There are family trips where you spend months carefully planning every activity, reservation, and minute of the itinerary. And then there are trips where you turn a corner and suddenly find yourselves watching professional athletes fly through the air, dogs launching off docks, kids scrambling up climbing walls, and slackliners performing tricks over a rushing mountain river.
The GoPro Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado, somehow manages to pack all of that (and so much more) into one incredible weekend.
Attending the GoPro Mountain Games with Kids
We went to Vail with our three kids (ages 5, 7, and 9), excited to watch some amazing outdoor athletes compete and let the older kids try a few events of their own. What we didn’t fully appreciate before we arrived was just how much there would be for the entire family to do.
Between the competitions, free kids’ activities, vendor experiences, live entertainment, outdoor adventures, and the seemingly endless opportunities to try something new, there was always something happening. And that’s probably what surprised us most about attending the GoPro Mountain Games with kids: you don’t need to be a family of elite outdoor athletes to feel like you belong there.
Our kids got to watch world-class competitors one minute and jump into an activity themselves the next. They climbed, ran, got ridiculously muddy, tried slacklining, paddled, played games, collected more free snacks than any three children reasonably need, and cheered on athletes competing in sports they’d never even seen before.
If you’re thinking about planning a family trip to the GoPro Mountain Games, here’s everything we learned from our experience, including the best events and activities for kids, what is worth registering for ahead of time, our favorite competitions to watch, where to stay in Vail, what to pack, how to handle the altitude, ways to save money, and a few things we’d do differently next time.
What Are the GoPro Mountain Games?
The GoPro Mountain Games are a four-day celebration of outdoor adventure, sports, music, art, and mountain culture held each June in Vail, Colorado. What began as a local whitewater event has grown into one of the country’s biggest celebrations of outdoor sports, bringing professional athletes, amateurs, families, outdoor enthusiasts, and plenty of adventure-loving dogs to the mountains of Vail.
But if you’re picturing a traditional sporting event where spectators sit on the sidelines and watch athletes compete all day, that’s not what you’ll find. This is something completely different.
During the GoPro Mountain Games, Vail essentially becomes one giant outdoor playground. Competitions take place throughout Vail Village, on Vail Mountain, along trails, on climbing walls, and in the surrounding rivers. The 2026 Mountain Games included more than 35 competitions across 11 different disciplines, with events ranging from trail running, mountain biking, climbing, kayaking, rafting, and fishing to slacklining, DockDogs competitions, and more.
Some of the athletes competing are among the best in the world, which makes simply watching the events an experience in itself. But the Mountain Games aren’t exclusively for elite athletes. Amateur competitors and kids can participate in select events, too, and there are plenty of opportunities for families to try outdoor activities without entering a competition at all.
And the competitions are only part of the experience. Throughout the weekend, you’ll also find free daytime music, hands-on kids’ activities, sponsor booths and demos, giveaways, food, the CoLab Creator Stage, and other special events happening throughout Vail.
All of the athletic competitions are free to watch, so families can experience a surprising amount of the GoPro Mountain Games without purchasing admission tickets.
That’s what makes this event so much fun with kids. You can watch an elite athlete do something that seems nearly impossible, walk a few minutes down the road and let your child try a version of that sport themselves, then stumble onto live music, a climbing wall, a slackline, a tent full of puppies, or some entirely unexpected activity on your way to the next event.
There’s no single way to “do” the GoPro Mountain Games. You can register for competitions and build your weekend around participating, come primarily to watch the athletes, or simply wander through Vail and see where the day takes you. We ended up doing a little bit of everything.
When and Where Are the GoPro Mountain Games?
The GoPro Mountain Games take place over four days each June in Vail, Colorado, a mountain town located about 100 miles west of Denver in the heart of the Colorado Rockies. The 2026 GoPro Mountain Games were held June 4–7, with events taking place throughout Vail Village, Golden Peak, Vail Mountain, and the surrounding trails and waterways. The 2027 games will be held June 10-13, 2027 – start planning your trip now!
