You drive into Eden and breathe a little more slowly, energized by the valley’s calm and natural beauty.

I told my kids, “We’re skiing in Eden today.”

“You mean, like the Garden of Eden, Momfi”

“Yep!”

And, driving down into the valley, you can feel why it is called Eden.

We arrived in early afternoon, and even with an enthusiastic crowd, the pace and feeling of Wolf Creek is distinctly local — and family friendly. Whereas some resorts scream, “Hang on to your kids, and do a head check every 20 minutes,” the relaxed feel and close proximity of the parking, to the restaurant, to the ski lifts, to the small, but cozy children’s education yurt, says rather, “Hey, drop your kids off here, park, relax, have fun!”

The small resort is known for its family programs and focuses on beginning to intermediate skiers. Approximately 30 percent of the mountain is geared toward beginners, 45 percent to intermediate level skiers and 25 percent for advanced skiers.

I liked the fact that I could drop my kids and gear right in front of the door at the children’s classroom yurt and then park and quickly join them — without having to park a mile away and walk with gear and children and everything I might possibly need because the parking is too far away, like most resorts. The parking is small and close enough that you can take off layers and run them to the car or quickly grab your picnic lunch without losing a half a day of skiing.

My 5-year-old, who has skied before with help but wasn’t yet quite ready to go on his own, joined the “wolf pups” class inside a brightly themed yurt for skiing instructions while I interviewed Bill Cox, general manager of Wolf Creek. Together, we watched my son and his class as they “walked like ducks” (learn to stomp across the hill with your skis), made “pizzas” (classic children’s ski lingo for a v-shaped stop), and flew like “airplanes” down the hill.

Cox explained the family-friendly goals of Wolf Creek: “We’ve invested heavily in trying to make sure that we can offer consistent safe products in snowmaking and grooming, but as you can see around us, all of the mountain is themed to be very children-friendly. … It’s really all about the family whether it’s in the summer or the winter.”

And, at Wolf Creek, skiing is all about the family –I loved the “Magic Carpet” as it’s called at the resort. The Magic Carpet is an automated hill-length stretch of conveyor belt that even young children can ride to ascend to the top of shallow, graded hills. My children have learned to ski at other resorts, but I have always found juggling a toddler and tow rope difficult and sometimes physically uncomfortable. The Magic Carpet is easy to use, fun and convenient.

I love the fact that you can go to Wolf Creek, and if you are wanting to work with your toddler or child and are not really coming to ski for yourself, you can pay $10 each and use the Magic Carpet (children 5 and younger ski or ride the Magic Carpet free with a paying adult). Even better, two of Wolf Creek’s four lifts are close enough to the base of the Magic Carpet that you can send your older kids on the lifts and still check in on them while helping your younger beginners on the conveyor belt! Wolf Creek makes skiing as a family easier because there are accommodations for all levels in close proximity.

Your adventurous new snowboarder can even try the Wolf’s Lair Terrain Park — a blocked-off area distantly within view of the Magic Carpet featuring a quarter pipe, a slope-style run with rails, a triple air jump run, a 50-foot air jump, and more. I saw skiers and boarders trying their hand at the terrain. And, maybe because it looked like most were beginners, or maybe because almost everyone fell at least once, I even thought to myself, “This looks kind of fun.” So, if my son ever gets to that “I-want-to-try-cool-tricks-on-my-snowboard” age (and if I ever get to where I let him) — this smaller, calmer, terrain park will be our starting place.

There is a family-friendly difference in the staff and ski patrol at Wolf Creek, too. My binding came off once, and my son and I got tangled on the slope in an orange net barrier, and so twice I was helped by Wolf Creek Ski Patrol members. They were friendly, professional, and concerned that I and my family have a good experience.

Brian Walston, one of the ski patrol who assisted me, explained that Wolf Creek is known over the valley as “the learning hill” for its wide hills and family-friendly environments. Walston and the other ski patrol members who are dads get to bring their families, who can enjoy the slopes for the day while their dads are patrolling.

Walston also talked about the low-pressure environment.

“You don’t have to feel threatened by other skiers or boarders here,” he said.

The pace is a bit slower, especially on the lower lifts and Magic Carpet area.

My children and I skied for more than five hours –well past dusk and into the evening — and we have already made plans to take advantage of Wolf Creek’s customer appreciation Easter package: Buy a Thursday-Sunday (April 9-12) adult ski pass for a one-time fee of only $35; kids’ ski passes for the same time period are just $25 for the entire four days of skiing.

So, if you are wanting to take your family skiing without breaking the piggy bank, or you simply want to try a picturesque, family-friendly resort destination with a local Utah feel — check out Wolf Creek Ski Resort.

If you ski

• Ski for only $10 a person with Wolf Creek Ski Resort’s Sunday and Monday night ski package. Utah’s smallest-in-acreage ski park boasts Utah’s largest night ski program — with daily night skiing offered at astoundingly affordable rates. Guests can ski daily from 4-9 p.m. for only $12 to $20 per person depending on age and day of the week, with Sunday and Monday night rates at only $10 per person.

• Visit www.wolfcreekutah.com for additional pricing and travel information.