While skiing and snowboarding winds down each spring, ski resorts across the continent bend over backwards to attract summer visitors to the mountains. Pressure to maintain a steady flow of visitors means that North America’s finest luxury ski resorts pull out all the stops for summer travelers, with concerts, festivals, elaborate summer mountain activities, and kid-friendly attractions. Best of all, dramatic lodging and lift ticket price cuts make summer the most affordable time to bring the family to the mountains. Check out cheap summer mountain deals at the following top ski resorts:
Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado
While a trip to Aspen during prime ski season may beyond some travelers’ budget, the summer is an ideal time to experience the beauty and luxury of Colorado’s prized ski town without spending a fortune. The area boasts four stunning mountains offering summer mountain activities for the whole family, including biking, hiking, horseback riding, rafting and kayaking. Stroll through the picturesque town and be sure to catch a free bluegrass concert atop Aspen Mountain on Sundays.
Smugglers Notch, Vermont
Smugglers maintains its family vacation appeal throughout the summer months, offering an endless list of activities to keep the kids happy while providing beautiful mountain activities the parents will love too. Kids will love Smugglers’ eight pools, waterslides, and water playground, and parents can look forward to golfing and evening entertainment. Travelers of all ages will enjoy the Via Ferrata, a planned adventure sports hike involving suspensions, ladders, and cables. Keep an eye out for summer mountain specials in June.
Big Sky, Montana
Big Sky is a great summer mountain vacation destination, located just an hour from the stunning Yellowstone National Park. Big Sky has its fair share of attractions, from world class hiking and biking, to white water rafting, rock climbing, golfing, and a brand new zip-line. An long list of children’s activities promises to keep the kids entertained for hours if parents want to venture off for a day on the mountain.
Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia
For the avid skier or snowboarder who simply can’t last through the summer without hitting the slopes, Canada’s Whistler is your best bet. Enjoy summer mountain activities at the base and dramatically discounted lodging prices, with an option to take a lift to Whistler’s summit for glacier skiing. Whistler is one of the very few North American mountains to offer skiing, snowboarding, biking, and swimming, all at one resort.
Evvie Meier is the marketing director of Trax.com, the leading travel meta-search engine, aggregating super cheap flights and hotel rates from across hundreds of travel sources. Find details at www.trax.com.