Attending the GoPro Mountain Games With Kids
Before we arrived in Vail, I wasn’t entirely sure what attending the GoPro Mountain Games with kids would look like. Would there be enough for younger kids to do? Would the competitions feel too serious or intimidating? Would my kids need to be experienced athletes to participate? And, maybe most importantly, would everyone stay entertained for an entire weekend?
I can confidently say that the GoPro Mountain Games are incredibly family-friendly. In fact, one of the things I loved most about the weekend was how easy it was for each of my kids to experience the Games in a way that worked for their age, interests, and personality.
My older two kids were old enough to register for several youth competitions, while my 5-year-old wasn’t eligible for as many of the organized events. But that didn’t mean she was left sitting on the sidelines. There were so many free kids’ activities, demonstrations, games, vendor experiences, and competitions to watch that she had just as much fun as everyone else.
In 2026, most of the organized kids’ competitions started around age 6, but there were plenty of free activities available for younger kids, too.
That’s an important distinction for families considering the GoPro Mountain Games: your kids don’t have to compete to have a great time. You could attend the entire weekend without registering your child for a single event and still fill your days with things to do.
Our kids tried stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking in the kids’ pool, climbed walls, practiced slacklining, got their faces painted, collected temporary tattoos, played games at the CoLab, cuddled puppies, sampled snacks from vendors, watched incredible athletes compete, cheered for flying DockDogs, and stayed up for the nighttime drone show.
And, apparently, when you’re 5, getting to refill your own water bottle at one of the hydration stations also qualifies as a major vacation highlight.
She did not, however, carry said water bottle afterward. Obviously.
The beauty of attending the Mountain Games as a family is that you can mix and match your days based on your kids. Register for a competition or two if they’re excited to participate, watch the professional athletes compete, wander through the festival areas, stop whenever something catches your kids’ attention, and leave plenty of room in the schedule for unexpected fun.
We quickly learned that you don’t need to plan every minute here. Some of our favorite experiences were the ones we simply stumbled across.
What’s Worth Signing Up For?
Everything. Seriously.
If your kids are old enough and interested in participating in one of the youth events at the GoPro Mountain Games, I highly recommend letting them give it a try. Watching the competitions is incredible, but there’s something especially memorable about giving kids the chance to step off the sidelines and become part of the Games themselves.
That said, what your child enjoys most will depend entirely on their personality. My oldest signed up for Youth Bouldering, the Kids Mini Dash, and the Mud Run and loved every second of all three. My middle child participated in the Kids Mini Dash and Mud Run and came away with some slightly more…mixed opinions.
The Mud Run
Let’s start with the Mud Run. My oldest absolutely loved it. She went around the course so many times that she nearly completed a 5K, tackling obstacle after obstacle and getting progressively muddier with every lap. She tripped, got back up, and kept going. By the end, she was covered in mud, completely exhausted, and absolutely thrilled with herself.
My middle child had a somewhat different experience.
He enjoyed everything about the Mud Run except:
- the sticky mud
- the wet mud
- the dry mud
- the clumpy mud
- the mud on the obstacles
Turns out, he’s just not a mud dude. And that’s okay.
That’s actually one of the things I appreciated about the GoPro Mountain Games. There are enough different activities and events that kids don’t have to love everything. One child may want to throw herself headfirst into a muddy obstacle course while another discovers approximately three minutes into said obstacle course that mud is his mortal enemy. Both are perfectly valid ways to experience the weekend.
And even my anti-mud kid found something to love. At the end of the course was a GIANT water slide, which was a huge hit with both of my older kids. My youngest climbed to the top with my sister to watch them come down. For a moment, we thought she might actually give it a try herself.
She did not.
She also informed us that she WILL NOT be climbing any mountains on this trip, which was an interesting declaration considering we were currently sitting in Vail at around 8,000 feet. What she doesn’t know, and stuff.
