A handy guide to the Snowy Mountains with kids
Snowy Mountains
Explore the Snowy Mountains with your family
Home to Australia’s five highest peaks, including Mt Kosciuszko, and incredible alpine wilderness areas, the NSW Snowy Mountains are famous as Australia’s ski resort capital from June to October each year.
But despite its name, the Snowy Mountains offers plenty of action and excitement for families in the ‘green season’ too! The rugged landscape offers an incredible range of spring and summer activities, and even in Winter, you don’t have to be a dedicated snow bunny to take advantage of the activities available.
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Your Snowy Mountains family holiday guide
The NSW Snowy Mountains region offers a lot of fun outdoor activities for families all year round.
Where to go in the Snowy Mountains
Lake Jindabyne is a popular base when touring the Snowy Mountains region. From here you can take a walk along the Bullocks Track or throw a fishing line on the banks of the Thredbo River.
Lake Crackenback is a perfect base to explore the region for sightseeing, local attractions and snowsports in winter. The many summer activities include Segway eco tours, walking, mountain biking, canoeing, archery or fishing.
Khancoban is a pretty lakeside village where you can book into the Queen’s Cottage, built specially for Her Majesty on her visit to open the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme.
Make your way to Thredbo and spend a day or two on the ski slopes, and in the warmer months, enjoy hiking the Kosciuszko National Park.
Ski resorts in the Snowy Mountains
Winter is the time to grab the ski gear, bundle up the family and head for the snowfields. The four unique ski resorts in NSW are all located within the Kosciuszko National Park in the Snowy Mountains, south-west of Sydney.
NSW’s ski resorts offer attractions to suit all tastes, from charming villages like Thredbo to mega-sized ski areas at Perisher and smaller resorts perfect for day trips – think Charlotte Pass and Selwyn Snowfields.
Thredbo, one of the largest resorts, offers steep, forested slopes and is renowned for its apres-ski action while Australia’s largest ski area, Perisher, has a huge inter-connected web of runs, lifts and on-snow activities.
A favourite with families and club skiers is Charlotte Pass, one of the smallest of the NSW snowfields. It’s also Australia’s highest resort which means it’s snowbound most of the year, while Selwyn Snowfields offers a relaxed, friendly atmosphere with great value for families.
Summer in the Snowy Mountains
The region offers a variety of adventure activities, from hiking, horse riding and mountain biking to canoeing and kayaking on Lake Jindabyne.
Climb to the top of Australia’s tallest mountain, Mt Kosciuszko, or take the less strenuous route with a ride on the Kosciuszko Express Chairlift – it’s an unforgettable way to enjoy the amazing alpine scenery. It operates from Thredbo 365 days a year and rises 560 metres and the valley views are spectacular!
Visit the Kosciuszko Education Centre and stop in at The Snowy Hydro Discovery Centre in Cooma to check out the interactive flyover through the mountains. Head to Bombala Platypus Reserve, 1.5 hours’ drive from Jindabyne, to try to spot the unique creatures that reside in the river.
Thredbo also has a leisure centre with a pool and waterslide, trampolines and a climbing wall, and the year-round Thredbo Alpine Coaster.
Family accommodation in the Snowy Mountains
Thredbo and Jindabyne have a range of accommodation options for all budgets and requirements, including hotels and caravan parks with cabins, lodges, luxurious apartments and self-contained units.
In the heart of the alpine village, Thredbo Alpine Hotel makes a great base for skiing and snowboarding in winter, or mountain biking and hiking in summer. Built in 1956, it has a vintage lodge feel, with wood panelling, stone walls and slate floors in the lobby.
Oaks Lake Crackenback Resort, beside the Bullocks Flat Skitube Terminal on The Alpine Way, has more than 18km of mountain biking tracks, archery, trampolines, canoeing and tennis, as well as a heated indoor pool and a gym. Nearby Wildbrumby Distillery is a great place for the kids to run around whilst parents enjoy lunch – and maybe even some schnapps.
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Opening image: A family in Thredbo village. © Thredbo Resort