Want to spend a day or two with the kids off the ski mountain? Excellent idea! In Steamboat you're in a great place to do it, with outdoor recreation and activities galore.
Below are our top 5 favorites (We could probably list our top 50, but knowing most people don't have time for that on one vacation, we've gone with our top five). Bonus: Adults will love them just as much as the kids.
Top 5 Off-Mountain Kids' Activities
Old Town Hot Springs
Kids will love a day or afternoon at the Old Town Hot Springs. Fed by various natural springs, the pools and hot tubs are varying degrees of warmth. In addition to swimming and soaking, kids can climb the rock wall and speed down waterslides, all while parents enjoy the extra-warm adults-only hot tub.
Dog Sledding
If you want to treat the kids to a truly unique experience, book a trip with GizzleT Dog Sled Tours. They offer two guided tours in the valley where you either have the opportunity to drive your own dog sled or have a guide take you out. Dress warmly and be ready for adventure!
The Crooked Key
You've never tried an escape room experience like The Crooked Key. Five-star-rated on TripAdvsior and more, Crooked Key offers older kids and their parents an unforgettable experience to find clues, solve puzzles, and collaborate with other players to escape from a themed game room in an hour or less. Learn about their escape themes here.
Snow Tubing
Strap on your spurs, pull down your hat and ride Saddleback Ranch's tubing hill. Located just 15 miles west of Steamboat Springs, YEE-HAW HILL is sure to be the highlight of your vacation. The hill is groomed and equipped with a state of the art tube-tow lift system that attaches itself to the tube to transport you back to the top. From there, speed down one of the three runs on the hill on a large inner tube provided by the ranch. At the bottom, warm up in our brand new warming lodge, grab a bite to eat, a warm drink and hit the slope again. Snow tubing is a fun winter recreation suitable for kids and adults of all ages, children 5 and under are free and must ride with an adult. Saddleback Ranch provides FREE transportation to tubers who tube for 1 1/2 hours.
Mazzola's Italian Restaurant
Insider tip! Mazzola's does not only offer an excellent grown-up Italian menu complete with wine list, but also entertains the kids with their very own ball of dough. They get to shape it however they choose, then their server whisks it away to the oven, returning shortly later with their baked creation. Combined with pasta, fresh bread, and pizza - every kid's favorite - this restaurant is a whole-family win.