The Kids Mini Dash
The Kids Mini Dash ended up being one of my favorite experiences of the entire weekend.
We live in Texas, basically at sea level, so coming to Vail meant a pretty significant change in elevation. We had been careful about drinking plenty of water and taking it easy as we adjusted to the altitude, but we didn’t really notice how much the elevation affected the kids until they started running.
And this particular race involved running uphill. At 8,000 feet. It was hard. They were breathing heavily. Their little legs were working overtime.
And they absolutely loved it.
Once they reached the top, they were rewarded with gorgeous mountain views and, perhaps even better from a kid’s perspective, a downhill run to the finish. As they came toward the end of the race, my two kids found each other, grabbed hands, and ran across the finish line together. They collected their medals with enormous smiles on their faces, completely proud of what they’d just done.
It was one of those little parenting moments you tuck away and hope you remember forever. Naturally, we celebrated with ice cream afterward.
Youth Bouldering
Of all the events my kids participated in at the GoPro Mountain Games, the Youth Bouldering competition may have been the most meaningful. Before the competition started, my oldest was nervous. Really nervous. There were tears.
She’s the kind of kid who, when she loves something, loves it deeply. And because she cares so much about climbing, she wanted to do well. Standing there watching incredibly talented young athletes tackle advanced bouldering routes was intimidating, and she started questioning whether she belonged in the competition at all.
Then something happened that I’ll probably remember longer than any score or placement. One of the older girls noticed that my daughter was struggling. She came over, talked to her, and showed her a route that would be a better place to start. My daughter had unknowingly wandered toward the more advanced side of the competition area and had become completely frozen with intimidation.
That small act of kindness changed everything. Once my daughter got on the wall, she was home. She climbed the way she always does. She challenged herself, figured things out, and remembered that she wasn’t there because she needed to be the best climber in Vail. She was there because she loves to climb.
And that experience summed up so much of what I loved about bringing my kids to the GoPro Mountain Games. Yes, there are incredibly talented young athletes competing here. But there is also a community of people encouraging kids to try, learn, challenge themselves, and find their place in outdoor sports.
Do Kids Need to Be Competitive Athletes to Participate?
Absolutely not.
One thing I wondered before attending the GoPro Mountain Games was whether the kids’ competitions would be geared primarily toward serious young athletes. There are definitely some incredibly talented and competitive kids participating, but that never made my children feel like they didn’t belong.
Neither of my kids placed in their events. They also didn’t care.
They showed up, tried something new, challenged themselves, cheered for other kids, and had fun. They walked away with medals, muddy clothes, tired legs, new confidence, and some pretty great stories to tell. That felt like a win to us.
We saw kids with a wide range of abilities and experience levels participating throughout the weekend. Some were clearly seasoned competitors. Others were simply there to try something fun. The atmosphere felt much more encouraging than intimidating, and we never felt like our kids needed to prove that they were “good enough” to participate.
If your child is curious about one of the youth events but nervous about competing, I’d encourage them to give it a try. You don’t have to come to the GoPro Mountain Games to win. Sometimes showing up, trying something hard, and discovering what you’re capable of is the whole point.
Don’t Skip the CoLab Activities
Not everything your kids do at the GoPro Mountain Games needs to involve running, climbing, paddling, or getting covered in mud. Make sure to leave some time for the CoLab games and activities, too.
All three of my kids were invited to participate in games at the CoLab Creator Stage, and it ended up being one of their favorite unexpected experiences of the weekend.
They played a trivia game where contestants had to squeeze a horn or honk a rubber chicken to answer questions, followed by a limbo competition. The kids loved getting up on stage, being part of the action, and cheering each other on.
Even my middle child, who is usually much more reserved when it comes to public speaking and being in front of a crowd, jumped right in. The other two would happily snatch a microphone out of someone’s hands and immediately become the main character, but I digress.
