Purgatory, United States: Family Ski Guide
$9 lift tickets, ski school from age 3, soak in hot springs after.
Last updated: April 2026
United States
Purgatory
Book Purgatory if you have kids 12 and under and you refuse to pay Vail prices for them to learn. The Power Kids Pass makes children's skiing free. Adult midweek tickets at $65 are what some resorts charge for parking. 35% beginner terrain, ski school with allergy-accommodated lunches, and Durango is a real town with real character.Book ski school at least 72 hours ahead through purgatory.ski. Fly into Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO) to avoid the 7-hour Denver drive. Target midweek January or early February for lower lesson rates and thinner crowds.If Purgatory feels too small, Crested Butte is 4 hours north with more terrain on the Epic Pass. Steamboat has free kids' skiing under 12 with a bigger mountain. If you're road-tripping from Texas or the Southwest, Ski Santa Fe is closer but even smaller.
Dieser Reiseguide ist derzeit auf Englisch verfügbar. Wir arbeiten an der deutschen Version!
Ist Purgatory gut für Familien?
Purgatory is the most affordable family ski resort in Colorado. Kids 12 and under ski free with a Power Kids Pass. Adult day tickets run $65 midweek. 35% dedicated beginner terrain in the San Juan Mountains behind Durango. The catch: 7 hours from Denver, snow totals trail the northern resorts, and the base village is small and quiet. You're here because your six-year-old just linked turns, and that memory is worth more than any double black.
Advanced or expert skiers who need challenging terrain variety
Biggest tradeoff
Wie ist das Skifahren für Familien?
Your kid will be skiing real runs, not a fenced-off bunny hill, by day two. OnTheSnow users voted Purgatory the #1 beginner ski area in North America for 2026/27, and it earns that within the first hour. A full 35% of the mountain is dedicated beginner terrain, separated from faster traffic, with room to pizza and French-fry without dodging teenagers.
The Beginner Setup
The Columbine Learning Area at the base has two magic carpets, gentle grades, and a setup that keeps first-timers completely separated from the rest of the mountain. Once confident, kids move to the Pinkerton Trail and Lower Hades, proper runs that feel like real skiing without anything intimidating.
Progression
- Day 1 to 2: Columbine Learning Area. Magic carpets, gentle slopes, building confidence
- Day 3 to 4: Green runs like Pinkerton Trail. Longer, scenic, winding through San Juan forest
- Day 5+: Blue runs off the Engineer lift. Wide groomers with more pitch and genuine mountain views
Ski School
The Purgatory Ski & Ride School runs programs from age 3. Group lessons for children about $100 to $130 per day. Private lessons about $450 to $600 for a half-day. The Kids' Club (ages 3 to 4) combines indoor play with outdoor snow time. Mountain Masters (ages 5 to 12) runs full days.
1,605 skiable acres spread across terrain that goes from mellow to moderate. Advanced skiers will find some steeps and trees on the upper mountain, but this is not a resort that markets to experts. The mountain's character is patient, forgiving, and sized for families to explore together.
📊The Numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
Family Score | 8Very good |
Best Age Range | 3–14 years |
Kid-Friendly Terrain | 35%Above average |
Childcare Available | Yes |
Ski School Min Age | 3 years |
Kids Ski Free | Under 12 |
Score Breakdown
Value for Money
Convenience
Things to Do
Parent Experience
Childcare & Learning
Planning Your Trip
💬Was sagen andere Eltern?
"This has been our best family vacation." That phrase, and variations of it, surface again and again in Purgatory reviews. The consistency is striking: "perfect size," "not overwhelming," "great value." When OnTheSnow users voted Purgatory the #1 beginner resort in North America for 2026/27, it was families who had actually been there clicking the button.
Parents are borderline evangelical about the kids-ski-free policy. A family of four skiing five days for what one adult pays at Vail changes how people talk about ski trips. Combined with uncrowded slopes and a learning area that actually works, parents describe it as "the ski trip we will keep doing every year."
The honest concern is remoteness. Getting to Durango takes effort, and the base village at Purgatory is small. Families who expected resort-town amenities at the mountain found it lacking. Families who discovered Durango's downtown found it better than any purpose-built village.
Experienced families recommend: stay at the base for convenience or in Durango for town life. Register for the free Power Kids Pass online before arrival. Do the Durango & Silverton Railroad on a rest day. And do not underestimate how uncrowded the mountain feels. "We never waited more than five minutes for a lift," appears in review after review.
Was kosten die Liftpässe?
Kids 12 and under ski free. Every day of the season. Not "free with a qualifying adult purchase." Not "free on Tuesdays in March." You grab a complimentary Power Kids Pass online or pick up a free day pass at the ticket window. For a family with two kids, that saves $100 to $170 per day compared to Vail or Breckenridge.
Adult Pricing
- Weekdays: About $65
- Weekends and holidays: About $85
- Online advance purchase: Saves 10 to 20% over window rates
That is roughly a third of what major Colorado resorts charge. A family of four (two adults, two kids under 12) skis a full day here for what one adult pays at Vail.
