Imagine a winter family vacation filled with tubing, building snow caves, playing snow kickball and starting a good old fashioned snow ball fight. If it seems like a juvenile itinerary, it is.
Lone Mountain Ranch in Big Sky, Mont., has mastered the family vacation, and winter getaways are no exception. New this year is the Winter Outdoor Youth Adventures Program for kids age 4 to 18.
While parents enjoy the ranch's extensive network of groomed Nordic trails or take a guided ski tour in nearby Yellowstone National Park, kids fill their days with arts and crafts, obstacle Olympics, animal tracking, sledding, skiing, snowshoeing and more.
"Most cross country ski resorts offer lessons for kids, but very few offer full blown programs with multiple activities and adventures," says Nancy Cooke, director of sales and marketing at Lone Mountain. "It's not just baby-sitting. These kids have more fun in the snow than they ever dreamed possible."
Kids can participate in full or half-day programs during the ranch's winter season, December 12 through March 27. The ranch also offers summer Outdoor Youth Adventures if parents can't fit a winter vacation into their schedules.
"We've provided excellent summer youth programs for 27 years, so it was only natural to do the same in the winter, Cooke says. "Parents told us they would come back during the winter if we had a similar program."
Half day youth programs are offered from 9 a.m. to noon or 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and cost $50. Full day programs are $75 from 8 a.m.to 4 p.m., with lunch, snacks and beverages provided.
Lone Mountain Ranch has been specializing in family vacations for more than 27 years. Nestled in beautiful Big Sky, Mont., only 18 miles north of Yellowstone National Park, the ranch specializes in genuine friendliness, adventure, comfort, fun and a love of nature that come together in a unique vacation experience. For more information or to make reservations call 800-514-4644.