This was also a good reminder not to pack your Mountain Games itinerary too tightly. There are activities, demonstrations, games, and experiences happening all over Vail, and some of our kids’ favorite moments were things we hadn’t planned to do at all. Give yourself enough downtime to wander around, follow their interests, and say yes when something unexpected comes along.
Best GoPro Mountain Games Events to Watch With Kids
What’s worth watching at the GoPro Mountain Games? Also everything.
I genuinely wish there were a million versions of me that weekend so I could spread out across Vail and watch every competition happening at once. There is so much going on, often simultaneously and in different locations, that even after four days, we still didn’t see everything we wanted to see.
My best advice is to look through the event schedule ahead of time and pick a few must-see competitions for your family. Then leave plenty of room to wander. We stumbled across events we hadn’t necessarily planned to watch and ended up completely captivated by them.
Slackline Competitions
The slackline events were some of our family’s favorites to watch. During the trick competitions, athletes bounced, flipped, spun, and performed tricks over padded landing zones with a level of control that was incredible to see in person. Even our kids, who didn’t necessarily understand how difficult the tricks were, couldn’t look away.
Then there was the Slackline Show, which took the whole thing to another level. Picture a stretchy tightrope suspended over a moving river. Athletes walked across it, bounced, balanced, hung horizontally using only their arms, intentionally dropped below the line, and somehow caught themselves again.
It was equally impressive and terrifying to watch.
And exactly the kind of thing that makes the GoPro Mountain Games so much fun with kids. You can introduce them to outdoor sports they’ve never encountered before and watch their minds process the fact that, apparently, this is something humans can do.
DockDogs
If there’s one event I feel confident recommending to essentially every family, it’s DockDogs. We watched athletic dogs sprint down a dock, launch themselves through the air, and splash into the water after toys. We also watched puppies zip around obstacle courses, which was exactly as adorable as it sounds.
There may not be a more universally loved sporting event than flying dogs.
DockDogs was also a great event to mix into our schedule when the kids needed a break from some of the more technical competitions. You don’t have to understand any rules or know anything about the sport to enjoy it. Dog runs. Dog flies. Dog makes enormous splash. Everyone cheers. It’s perfect.
Speed Climbing and Cycling
Speed climbing was another huge family favorite. After watching my daughter participate in Youth Bouldering, it was especially fun to watch high-level climbers race up the wall with an almost unbelievable combination of power and precision.
The cycling competitions were equally exciting for the kids. Watching cyclists fly through the course, navigate tight twists and turns, and pass by just feet away is an entirely different experience from watching a bike race on TV.
That’s another reason I’d recommend watching a variety of events instead of spending the whole weekend focused on one sport. Our kids got to see climbing, cycling, slacklining, running, paddling, dog competitions, and other outdoor sports all in the span of a few days. Some were familiar to them. Others were completely new.
And every new event seemed to prompt some version of, “Wait…people compete in THIS?”
The Events We Missed
Despite everything we managed to squeeze into our weekend, there were still events we didn’t get to see. Apparently, there was paragliding. We’re still sad we missed it.
But that’s also one of the best arguments I can make for not trying to see everything at the GoPro Mountain Games. You can’t. Choose a few events your family really wants to watch, participate in the activities that interest your kids, and accept that there will inevitably be something happening on the other side of Vail that you wish you’d seen.
That’s what next year is for.
How to Plan a Family Trip to the GoPro Mountain Games
One of the things that made the GoPro Mountain Games so enjoyable for our family was how easy Vail made the logistics. Once we arrived, we didn’t spend much time in the car, we could walk almost everywhere we wanted to go, and there were plenty of restaurants, shops, playgrounds, and places to take a break between events.
That matters when you’re traveling with three kids.
The Games are spread throughout Vail, so you’ll still want to look at the event map and schedule when planning your days. But we found it easy to move between competitions and activities, stop for food when someone inevitably announced they were starving, head back to our hotel when we needed a break, and then venture out again.
