Snowshoeing has experienced a remarkable surge in popularity at ski resorts over the past decade, and for good reason — it is one of the most accessible, affordable, and rewarding ways to experience the winter mountain landscape. For families, snowshoeing offers something skiing cannot: the chance to explore the quiet, snow-covered backcountry together at your own pace, stopping to examine animal tracks, admire frozen waterfalls, or simply breathe in the crisp mountain air. Many resorts now maintain dedicated snowshoe trail networks ranging from easy, flat loops perfect for young children to more challenging alpine routes that reward hikers with panoramic summit views. Guided snowshoe tours are widely available and often include naturalist-led programs that teach children about winter ecology, wildlife adaptation, and mountain environments — turning a simple walk into an educational adventure. The beauty of snowshoeing is its gentle learning curve. If you can walk, you can snowshoe. Modern snowshoes are lightweight, easy to strap on over regular winter boots, and available for rental at nearly every resort. For families with very young children, some resorts even offer snowshoe-accessible trails wide enough for jogging strollers fitted with ski attachments. A morning snowshoe followed by an afternoon on the slopes creates a perfectly balanced mountain day.
Snowshoeing by Region
British Columbia, Canada (13)
Sun Peaks Resort
British Columbia, Canada · 4,270 acres
8.8
Family Score
Whistler Blackcomb
British Columbia, Canada · 8,171 acres
8.7
Family Score
Silver Star Mountain Resort
British Columbia, Canada · 3,282 acres
8.7
Family Score
Big White Ski Resort
British Columbia, Canada · 2,765 acres
8.3
Family Score
Panorama Mountain Resort
British Columbia, Canada · 2,975 acres
8.0
Family Score
Mount Washington Alpine Resort
British Columbia, Canada · 1,700 acres
7.7
Family Score
Grouse Mountain
British Columbia, Canada · 212 acres
7.7
Family Score
Mt Seymour
British Columbia, Canada · 200 acres
7.3
Family Score
Cypress Mountain
British Columbia, Canada · 600 acres
7.0
Family Score
Revelstoke Mountain Resort
British Columbia, Canada · 3,121 acres
6.7
Family Score
Fernie Alpine Resort
British Columbia, Canada · 2,504 acres
6.7
Family Score
RED Mountain Resort
British Columbia, Canada · 3,850 acres
6.2
Family Score
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort
British Columbia, Canada · 2,800 acres
6.0
Family Score
Colorado, USA (11)
Beaver Creek Resort
Colorado, USA · 1,832 acres
9.0
Family Score
Telluride Ski Resort
Colorado, USA · 2,000 acres
8.5
Family Score
Aspen Snowmass
Colorado, USA · 3,362 acres
8.4
Family Score
Crested Butte
Colorado, USA · 1,547 acres
8.3
Family Score
Copper Mountain
Colorado, USA · 2,490 acres
8.2
Family Score
Breckenridge Ski Resort
Colorado, USA · 2,908 acres
8.1
Family Score
Vail Mountain
Colorado, USA · 5,317 acres
8.0
Family Score
Keystone Resort
Colorado, USA · 3,148 acres
7.9
Family Score
Steamboat Ski Resort
Colorado, USA · 2,965 acres
7.8
Family Score
Winter Park Resort
Colorado, USA · 3,081 acres
7.7
Family Score
Eldora
Colorado, USA · 680 acres
7.0
Family Score
South Tyrol, Italy (8)
Seiser Alm / Alpe di Siusi
South Tyrol, Italy · 1,520 acres
9.2
Family Score
Obereggen
South Tyrol, Italy · 1,112 acres
8.5
Family Score
Alta Badia