Pass Options
- Ikon Pass: Purgatory is an Ikon partner. Full Ikon (about $1,049 adult) gets unlimited days here plus access to 50+ other destinations. If skiing multiple resorts per season, this transforms the economics
- Ikon Base Pass: About $749 with 5 days at Purgatory and some blackout dates
- Multi-day tickets: Per-day cost drops on 3+ day purchases
The value math at Purgatory is unambiguous. Two adults skiing five days pay about $550 total. Their two kids pay nothing. At most front-range Colorado resorts, the same family spends $2,500 or more.
Planning Your Trip
🏠Wo sollte eure Familie übernachten?
Book Purgatory Lodge. It anchors the base village with ski-in/ski-out access, full kitchens, and hot tubs. The morning routine is walk downstairs, click in, ski. You will find the ski school meeting point steps from the front entrance and the rental shop across the plaza.
Other Options
- Base village condos: Several condo properties sit at the base with ski-in/ski-out access and full kitchens. $150 to $400 per night depending on size and season. Most families cook breakfast and pack lunches, saving the restaurant budget for Durango dinners
- Durango hotels and vacation rentals: 25 miles south in a genuine Colorado mountain town. $100 to $250 per night. More restaurant options and evening activity. Trade-off: 30-minute morning drive to the resort
The base village is compact but functional. Ski shop, a few dining spots, and lodging. The real town life is in Durango, which is the draw for families who want more than a ski resort after 4pm.
Grocery stock-up at City Market or Walmart in Durango before heading up. Condos with kitchens save serious money over a week.
✈️Wie kommt ihr nach Purgatory?
The remoteness is the point. Seven hours from Denver, four and a half from Albuquerque, deep in the San Juan Mountains. The drive keeps crowds at Summit County resorts. Your family gets a mountain that feels like it belongs to you.
Airport Options
- Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO): 50 minutes from the resort. Direct flights from Denver, Dallas, and Phoenix during ski season. The easiest option by far
- Albuquerque (ABQ): 4.5 hours driving through high desert and mountain passes. More flight options and cheaper tickets
- Denver (DEN): 7 hours but avoids I-70 entirely. US-160 and US-550 through ranch country and mountain passes
The Drive
The final stretch follows US Highway 550 through the San Juan Mountains. It is scenic, well-maintained, and straightforward. 4WD recommended but not required in clear conditions. The resort sits 25 miles north of Durango at about 8,800 feet.
If flying into Durango, many lodging properties offer complimentary airport shuttles. Check when booking.
☕Was gibt's abseits der Piste?
By evening your family will be in downtown Durango browsing an independent bookstore or eating craft pizza, not staring at the walls of a resort corridor. Purgatory's base village is compact and functional with a few dining spots and a gear shop. The real off-mountain life lives 25 miles south in Durango, a genuine Colorado mountain town.
Durango
- Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: A historic steam train through the San Juan Mountains. Winter excursions run shorter routes. Kids find the steam locomotive and mountain scenery compelling
- Craft breweries: Durango has several, with family-friendly taprooms that serve food. Steamworks Brewing and Ska Brewing are local favorites
- Hot springs: Trimble Hot Springs north of Durango for natural mineral soaking. The Purgatory base area has its own hot tub complex for lodging guests
Feeding the Family
Durango's Main Avenue has independent restaurants that are not resort chains. Ore House for steaks, Zia Taqueria for fast casual, Steamworks for pub food with local beer. Expect $15 to 30 per person at casual restaurants. The base village has Purgatory Bar and Grill for days when nobody wants to drive.
On-Mountain Activity
Tubing at the base area runs about $25 for a 1-hour session. No ski ability needed. Kids of all ages love it, and it fills the gap on rest days or arrival/departure afternoons.
The town of Durango is the sleeper benefit of choosing Purgatory. Your family gets a real Colorado mountain town with culture, history, and character that purpose-built resort villages cannot replicate.
When to Go
Season at a glance — color-coded by family score
Which Families Is Purgatory Best For?
The First-Timer Family
Great match<strong>Purgatory</strong> was voted the #1 beginner resort in North America by OnTheSnow for 2024 to 2025, and 35% of the mountain is dedicated beginner terrain. That's not marketing fluff, it's a resort architecturally built around people who've never clipped into a binding. They even run a free beginner experience lesson throughout the season, which is the rarest phrase in skiing: free and useful.
Book a ski-in/ski-out condo at <strong>Purgatory Lodge</strong> so you can retreat for hot chocolate breaks without navigating a parking lot. Tired legs plus little kids plus long walks equals meltdowns nobody needs.
The Little Kids Crew
Great matchOn-site childcare at <strong>The Den</strong> takes kids as young as 1, group ski lessons run from age 4 with lunch included, and kids 12 and under ski free with the <strong>Power Kids Pass</strong>. Free skiing, on-mountain childcare, and reasonably priced lessons at a Colorado resort? That trifecta almost never happens. This is the rare place where having a 2-year-old and a 6-year-old on the same trip actually works.