If you’re planning a family trip to the GoPro Mountain Games, I highly recommend staying in or close to Vail Village if your budget allows. Being able to walk to so much of the action made our weekend significantly easier.
Where to Stay in Vail With Kids
We stayed at two different hotels during our trip, which gave us a chance to experience Vail at two different price points.
Our first night was at The Lodge at Vail, a historic hotel right in Vail Village. It was comfortable, convenient, and a little more budget-friendly than some of the other lodging options we considered. The location was particularly helpful because once we were in Vail Village, we could walk almost everywhere we needed to go.
For the rest of our stay, we moved to the Sonnenalp Hotel, and it became one of the highlights of our time in Vail. Our room was spacious enough for our family to settle in comfortably after long days at the Mountain Games and opened onto a peaceful balcony overlooking the woods and river. Coming back to that quiet setting after spending all day running between events felt pretty wonderful.
The kids were also delighted to discover fresh cookies and bottled water waiting in our room in the evenings. It’s funny how quickly free cookies become a defining feature of a child’s hotel review.
What stood out most to us, though, was how genuinely family-friendly the Sonnenalp felt. Every staff member we encountered was warm and helpful, and while the hotel felt special and luxurious, it never felt like a place where we needed to worry about showing up with three tired kids after a full day outside.
We even happened to share an elevator with professional snowboarder and artist Pat Milbery one evening. He chatted with us and couldn’t have been nicer, which felt very fitting for a weekend where outdoor athletes seemed to be everywhere we turned.
Between the mountain setting, convenient location, wonderful hospitality, and having a comfortable place to recharge, the Sonnenalp felt like more than somewhere we slept. It became part of the experience itself.
Do You Need to Stay in Vail Village?
Not necessarily.
There are lodging options outside Vail Village that may save your family money, particularly during a busy event weekend. But after experiencing how convenient it was to stay close to the action, location would be high on my priority list if we returned.
When comparing hotels or vacation rentals, don’t look at nightly price alone. Consider whether you’ll need to drive and park each day, how easily you can get back to your room for a midday break, and whether you’re close enough to walk or use Vail’s transportation system.
With younger kids especially, being able to say, “Let’s go back to the hotel for an hour,” without turning that break into a major production was incredibly valuable.
Getting Around Vail During the GoPro Mountain Games
One of our biggest logistical wins was realizing that once we arrived in Vail, we really didn’t need our car. Most of the GoPro Mountain Games activities and competitions we attended were within walking distance of Vail Village, and nothing we wanted to get to ever felt terribly far away.
We spent most of our days walking from one event to another, which was actually part of the fun. There was almost always something happening along the way, so getting from Point A to Point B rarely felt like simply getting from Point A to Point B.
If you’re attending the Mountain Games with younger kids, though, keep in mind that you’ll probably do a lot of walking over the course of the weekend. Comfortable shoes are a must, and if you have a little one who isn’t accustomed to walking long distances, plan accordingly. We also found it helpful to leave enough flexibility in our schedule that we weren’t constantly rushing across Vail trying to make the next event.
Vail also has a free bus system that makes it easy to get around town if little legs get tired or you’re staying farther from the center of the action. We didn’t need to rely on it much because of where we stayed, but it’s a great option to have, particularly at the end of a long day.
And here’s a completely non-Mountain-Games-related tip for families: find the pirate ship playground in Vail Village. It was a fantastic place to let the kids play in the morning before heading into the day’s events or to burn off whatever tiny amount of energy they somehow still had left. When you’re traveling with kids, knowing where the nearest playground is feels like essential destination research.
My biggest transportation tip is simply this: don’t overschedule yourself. Check the Mountain Games map and schedule before you head out each morning, group together events happening in the same general area when you can, and give yourself extra time to get distracted along the way. Because you will get distracted. And that’s half the fun.
Food, Snacks & Money Saving Tips
I packed enough granola bars and fruit to feed approximately fifteen hikers attempting to summit Mount Everest. As one does when traveling with three children.