South Tyrol, Italy · 3,100 acres
8.3
Family Score
Gitschberg Jochtal
South Tyrol, Italy · 1,235 acres
8.3
Family Score
Carezza
South Tyrol, Italy · 988 acres
8.0
Family Score
Kronplatz (Plan de Corones)
South Tyrol, Italy · 2,960 acres
7.8
Family Score
3 Zinnen Dolomites
South Tyrol, Italy · 2,471 acres
7.8
Family Score
Val Gardena
South Tyrol, Italy · 3,920 acres
7.7
Family Score
Valais, Switzerland (8)
Saas-Fee
Valais, Switzerland · 2,470 acres
9.0
Family Score
Aletsch Arena
Valais, Switzerland · 988 acres
9.0
Family Score
Grächen
Valais, Switzerland · 350 acres
8.8
Family Score
Zermatt
Valais, Switzerland · 5,500 acres
8.3
Family Score
Nendaz
Valais, Switzerland · 10,000 acres
8.2
Family Score
Thyon
Valais, Switzerland · 1,050 acres
7.8
Family Score
Veysonnaz
Valais, Switzerland · 1,050 acres
7.7
Family Score
Verbier
Valais, Switzerland · 5,000 acres
6.7
Family Score
Haute-Savoie, France (8)
Megève
Haute-Savoie, France · 1,050 acres
8.8
Family Score
Les Gets
Haute-Savoie, France · 1,500 acres
8.7
Family Score
Les Carroz
Haute-Savoie, France · 5,683 acres
8.3
Family Score
Combloux
Haute-Savoie, France · 2,471 acres
8.3
Family Score
Les Contamines-Montjoie
Haute-Savoie, France · 1,235 acres
7.5
Family Score
Châtel
Haute-Savoie, France · 1,500 acres
7.5
Family Score
Samoëns
Haute-Savoie, France · 3,460 acres
7.5
Family Score
Chamonix Mont-Blanc
Haute-Savoie, France · 2,965 acres
7.0
Family Score
Utah, USA (7)
Deer Valley Resort
Utah, USA · 2,026 acres
8.9
Family Score
Sundance
Utah, USA · 450 acres
8.2
Family Score
Park City Mountain
Utah, USA · 7,300 acres
7.8
Family Score
Solitude Mountain Resort
Utah, USA · 1,200 acres
7.5
Family Score
Alta Ski Area
Utah, USA · 2,614 acres
7.0
Family Score
Snowbird Ski Resort
Utah, USA · 2,500 acres
6.8
Family Score
Powder Mountain
Utah, USA · 8,464 acres
5.2
Family Score
California, USA (7)
Northstar California
California, USA · 3,170 acres
8.8
Family Score
Bear Valley
California, USA · 1,900 acres
7.3
Family Score
Palisades Tahoe
California, USA · 6,000 acres
7.2
Family Score
Dodge Ridge
California, USA · 862 acres
7.2
Family Score
Big Bear Mountain Resort
California, USA · 748 acres
6.8
Family Score
Homewood
California, USA · 1,260 acres
6.7
Family Score
Mammoth Mountain
California, USA · 3,500 acres
6.5
Family Score
Vermont, USA (7)
Stratton Mountain Resort
Vermont, USA · 670 acres
8.2
Family Score
Okemo Mountain Resort
Vermont, USA · 667 acres
8.0
Family Score
Stowe Mountain Resort
Vermont, USA · 485 acres
7.7
Family Score
Sugarbush Resort
Vermont, USA · 484 acres
7.5
Family Score
Bolton Valley
Vermont, USA · 300 acres
7.5
Family Score
Mount Snow
Vermont, USA · 589 acres
7.3
Family Score
Killington Resort
Vermont, USA · 1,509 acres
6.8
Family Score
Savoie, France (6)
Courchevel
Savoie, France · 3,700 acres
8.7
Family Score
La Tania
Savoie, France · 14,826 acres
8.7
Family Score
Saint Martin de Belleville
Savoie, France · 14,826 acres
8.3
Family Score
Méribel
Savoie, France · 3,700 acres
8.0
Family Score
Peisey-Vallandry
Savoie, France · 10,872 acres
8.0
Family Score
Val d'Isère
Savoie, France · 7,400 acres
7.8
Family Score
Quebec, Canada (5)
Lapland, Finland (5)
Lombardy, Italy (5)
Hautes-Alpes, France (5)
Montgenèvre
Hautes-Alpes, France · 2,471 acres
8.2
Family Score
Risoul
Hautes-Alpes, France · 2,471 acres
7.8
Family Score
Vars
Hautes-Alpes, France · 2,471 acres