Book child group lessons midweek at $209 Monday to Thursday instead of $249 on peak days. Grab the free Power Kids Pass online before you arrive so you're not standing in a ticket line with a restless 5-year-old at 8:30am.
The Mixed-Ability Crew
Good matchWith 35% beginner terrain and the rest split across intermediate and advanced runs, Purgatory can keep everyone reasonably entertained for a long weekend. But if your teenagers are charging double blacks every Saturday back home, they'll map out the interesting terrain in a day or two. It's a "good, not great" fit when the ability gap in your family is wide.
Split up strategically: put the beginners in group lessons at the <strong>Columbine Beginner's Area</strong> near chair 7 while the stronger skiers explore the upper mountain. Regroup for lunch at <strong>Purgy's Restaurant</strong> at the base. Everyone's happy, nobody's waiting around.
The Expert Family
Consider alternativesIf your family vacations revolve around steep chutes and terrain variety, Purgatory will feel like wearing shoes two sizes too small. The mountain is deliberately tuned for learning and cruising, not for families who need their heart rate above 140 to feel like the trip was worth it. Durango is also remote with limited major airport access, so you'd be traveling a long way for terrain that won't challenge your crew.
Skip Purgatory entirely and look at resorts with more vertical and expert acreage. Its greatest strength is its greatest limitation for you: a mountain perfectly calibrated for beginners has, by definition, less of what you actually want.
The First-Timer Family
Great match<strong>Purgatory</strong> was voted the #1 beginner resort in North America by OnTheSnow for 2024 to 2025, and 35% of the mountain is dedicated beginner terrain. That's not marketing fluff, it's a resort architecturally built around people who've never clipped into a binding. They even run a free beginner experience lesson throughout the season, which is the rarest phrase in skiing: free and useful.
Book a ski-in/ski-out condo at <strong>Purgatory Lodge</strong> so you can retreat for hot chocolate breaks without navigating a parking lot. Tired legs plus little kids plus long walks equals meltdowns nobody needs.
How Can You Save Money at Purgatory?
Common Questions
Everything families ask about this resort
Have a question we didn't cover? We'd love to add it to our guide.
Unser Fazit
Würden wir Purgatory empfehlen?
Was es wirklich kostet
Kids 12 and under ski free with a Power Kids Pass. Not discounted. Free. Adult lift tickets run $65 midweek and $85 weekends. A family of four with two kids under 12 pays just the two adult tickets: $650 total for five midweek days of skiing. At Vail, that wouldn't cover one day.
Full-day kids' lessons run $209 to $249, lunch included. Slopeside lodging rates vary, but passholders get 20 to 30% off multi-night stays.
Compare to other Colorado kids-ski-free resorts: Steamboat (under 12 free, but $200+ adult tickets and $400+/night lodging), Keystone (under 12 free with direct booking, but $200+ adult tickets). Purgatory's combination of free kids' skiing and sub-$100 adult tickets is unmatched in the state. You'll spend 40 to 50% less here than a comparable week in Breckenridge or Steamboat.
Your smartest money move: Get the free Power Kids Pass (ages 12 and under) and ski midweek at $65/adult. A family of four with two kids pays just $650 total for five midweek days of lift access.
Worauf ihr achten müsst
Purgatory is remote. Seven hours from Denver, no major hub nearby. Fly into Durango or accept the drive. Once there, the base village is small and quiet after dark. No bustling pedestrian strip, no dozen restaurant options. Pack board games and lean into the quiet.
Snow totals trail Colorado's northern resorts. Aim for January through mid-March and check conditions before committing to a peak-priced holiday week. Compare to Steamboat's champagne powder or Breckenridge's higher-elevation snow, and Purgatory comes up short on natural accumulation.
Advanced skiers will get bored. With 35% beginner terrain, strong intermediates will run out of new lines by day three. But you're not here for you. You're here for the kids, and for those kids, this is the best value in Colorado.
If this resort is not the right fit for your family, consider Ski Santa Fe for a city-stay ski trip model with New Mexican dining at non-resort prices.
Würden wir Purgatory empfehlen?
Book Purgatory if you have kids 12 and under and you refuse to pay Vail prices for them to learn. The Power Kids Pass makes children's skiing free. Adult midweek tickets at $65 are what some resorts charge for parking. 35% beginner terrain, ski school with allergy-accommodated lunches, and Durango is a real town with real character.
Book ski school at least 72 hours ahead through purgatory.ski. Fly into Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO) to avoid the 7-hour Denver drive. Target midweek January or early February for lower lesson rates and thinner crowds.
If Purgatory feels too small, Crested Butte is 4 hours north with more terrain on the Epic Pass. Steamboat has free kids' skiing under 12 with a bigger mountain. If you're road-tripping from Texas or the Southwest, Ski Santa Fe is closer but even smaller.
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