We planned to use our stash for easy breakfasts and snacks throughout the weekend, but I probably could have packed significantly less. There were vendors throughout the GoPro Mountain Games handing out samples and freebies, including granola bars, beef sticks, drinks, and other snacks. We came home with a surprising amount of the food I’d packed still untouched.
That said, I would absolutely still carry snacks each day. Events are spread throughout Vail, kids become hungry at wildly inconvenient times, and you don’t necessarily want to stop what you’re doing every time someone needs to eat. A few easy snacks in your backpack can buy you another hour at an event everyone is enjoying.
We were also pleasantly surprised by how manageable we could make meals in Vail when we wanted to keep costs down. One of our easiest dinners was simply ordering a large pizza to go, bringing it back to the hotel, and eating by the pool. It fed all five of us for under $30 and was honestly exactly what everyone wanted after a long day outside.
Sit-down meals obviously added up faster, particularly once we added drinks and appetizers, so we mixed restaurant meals with simpler options throughout the trip. My personal favorite meal was George’s Fish & Chips. And coffee deserves its own public service announcement: do not leave Vail without stopping at Yeti’s Grind. You’re welcome.
If you’re trying to attend the GoPro Mountain Games on a budget, food is one of the easiest places to be strategic. Pack breakfast foods and kid snacks, take advantage of samples and giveaways during the event, mix restaurant meals with pizza or takeout, and save your dining budget for the places you’re genuinely excited to try.
What to Pack for the GoPro Mountain Games With Kids
Apparently, I packed for the GoPro Mountain Games as though we might be asked to summit Everest at any moment. We didn’t need nearly as much stuff as I brought, but there are a few things I would absolutely recommend having with you when attending the Mountain Games with kids.
Vail’s mountain weather can change throughout the day, and we found that mornings and evenings were chilly while afternoons warmed up quickly. Layers were key. We mostly wore comfortable athletic clothing and brought jackets or sweatshirts that could easily come off and get stuffed into a backpack as the day warmed up.
Here’s what I’d make sure to pack for a family attending the GoPro Mountain Games:
- Comfortable athletic clothes
- Good walking shoes
- Jackets or sweatshirts for cooler mornings and evenings
- Lightweight rain ponchos or rain jackets
- Refillable water bottles
- Sunscreen
- Chapstick
- Lotion
- Sunglasses and hats
- Easy snacks
- A backpack for carrying all the things your children will inevitably hand you
And if your kids are participating in the Mud Run, I would absolutely plan for mud. Lots and lots of mud. Bring clothes and shoes you don’t mind getting filthy, plus something to contain the muddy gear afterward.
Be Prepared for the Colorado Sun
We packed a ridiculous amount of sunscreen because we were convinced we’d be significantly closer to the sun. Which, okay, technically we were.
During our visit, Sun Bum had free sunscreen stations set up throughout the event and was even handing out sample sizes, which made reapplying throughout the day incredibly easy. I wouldn’t count on a particular sponsor or free sunscreen being available every year, though, so bring your own and keep it in your daypack.
You’ll spend a lot of the Mountain Games outside, often without much shade, so sunscreen, sunglasses, and hats are worth having with you every day.
Don’t Underestimate the Dry Mountain Air
Also: chapstick. Bring chapstick. And lotion.
Coming from Texas, we immediately noticed how dry the mountain air felt. Between the elevation, sunshine, and spending most of our days outside, we were constantly reaching for lip balm and lotion.
This is one of those tiny things that takes up almost no room in your bag and can make everyone significantly more comfortable. Your future self will thank you.
Tips for Hydrating and Adjusting to Vail’s Altitude
Drink water. When you’re done drinking water, drink more water. Then drink some more.
Vail sits at an elevation of more than 8,000 feet, and coming from Texas, the altitude was definitely something we thought about before our trip. We made a point of hydrating before we arrived and continued drinking plenty of water throughout our stay.
