I'm looking for family vacation ideas in the mountains for kids 3&5 years old. Been contemplating a trip to Colorado,Park City, Utah, New Mexico or the Ozarks. Any suggestions for areas that you have had great experiences with young kids would be very much appreciated.

We can do camping/cabin trips or stay around small towns.

Ozarks are completely different from everything you mentioned. Gonna be much hotter and more lake tha true mountains, but also may be cheapest/easiest drive pending where you are. Tons of fishing, silver dollar city in Brandon is and great, plus lakes/hiking. Also hot.

Park city is get tourist town. Can take the ski lifts up for for great views, easier hikes. Pretty much anything you'd get in breck/co mountain towns. Probably more expensive than New Mexico.

Camping in Colorado can be rougher to find a reservation at this point pending your needs/how far out you care about being, but if you can figure it out, always a great experience.

Disperse camp. No idea what anyone pays for camp spots to be surrounded my gravel and other people. Dispersed camping is free and way more plugged in.

Red River, NM. Texans have been going there for 70 years.

CanyonAg77 said:

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Red River, NM. Texans have been going there for 70 years.

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Had to book our stay at Road Runner almost a year ago

We've gone to Winter Park the past few years and it's been great. Estes Park would be another good option.

We did Colorado several years in a row with our three kids. If you can swing it, you could maybe spend two nights at the broadmoor. Colorado Springs has an amazing zoo on the side of a mountain. There's also pike's peak and garden of the gods. The pool area at the broadmoor is nice for families, from there you can make the drive to Breckenridge. We have loved spending our summers there with our kids. It's a perfect town for families.

Last summer we did whitefish, Montana and Bozeman. That's another great option. Your might appreciate it more though when they are a few years older and you can do the national Parks at an age where they will have great memories of them.

I have always thought Estes park and Rocky Mountain National Park would make for a nice trip as well but have only driven through on a day trip.

I just reread that you are wanting to call so no broadmoor but would still not rule out a stop in Colorado Spings.

CanyonAg77 said:

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Red River, NM. Texans have been going there for 70 years.

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Well, Red River (valley) use to be IN texas, so probably longer.

hudson96 said:

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We did Colorado several years in a row with our three kids. If you can swing it, you could maybe spend two nights at the broadmoor. Colorado Springs has an amazing zoo on the side of a mountain. There's also pike's peak and garden of the gods. The pool area at the broadmoor is nice for families, from there you can make the drive to Breckenridge. We have loved spending our summers there with our kids. It's a perfect town for families.

Last summer we did whitefish, Montana and Bozeman. That's another great option. Your might appreciate it more though when they are a few years older and you can do the national Parks at an age where they will have great memories of them.

I have always thought Estes park and Rocky Mountain National Park would make for a nice trip as well but have only driven through on a day trip.

I just reread that you are wanting to camp so no broadmoor but would still not rule out a stop in Colorado Spings.

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Go to the San Juan's and use Durango as your home base.

I feel like Breck and the other big mountain towns are just too touristy and packed in the summer. We dropped $8k on a rental in Breck last year. Nice house up behind town but I'd rather be away from the masses.

We're headed to Ouray in a few weeks. Can't wait.

There must be 100 US creeks and rivers named "Red"

I don't follow?

AggieOO said:

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I don't follow?

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Red River NM is not the Red River between TX and OK

I'm very aware of that. Might want to look at old map of the Republic of Texas if you want to get my original post.