Forget Universal Studios. Scratch SeaWorld.  And please, don’t even think about Euro Disney. Rather than waiting in line for hours on end in amusement park lines, why not make some memories at Salt Lake’s Cottonwood Canyon resorts, where the only lines you’ll be seeing are those skied by you and yours.

Yes, the family ski trip is very much alive and well in Salt Lake. Families can trade the mini van for any of the 446 daily non-stop flights in and out of the Salt Lake City International Airport, and they’re in business. Upon arrival, they’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that drive time to the resorts is likely shorter than their trip to the airport. Salt Lake, just ten minutes from the airport, sits quaintly at the foothills of the Wasatch mountains-- home to “The Greatest Snow on Earth,” and the perfect playground for adventure-seeking families.

For those with particularly little ones in tow, Alta Ski Area’s Pre Ski Program is the perfect option, where children as young as two years old have the opportunity to begin their life-long love of winter sports. Alta Pre Ski teachers provide stimulating games, songs and individualized instruction, and are well aware that fun is priority number one with these aspiring slope stars. Children with more on-slope experience can take a parent/child private lesson at Brighton Resort—a perfect way to learn and have fun together.

For families that don’t stop when the lifts do, Solitude Mountain Resort’s Club Solitude offers an adventurous haven for the kids and a welcome respite for parents. Complete with a large-screen movie room, game room (with Xboxes!), billiard room, and heated pool and hot tubs, there’s no doubt Club Solitude will keep families cozy and content for hours. Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort also boasts numerous family activities, including free night skiing, a tubing hill, ice skating, swimming, video arcades, teen holiday parties and Camp Snowbird for kids 6 weeks and older.

Salt Lake’s greatest advantage for winter vacationers is its limitless selection of off-slope activities for skiers and non-skiers alike. The Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass is the key to experiencing Salt Lake off the mountain. Available year round, the Connect Pass is the only all-inclusive pass to some of Salt Lake's best attractions. For less than $20 per day, the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass gives visitors unlimited sightseeing with admission to 12 popular attractions, including Clark Planetarium, The Living Planet Aquarium, Utah Olympic Park and more. Visit www.VisitSaltLake.com/connect for more information or to purchase.

Whether die-hard powderhounds or casual recreationists looking for a winter retreat, Ski Salt Lake is sure to quench any family’s thirst for adventure.

Ski Salt Lake promotes Salt Lake and the four Cottonwood Canyon resorts as the ideal winter vacation destination unmatched in accessibility, variety and snow quality. Located just 40 minutes from the Salt Lake City International Airport, the resorts average 500 inches of snow each year and collectively offer more than 7,500 skiable acres.