Top 10 Getaway for Family Travelers - Brian Head Resort, Utah

FTF honored Brian Head Resort, Utah with a Top 10 award as one of the best places for a family getaway in 2002.

The 2002 Olympic Winter Games brought much attention to the stunning natural scenery of Northern Utah, but we think its most gorgeous terrain is south, in the midst of Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. Active families have no need to fear: there's a great mountain resort down there, too. Located just an hour from Bryce Canyon, 90 minutes from Zion and a couple of miles from Cedar Breaks National Monument, Brian Head Resort is a laid back, family-oriented property which offers first-class alpine skiing and a host of winter and summer activities for all ages. It is a perfect recreational stop on your family's national park tour or trip to Las Vegas, which is only 2.5 hours away.

At almost 10,000 ft./3,048 meters, Brian Head's base is one of the highest in the West, and its 53 runs collect an average of 425 inches of powdery snowfall each season. While the resort features plenty of expert terrain, Brian Head's focus is on beginners and intermediates, and ski and snowboarding education for all ages. Navajo Mountain, with a dozen or so trails, is devoted entirely to learning skiers and riders.

Winters, Kids Camp at Navajo Lodge welcomes 3 to 12 year olds for on-mountain lessons, indoor meals and games. In Tiny Tracks for ages 4-5, kids are taught and encouraged in small groups. Inside, games are played, blocks are stacked and re-stacked, and movies are sometimes watched. Mountain Explorers (6 to 12 year olds for skiing and 7-12 year olds for snowboarding) enjoy group instruction for every ability, snow races, and on-slope games. Both programs are $95/full day, and reservations are often required. At the state-licensed daycare center at Navajo, well-trained staff engage infants (from six-weeks-old) and toddlers, and attend to their special dietary needs in a safe, cozy environment from 9am-4:45pm for $12/hour, $65/full day.  Kids age 3 can also participate in the "Wee Ski" program, which is available through the daycare facility for $95.  As part of the program, children go out to the slopes at least twi tunes daily for up to an hour in a semi-private lesson (2:1 student:teacher ratio).

One favorite mountain activity for kids of all ages (that means parents, too) is Brian Head's famous vertical snow tubing park. There is a surface lift that serves the park, and plenty of room at the bottom to bring the rubber to a rest. During the summer, when the kid's camp is closed, mountain biking attracts families with older children from all over. The Giant Steps lift whisks bikes and riders up to the top of an extensive downhill and backcountry trail network, and a shuttle system transports guests from the resort to other nearby trailheads.

Though the youngest of the family tend to tire quickly from the altitude, no one visiting Brian Head should miss out on the surrounding environment. In winter, rent cross-country skis or snowshoes in the village, and trek for awhile in Cedar Breaks National Monument. Just a five-minute drive away, the area is a smaller-scale Bryce Canyon; fantastic red rock protrusions jut out from all sides of an expansive gorge. As with much of southern Utah, the scenery here is breathtaking. In the summer, great hikes and picnic spots abound. 

Year-round accommodations are provided at a host of condo possibilities and the independent, family-friendly, full-service Cedar Breaks Lodge (435/677-3000, 888/AT CEDAR; www.cedarbreakslodge.com) which features three fine restaurants, a superb day spa, and is located a minute away from the mountain.