winter park

Location:66 miles northwest of Denver on U.S. 40
Elevation: 9110, Population: 662

With a name like Winter Park, there's not much doubt about this central Rockies town's purpose. If you can do it on snow, you can do it here. The skiing is diverse enough to please everyone from beginners to experts. The snowshoeing is great, as well. And the sledding in nearby Fraser is screamingly good. Snow Mountain Ranch Nordic Center and Devil's Thumb Ranch offer plenty of options for cross-country skiers and snowshoers. Sleigh and hay rides are also part of the local winter scene. Or how about a dogsled ride? Winter Park is also home to the national program for disabled skiers.

Restaurants cater to cold-weather activities with hearty German or spicy Cajun or Mexican food, and shops sell just about anything you forgot to pack.

But don't dismiss Winter Park as a summer vacation destination. In summer, you can ride a ski lift up a mountain and hike down a wildflower-strewn trail. Mountain bikers find plenty of places to ride here.

Visit the Cozens' Ranch House Museum just north of town, the site of a stage stop and post office from the 1870s. Be sure to check out the room commemorating Doc Suzie, the first woman doctor in the area.

Source: Colorado.com

Back to NorthWest