Ski Resorts Open for Summer

No longer catering just to winter sports enthusiasts, ski mountains across the country have become year-round resorts, with family-friendly activities and adventures for summer family travelers. From mountain coasters and canopy tours to water parks and nature programs, ski resorts find new ways to use their terrain and facilities.

Park City, Utah, takes advantage of its Olympic Park with summer bobsled rides on the Olympic Sliding Track, the scene of bobsled, skeleton and luge events during the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Games. The Olympic Park also features two Zipline Tours, one of which is among the steepest zip lines in the world, reaching speeds of 50 mph.

Telluride, Colorado, also added kid-friendly summer activities, including Telluride Kids Camps. These include Fishing 101 and EcoXploration, designed to ignite an interest in the wonders of nature. For younger children, Mountain Village Story Walk features placards with pages of a book, unfolding the story as they walk around the village.

In the East, New Hampshire’s Cranmore Mountain was the first to go year-round, with mountain biking, a Mountain Coaster and a year-round Mountain Adventure Park with a Giant Swing and Soaring Eagle Zip Line. At 1.3 miles long, Loon Mountain Gondola is New Hampshire’s longest scenic gondola ride, accessing sweeping views of the western White Mountains. At the base, Loon Adventure Center boasts the region’s biggest outdoor climbing wall and a zip line whizzing over a river.

In New Hampshire’s Lakes Region and an easy daytrip from Boston, Gunstock Mountain has one of the nation’s longest zip lines and a Mountain Coaster with banked corners, rolling drops and 360-degree turns. Gunstock’s Aerial Treetop Adventure is New England’s largest aerial obstacle course. A 250-site campground at the base of the mountain is also a perfect base for a water sports vacation on Lake Winnipesaukee.

In Vermont, Okemo Mountain Resort has the greatest variety of summer activities, with a Bike Park and Challenge Course; the 3,100-foot Timber Ripper Mountain Coaster; 18 holes of miniature golf; and Adventure Zone, where a single-day ticket to Stump Jumper Bungee Trampoline allows kids to fly as high as 20 feet into the air, secured by a harness. For kids ages 6–12, Camp Gokemo is a summer day camp with sports, nature activities, swimming, crafts and music.