2022-12-03 07:43:36
Skiers and snowboarders aren’t the only outdoor adventurers impatiently awaiting our white winter months. Colorado’s brilliant sun-soaked skies, pristine powder-filled valleys and iconic snowcapped peaks make it a proverbial winter wonderland, beckoning all to discover its spectacular landscape. While known for world-class skiing, winter in Colorado means so much more. Adaptive Winter Activities Adaptive sports centers offer lessons in accessible alpine skiing, snowboarding, ski biking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice climbing and more. WHERE TO GO: Winter Park • Crested Butte • Steamboat Springs • Keystone • Breckenridge • Telluride • Aspen • Beaver Creek • Durango • Eldora Ski Biking Try a new way to experience the beauty of winter and also get your adrenaline flowing: It’s simply a bike with the wheels replaced by skis. Many ski areas offer lessons, and the bikes’ three-point stance make it easy to pick up. WHERE TO GO: Purgatory Resort (Durango) • Winter Park Resort • Vail Mountain • Keystone Resort • Steamboat Ski Resort • Telluride Ski Resort • Snowmass • Copper Mountain Resort Fat Biking Fat biking allows cyclists of all levels to keep their wheels spinning no matter the season. Fat tires ride atop the snow and can go just about anywhere. WHERE TO GO: Tomichi Cycles (Gunnison) • Evergreen Bike Shop • Cycles of Life (Leadville) • Pagosa Mountain Sports • Front Range Ride Guides (Fort Collins) • Winter Park Resort • Howelsen Hill Nordic Center (Steamboat Springs) • Gold Run Nordic Center (Breckenridge) • Boulder Cycle Sport Winter Alpine Coasters Whiz down hundreds of vertical, powdery feet, riding switchbacks and loops along the way. WHERE TO GO: Purgatory Resort (Durango) • Snowmass • Copper Mountain • Breckenridge • Vail Snowshoeing & Cross-Country Skiing Discover fluffy, snow-covered trails and peaceful stands of evergreen and aspen trees. Dozens of Nordic centers, including many at the ski resorts, are a great way to get started with rentals and trail maps. For more intense endeavors, try a hut trip! WHERE TO GO: Vallecito Lake • Breckenridge • Crested Butte • Keystone • Vail • Telluride • Aspen/Snowmass • Leadville • Frisco • Walden • Eldora (near Nederland) • Gunnison • Beaver Creek • Silverthorne • Tabernash • Durango • Grand Lake • Steamboat Springs • Granby • Winter Park • Glenwood Springs • Kremmling Ice Skating From locales with far-as-the-eye-can-see mountain views to urban and resort settings surrounded by shops and restaurants, our outdoor ice rinks bring back-to-basics joy. WHERE TO GO: Lake City • Lyons • Colorado Springs • Denver • Evergreen • Loveland • Ouray • Estes Park • Pagosa Springs • Aurora • South Fork • Golden Gate Canyon State Park (Golden) • Highline Lake State Park (Loma) • Eleven Mile State Park (Lake George) • Keystone • Breckenridge • Beaver Creek • Winter Park • Kendall Mountain (Silverton) • Snowmass • Crested Butte Urban Experiences Holiday concerts and performances, seasonal markets, lighting events, brew fests, ice rinks, restaurant weeks and shopping destinations make winter in the city merry and bright. WHERE TO GO: Find yourself in the charming and diverse neighborhoods of Denver and the downtown areas of Grand Junction, Boulder, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Aurora, Lakewood, Loveland, Greeley and Longmont. See page 68 for other ideas. BONUS: All urban experiences are within easy reach of outdoor winter activities. Horse-Drawn Sleigh Rides Warm blankets, crisp air and the jingle of bells tinkling to the stride of the horses are hallmarks of Colorado sleigh rides. So are elegant dinners, local wines, roaring fires and decadent desserts. Dude ranches are wonderful places to find fun sleigh rides. WHERE TO GO: Fraser • Frisco • Steamboat Springs • Granby • Wolcott and Edwards (both near Vail) • Durango • Pagosa Springs • Lake George • Keystone • Breckenridge • Aspen Snow Tubing Get a giggle-inducing thrill while zooming downhill on an inner tube or sled at the speed of light. Most of these spots have lift-served hills that save your energy for more runs. WHERE TO GO: Fraser • Copper Mountain • Snowmass • Winter Park • Purgatory and Hesperus (Durango) • Vail • Steamboat • Keystone • Echo Mountain (Idaho Springs) • Monarch Mountain near Salida • Frisco • Granby • Aspen • Telluride • Leadville BACKCOUNTRY SAFETY Be sure to research your destination (and have a plan B), prepare for winter travel, check the avalanche forecast, carry proper equipment and get training or go with a guide. Colorado.com/Backcountry WANT MORE? Colorado.com/Winter-Activities
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