Thinking about a winter ski vacation for your family this year?
Well, I have the place for you, Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort in Whitefish, Montana is a great place for kids to ski. We have gone back to ski Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort as a family over the past 8 years and the kids have yet to ski every run and do everything they have to offer for a winter vacation.
We love to Ski the Fish and is a perfect fit for a family skiing trip that keeps us going back… even with the 12 hour drive.
What You'll Find in This Post
Whitefish Mountain Resort
There are many options to choose from and finding the perfect resort for a family ski vacation can be daunting. So here are a few of the things that we considered and reasons why Whitefish Mountain Resort may be the best option for you.
Whitefish Ski Resort
Kids Center at Whitefish Resort
I cannot say enough about how fantastic the people are that run and work at the Whitefish Kids Center. One of the perks with being in the United States is they can take infants after 6 weeks (so if you are okay with leaving them… you can); whereas in Canada, at many of the ski resorts, children need to be over 18 months before they will care for them.
The Kids Centre is right on the ski hill, easy access and very convenient. If you are a planner, you can reserve spots as soon as the winter season opens to guarantee your spots for your kids. I would recommend reserving during the busy weeks and/or if your kids are younger because they only have so many spots for each age group.
I feel my kids are safe, well taken care of and loved when I drop them off. Both our kids were infants when we first went there and I have had no issues. The facility is very well-organized with cubbies, charts, check-in/out procedures and schedules. They have various toys and activities and the childcare can be incorporated with various ski school programs.
Being able to have childcare allowed us as parents to have some time together snowboarding and skiing some terrain that our kids can’t go to yet and even lets us have a lunch date with drinks!
Kids Ski & Ride School
They have various ski school and snowboard school programs for different ages, as young as 3! These programs get updated and/or changed yearly but always offer a variety of options that will work for your family. Both our kids have taken private lessons and group lessons at Whitefish. The kid’s ski school is located very close to the Kids Center, so helps when dropping off kids at both.
We have also taken adult group and private Whitefish ski lessons so there are many options. The ski & ride school can help you sort out what your family will need for the right lesson, rental and gear to get the entire family on the slope.
Whitefish Montana Accommodations
Depending on what your family needs there are many options available for accommodations with different price points. We have stayed in hotels in Whitefish, hotels in Kalispell, timeshare and condos on the ski hill. Staying in Whitefish Montana can be great because you have all the amenities close by. Some information on a few of the places we have stayed below.
Hotels in Whitefish MT
We have stayed in a few hotels in the Whitefish, usually when we stay less than 5 nights is when we find a better value with hotels. Our favourite is this hotel because it is closer to some of the shopping for our family. Some things to consider when looking for hotels to save some time and money:
- Free continental breakfast
- Located close to restaurants or shopping
- Located close to Snow Bus stops to save on driving to the hill. The Snow Bus is a shuttle that will take you and your gear up to the ski resort. Schedules are posted yearly with times and locations. Very cool idea!
Click here to find some other options in Whitefish to consider.
Booking.comCondos in Whitefish MT
We have rented a few condos in Whitefish and in Kalispell. Some have been up on the hill at Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort and allowed us to ski in and ski out directly from the condo. These are great for families coming and going.
For condo rentals, we use Airbnb for booking them. We use Airbnb for all our condo rentals and have had good experiences with them. It is more of a place to be able to call your own for a few days and more space sometimes with kids.
If you haven’t used Airbnb you can claim a credit here on your first stay here!
We have also stayed at condos in Whitefish including a timeshare called Crestwood Resort.
- Located in the town of Whitefish, but very close to the base of the mountain. Great location if you want to stay in the town.
- Timeshare rentals by the week, 2 bedrooms and very standard across all units.
- Heated outdoor pool & hot tub located in the centre of all the units so very easy to access. All units have Wi-Fi for the teenagers and/or adults that need it.
- Laundry on-site!
- Units are located all very close together so if you are travelling with others it is very convenient.
- Very clean units, they have recently been through some updating renovations and offer affordable accommodation for families.
Another option is to stay half way up Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort at Ptarmigan Village.
- Half way up the mountain, so cheaper than staying on top of the hill but offers a closer location to the ski resort. Location is really nice, being snuggled in among the trees and cabin type feel.
- Indoor pool which is great for kids.
- Private condos with 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms so it can accommodate different family sizes.
- Laundry on-site!
- Great for when we were travelling with other families to be able to get condos fairly close together but still have separate accommodations.
- Each unit is individually owned, so just ask and double-check from what you will have in each unit. The reservation staff is very helpful and have always been very good to deal with.
Whitefish Shopping
Do you have a family member not really a skiing fanatic, but likes to shop? Well, there is some quaint shopping on the main street in Whitefish. Local artist, clothing and enough to wander and shop for a few hours. On days off from skiing we generally head to Kalispell (about a 20 min drive) for some other shopping at some of the bigger department stores.
Things To Do In Whitefish
There is more than just skiing and snowboarding in the winter in Whitefish Montana! There is always something going on in Whitefish that you and your family may be interested in.
- Spas
- Visit Glacier National Park
- Dog Sled Tours
- Aquatic Centre
- Backcountry Snow Cat Skiing
- Snowmobiling
Ask when you get to your hotel about what local or calendar of events are going on. They always have events going on, like fireworks, ski/snowboard competitions, music, etc.
Best Places to Eat in Whitefish Montana
Here are some of our favourite places to eat in Whitefish!
- Hell Roaring Saloon and Eatery
- Jersey Boys Pizzeria
- Amazing Crepes
- Wasabi
Whitefish Montana Travel Tips
Money Saving Tips
- If you have a Costco membership, you can save money by purchasing your lift tickets in Kalispell, but make sure you will need them. If you are only going to use the lower lifts it is more cost-effective to buy them at the hill.
- Use the snow bus if you can. Less walking and last time I checked it was free!
- If you can stay at a place that has a fridge, then you can pack your lunches for on the hill. If your place is equipped with a kitchen then you can make your breakfast and suppers in-house.
We have our next trip booked for this upcoming ski season, so we hope to see you there!
Looking for more information on Ski Trips?
- A Day in the Life of a Whitefish Ski Kid
- New Years Eve at Whitefish Mountain Resort
- Sunshine Ski Resort, Alberta, Canada
- Best Ski Resort Around the World for Families
- 7 Minutes of Self Reflection while Travelling
Find out our BEST Family Ski Trip packing tips here!
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