7.7
Family Score
Serre Chevalier
Hautes-Alpes, France · 6,175 acres
7.5
Family Score
La Grave
Hautes-Alpes, France · 5,560 acres
4.7
Family Score
Catalonia, Spain (5)
Victoria, Australia (4)
Trentino, Italy (4)
New Hampshire, USA (4)
Vorarlberg, Austria (4)
Aosta Valley, Italy (4)
Hautes-Pyrénées, France (4)
Graubünden, Switzerland (3)
Tyrol, Austria (3)
Bavaria, Germany (3)
Idaho, USA (3)
Nagano, Japan (3)
New York, USA (3)
Aragon, Spain (3)
Hokkaido, Japan (3)
Alberta, Canada (3)
Andorra, Andorra (3)
Canterbury, New Zealand (3)
Bern, Switzerland (2)
New South Wales, Australia (2)
Viken, Norway (2)
Pyrénées-Orientales, France (2)
Prešov, Slovakia (2)
Salzburg, Austria (2)
Wyoming, USA (2)
Oregon, USA (2)
Puy-de-Dôme, France (2)
Montana, USA (2)
Otago, New Zealand (2)
Ontario, Canada (2)
Veneto, Italy (2)
Araucanía, Chile (2)
Manawatu-Whanganui, New Zealand (2)
Neuquén, Argentina (2)
Washington, USA (2)
Nordland, Norway (2)
Banská Bystrica, Slovakia (1)
Innlandet, Norway (1)
Smolyan, Bulgaria (1)
West Virginia, USA (1)
Jämtland, Sweden (1)
Jura, France (1)
Central Serbia, Serbia (1)
Ñuble, Chile (1)
Río Negro, Argentina (1)
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France (1)
Alpes-Maritimes, France (1)
Brașov, Romania (1)
Black Forest, Germany (1)
Central Switzerland, Switzerland (1)
Styria, Austria (1)
Hradec Králové, Czech Republic (1)
Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina (1)
Samtskhe-Javakheti, Georgia (1)
Jilin, China (1)
New Mexico, USA (1)
Alaska, USA (1)
Niigata, Japan (1)
Lower Silesia, Poland (1)
Newfoundland, Canada (1)
Upper Carniola, Slovenia (1)
Prahova, Romania (1)
Tierra del Fuego, Argentina (1)
Minnesota, USA (1)
Wisconsin, USA (1)
Norrbotten, Sweden (1)
Santiago Metropolitan, Chile (1)
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (1)
Mendoza, Argentina (1)
Uttarakhand, India (1)
Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Georgia (1)
Kashmir, India (1)
Gorizia, Slovenia (1)
Frequently Asked Questions
What age is appropriate for snowshoeing with kids?
Children as young as 5-6 can manage short snowshoe walks on flat, groomed trails with appropriately sized snowshoes. Many outfitters rent youth snowshoes starting around this age. For younger children (3-4), consider carrier backpacks while parents snowshoe. By age 8-10, most children can handle moderate trails of 2-3 miles.
Do you need your own snowshoes or can you rent at the resort?
Nearly all ski resorts with snowshoe trails offer rental equipment, typically $15-$30 per day for adults and $10-$20 for children. Rentals usually include snowshoes and trekking poles. Some guided tours include equipment in the tour price.
How difficult is snowshoeing compared to hiking?
Snowshoeing on groomed flat trails is only slightly more effort than regular walking. It becomes more challenging on steep or ungroomed terrain. For families, stick to marked resort trails rated easy or moderate. Most people find they can comfortably snowshoe for 1-2 hours on their first outing.
Can you snowshoe and ski on the same day?
Absolutely. A popular family itinerary is a morning snowshoe tour followed by afternoon skiing, or vice versa. Many resorts have snowshoe trails that start right from the village, making it easy to transition between activities without needing to drive anywhere.