Thankfully, refill stations were available throughout the Mountain Games, so keeping everyone’s water bottles full was easy. And, as previously mentioned, refilling her own water bottle was somehow one of my 5-year-old’s favorite activities of the weekend.
We took things relatively easy at first and paid attention to how everyone was feeling. Neither my husband nor I had any issues after the first day, and all three kids handled the altitude really well.
The biggest time we noticed the elevation was during the Kids Mini Dash. Running uphill at 8,000 feet is a very different experience from walking around Vail Village, and the kids definitely felt the difference.
For our family, the combination of hydrating ahead of time, continuing to drink water throughout the day, and not packing our schedule so tightly that everyone had to rush from one activity to another worked well.
You’ll also need a pack-mule husband willing to carry a backpack filled with everyone’s water bottles, discarded sweatshirts, emergency snacks, and miscellaneous kid belongings. Mine was exceptional in this role, and we’re very thankful for him.
Turning Our Trip to Vail Into a Family Road Trip
Because we were coming from Texas, we decided to drive to Vail instead of flying, and I’m so glad we did. Not only did having our own car make it easy to pack all the gear, snacks, layers, water bottles, and other things that apparently accompany a family of five everywhere we go, but it also gave us the chance to turn the journey to Colorado into part of the adventure.
Rather than simply trying to get from Texas to Vail as quickly as possible, we added some pretty incredible stops along the way, including:
- Rita the Rock Planter
- Isak Heartstone
- Bishop Castle
- Capulin Volcano
- Garden of the Gods
Each stop gave us something completely different to explore, and instead of the drive feeling like the part we had to endure to get to the GoPro Mountain Games, it became another memorable part of the trip.
Obviously, driving won’t make sense for every family. If you’re coming from farther away, flying into Colorado and continuing to Vail may be the much easier option. But if you’re within road-trip distance, I’d definitely consider adding an extra day or two and finding a few interesting places to explore along the way.
For us, the road trip made an already adventure-packed weekend feel like an even bigger family adventure.
What We’ll Do Differently Next Year
Honestly? Not much.
We’ll hydrate even more. We’ll spend more time looking through the schedule ahead of time and choose a few competitions we don’t want to miss. We’ll leave plenty of open space in our days to wander around and discover things we didn’t know were happening.
I’ll probably sign my oldest up for the Mud Run on multiple days. I will probably not sign my middle child up for the Mud Run again. We’ve learned that lesson.
Mostly, though, I just wish we’d had more time. Every time we turned a corner in Vail, something else was happening. There was another competition to watch, another activity the kids wanted to try, another athlete doing something we didn’t know was humanly possible, or another experience we hadn’t planned for.
Even after four days, we didn’t see everything. And that’s probably the best reason I can think of to come back.
Are the GoPro Mountain Games Worth Attending With Kids?
Absolutely.
I went into this trip expecting the GoPro Mountain Games to be fun. I knew we’d see incredible athletes, spend time outside, explore Vail, and give our kids a chance to try some new things. I didn’t expect just how much my kids would become part of the experience.
They weren’t simply spectators watching other people have adventures. They climbed. They raced. They got muddy. They tried new sports. They cheered for athletes. They stood on stages and honked rubber chickens. They watched dogs fly through the air. They pushed themselves outside their comfort zones and discovered that they were capable of doing hard things.
And they saw a version of outdoor adventure that was bigger and more diverse than anything we’d been able to show them on our own.
That’s what made the GoPro Mountain Games such a special family experience for us. You don’t have to be an elite athlete. Your kids don’t have to be fearless adventurers. You don’t even have to know what half of these sports are before you arrive. You just have to be willing to show up and see what happens.
For families who love spending time outside, trying new things, and giving their kids opportunities to experience adventure in all its different forms, the GoPro Mountain Games belong on your family travel bucket list.
Just bring good shoes, lots of layers, refillable water bottles, and at least one adult willing to carry everyone’s stuff.
And if your kid says they don’t like mud…believe them.
