorts (and included on Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass, details at EpicPass.com):
Keystone’s Kids Ski Free Program Turns 5
Keystone has long been the place where kids rule, and this year the resort’s unmatched Kids Ski Free program turns 5 (which just so happens to be the same age that kids can officially become a part of this awesome program). With more than 100,000free kids’ lift tickets provided to families since the inception of the program in 2012, there is a whole lot to celebrate as Kids Ski Free enters its fifth year. This year guests can look forward to free Kidtopia events and parties, including a special weekly birthday bash with Ripperoo, plus free skiing of course! Every day, all season long kids 12 and younger ski for free at Keystone with no blackout dates when parents book just two or more nights in one of Keystone’s numerous accommodation options, which span from affordable hotel rooms to family-sized condominiums. When it comes to family, no one does it better than Keystone!
Keystone’s Mountain House is Base Camp for Families
Having served as the original base area when Keystone’s founders, Max and Edna Dercum, first brought their family to the resort, this winter the Mountain House base area is ready to welcome a new generation of ski families to Keystone. Centrally located, the Mountain House base area offers an oasis for ski families and the perfect base camp for any ski day, offering smaller crowds, free and convenient family parking and an updated family restaurant concept. Plus, with free preferred parking just for families at Mountain House, it’s easy to get from the lots to the lifts, providing direct access to the resort’s family ski and ride zone, The Schoolyard. Families can also take advantage of conveniently located lift tickets, rentals and Camp Keystone – the resort’s kid-centric Ski and Ride School experience, where interactive displays, game-aided learning and a 24-foot slide that propels kids into their adventure on the snow will have little rippers begging to go back to “school.” When you’re ready to hang up the skis and boards for the day, relax fireside or continue the fun with Kidtopia activities that take place twice-a-week at Mountain House during Sunday’s Ice Cream Birthday party with Ripperoo and Wednesday’s Giant Snowball Launch.
NEW Kidtopia Mountaintop Spectacular – Dec. 16-18, 2016
Keystone’s Kidtopia continues to redefine the family resort experience with free activities and events on and off the snow every day of the week starting Friday, Nov. 25. This winter Keystone presents the inaugural Kidtopia Mountaintop Spectacular, a weekend of festive on-mountain fun for the entire family. This free event will showcase a variety of activities and Kidtopia programs that make the resort a top destination for families, including nightly firework displays, a torchlight ski parade led by Keystone’s Ski & Ride School, and a mountaintop celebration where guests can enjoy free snow tubing, snowcat photo opportunities, live music, hot cocoa and fireside stories with Santa. Kidtopia will animate the mountaintop with Bigfoot adventure walks and a ski patrol-dog meet and greet, plus a special lighting ceremony of the world’s largest Snow Fort to create an unforgettable weekend.
The Kidtopia Experience March 5-11, 2017
With the addition of the Kidtopia Mountaintop Spectacular, this winter season is bookended by two awesome Kidtopia events as the Kidtopia Experience returns for an extended week-long celebration. Start your family spring break early and be a part of all the kid-centric festivities and live outdoor music at the Kidtopia Experience, March 5-11.
Behind-the-Scenes Chocolate Tours with Keystone’s Very Own “Willy Wonka”
Keystone Resort’s executive pastry chef Ned Archibald welcomes guests for a unique behind-the-scenes glimpse into his world of decadent desserts and chocolate making at the resort. Take a break from the slopes one morning to experience these can’t-miss tours designed for kids (and parents), and meet the man himself, tour his chef’s workshop and make delicious treats of your own to take home. No golden ticket required; these Chocolate Tours are free to attend. Offered on select dates throughout the season. Schedule TBD.
On-Mountain Family Adventures, Minus the Skis and Boards
Adventure Point, just steps away from the Kidtopia Snow Fort, features up to eight lanes of high-speed tubing action for kids and kids at heart. © 2016 Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
With Keystone’s enclosed River Run Gondola, mountaintop adventures like snowcat tours, snow tubing and fondue dinners are accessible to the whole family regardless of skiing ability. The Mountaintop Snowcat Tour is a must-do family activity that provides an exclusive glimpse of Keystone’s high-alpine bowls, where breathtaking views of the Continental Divide and surrounding mountain ranges await. Adventure Point, just steps away from the Kidtopia Snow Fort, features up to eight lanes of high-speed tubing action for kids and kids at heart. To cap off an evening of mountaintop adventure, guests can enjoy two gondola rides en route to Keystone’s North Peak, where Der Fondue Chessel offers an exciting and interactive dining experience for the whole family, complete with accordion-wielding musicians in lederhosen, all at 11,640-feet elevation.
Experience the Mountain Together with a Family Private Lesson
Whether your family is new to skiing and snowboarding or you’re seasoned snow veterans, those looking to develop new skills, improve technique or explore the mountain like never before can enjoy the Keystone Ski & Ride School’s Family Private Lesson together. Taking advantage of shared on-snow time, bonding is just an added bonus to these specially designed lessons. Private lessons can be reserved for up to six family members (or friends) of similar ability, and with instructors who specialize in working with the whole family you can rest assured that everyone’s ski and snowboard needs will be met on the snow.A family private lesson at Keystone is the perfect way to create memories together and take your shared passion to the next level, so this new product is a can’t-miss for snow-loving families.
Keystone Resort’s more than 3,000 acres of skiable terrain, average of 300 days of sun a year, convenient lodging and variety of on- and off-snow activities all combine to provide the ideal location for winter vacations. As one of the closest ski resorts to Denver, Keystone is the ultimate family resort destination. Convenient touches like free parking, including front-row family parking, and complimentary red wagons to help parents tote gear and kiddos to and from the slopes help make a winter family visit to Keystone easy and hassle-free. For more information visit keystoneresort.com.
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