My husband wanted our kids (ages 4 and 6) to learn how to ski, so we decided to fly west for the kid’s first time on the slopes in January 2026. We did not want the kids to have a bad first-time experience learning on the frequently icy or grassy slopes closer to home. The joke was clearly on us when Park City had one of its worst seasons in our lifetime, but our family still managed to have a very enjoyable and successful trip!
Why Park City?
Park City is a 45 minute drive from Salt Lake City, which makes it one of the most convenient large ski resort options for people in the DC area. There are multiple nonstop flights from both IAD and DCA allowing for budget air travel several days a week. In addition to skiing, there is so much Park City has to offer with other winter activities, Olympic sites, cute towns and shopping.
Planning:
My husband gets all of the credit for planning this trip. He started making reservations over six months in advance so we could get the best deals on the hotel, lift tickets, lessons and rental gear. He bundled most of the reservations by booking directly through Epic.
He booked the Silverado Lodge in Canyon Village because of its close proximity to the children’s ski school. While the lodge had a shuttle, it ended up being more convenient to walk to the base of the ski area every morning. We booked a two bedroom with kitchen room to be able to relax in the condo not knowing how the kids would do after a full day of ski school.
Everyone got booked into ski school, and rentals were secured in advance too with the adults being able to pick up their skis at the Silverado Lodge, while the kids pick-up was by the ski school. We learned while planning the trip that four year olds get free Epic passes, and that the pass included a 20% discount on lessons. Epic will apply the discount after booking too if you didn’t know this fact when booking.
We also preordered groceries from the local Walmart for pick-up on our way to the lodge. Everything was ready on time, and enabled us to pick-up breakfast and snacks for our trip without having to make an extended shopping trip after a long flight.
Finally, to get the kids excited about both Utah and skiing we checked out several books from the local library. Utah by Josh Gregory was a hit to learn more about the state, and Teach Your Giraffe to Ski by Viviane Elbee was also a funny way to learn about skiing.
Experience:
Despite the lack of snow, we managed to have an awesome time!
The Silverado Lodge had so much space that we were able to comfortably entertain another family of four for dinner. The two bathroom condo had three full bathrooms which was especially helpful when having guests over so they did not have to see our mess. The condo had a fully stocked kitchen (including a crockpot!) which made it easier to travel with kids. The gym was a bit dated, but I think I was the only one out of the seven adults we were traveling with that used it during the trip. What everyone did use was the outdoor pool and hot tub. The kids called the pool the “hot pool” and enjoyed being able to go in it after skiing. It was also cool to see what looked like Cliff Swallow nests from the pool if you looked up at the side of the lodge. The nests are made of mud, and gave us a reason to learn more about the birds of Utah.
We reserved the adult skis for pick-up at the lodge on the first day, and then carried them to the base of the Canyon Village ski area on our first full day. We were able to valet the skis at no cost because we were enrolled in ski lessons which made things much easier at the end of the day when we were going back to the lodge. We were also able to return the skis at the base of the resort at the conclusion of our trip – rather than having to take them back on the shuttle after our final day. The skiing was a bit rough for the adults exploring the mountain during our trip, but for kids they were fine learning the basics in the man-made show.
One night the group wanted to take the free public transit from Canyon Village to Park City. I would not do it again after a full day of skiing with young kids. While it is technically doable, it is cold and very dark. The shuttle from the hotel to the connecting bus to Park City are not coordinated so you have a long, cold dark wait. You are better off using travel car seats and taking another form of transportation if you want to get downtown Park City. We did enjoy some of the restaurants in Canyon Village, and learned that even during a slow week you need to make reservations in advance!
Before our flight home we spent several hours at Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum in Salt Lake City. The kids loved being able to dig for dino bones, see the train exhibit and relax in the arts and crafts room. We were also able to connect our learning from the Utah book about the beehive state with the beehive themed climbing area at the entrance to the museum. The museum was a highlight for the kids, and a way for them to enjoy some play time after several days of learning how to ski. We hit up the Red Iguana for a lunch on our way to the airport, and it was hands down the best meal of our trip!
Lessons Learned:
Our biggest lesson learned was actually about the importance of keeping battery powered jumper cables in our vehicle if you park at the airport. The extreme cold our car experienced during our trip meant we came home at midnight to a dead battery. My husband was able to start the car, and drive us home rather than us having to find a late night Uber and deal with a tow truck the next morning.
We also learned how much our kids loved skiing. They keep asking to go back, and loved the experience of trying something new with a new friend.
Travel Gear:
We bought goggles for the kids, but I wish I had bought these helmets with attached goggles for them instead. It would have made it easier to not have to remember to remove the goggles from the helmet at night, and deal with longer hair getting caught in the goggle elastic.
Also, our Toddler Carrier saved the day when we arrived back at IAD after midnight and had to carry an exhausted four year old to the car with all of our luggage.
Final Thoughts:
We can’t wait to go skiing again. We would happily return to Canyon Village because it is a convenient walkable location for families, but we are also talking about exploring other resorts based on the season Park City just experienced.
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