Now that winter is here, you may be wondering where to take the family for a ski vacation. This article discusses a lot of great family-oriented ski resorts. Here are four stellar skiing options.

Aspen-Snowmass

There are four main mountains in the Aspen-Snowmass area, and you can use the same tickets for all of them. Mere minutes from Aspen, Snowmass offers a good deal to families who ski together. Snowmass Ski resort provides a quality ski school with skilled instructors who specialize in beginner to advanced lessons. Kids too young to ski or who are not interested in hitting the slopes can be supervised by licensed caregivers at the Treehouse Kids Adventure Center in Snowmass.

If you don’t want to travel with skis, don’t worry. Snowmass is one of several ski resorts in the country where you can call for a “Ski Butlers” service that will bring a selection of skis right to your hotel room. Try them on, find a pair that fits and ski to your heart’s content. When you’re ready to go home, the service will retrieve your rental ski gear.

Grand Targhee at Jackson Hole

Grand Targhee Ski Resort is a short drive from Jackson Hole. In fact, it’s close enough to commute daily for the duration of your ski vacation. The ski town of Alta is even closer and offers lodging, dining and entertainment. Locals say the snow is better in Targhee, and the slopes are certainly less crowded. There’s not much of a ski school here, so Grand Targhee is best for families who already know how to ski.

Okemo, Vermont

One of the greatest things about Okemo is the variety of lodging options available to families. Here you can stay in a simple condo or a Four Seasons hotel. In contrast to most Rocky Mountain ski resorts, Okemo does not relegate beginner skiers to the bottom 20 percent of the hill. Okemo provides plentiful green and blue runs all over the mountain. Pros may not find the terrain challenging, but the slopes at Okemo are just right for family members with varying skill levels.

Deer Valley, Utah

We won’t mince words here. Deer Valley will cost you a pretty penny, but it will be money well spent. The resort offers one of the finest ski schools in the nation and teaches youngsters from ages three to 12. Classes are sorted by age groups, so every kid gets a personalized learning experience. Kids who don’t wish to ski are welcomed to sign up at the resort’s interactive, fully supervised day care center.

If your family is into traditional downhill skiing, you will find plenty to love about Deer Valley Ski Resort. The resort limits the number of skiers on the slopes at any one time, and they do not allow snowboarders. We’re not knocking snowboarders. It’s just that they can tend to be a bit exuberant and are known to sometimes interfere with a family ski experience.

If you want to know what sort of conditions to expect on your family ski safari, you can get the latest snow and ski reports from Deer Valley and other family ski resorts at OnTheSnow.com.