Stay Winter Park manages vacation rentals across Grand County, and picking the right town matters as much as picking the right house. Slopeside condo or lakeside cabin? Walk-to-dinner or wake-up-to-elk? Here is an honest guide to each of our communities and who each one suits.
Which Town Is Right for Your Trip?
| Town | Best for | Distance to Winter Park Resort |
|---|---|---|
| Winter Park | Skiers who want to walk to the lifts and to dinner | At the resort or 2 miles |
| Fraser | Families wanting space and value, still close in | About 4 miles |
| Tabernash | Quiet, big views, private homes | About 9 miles |
| Granby | Beginner-friendly skiing, real-town amenities | About 16 miles |
| Grand Lake | Lakeside character and national park access | About 30 miles |
| Kremmling | Wide-open outdoor country, rivers and ranchland | About 40 miles |
Winter Park
Winter Park has a better backstory than most ski towns. The Graves family established a logging site here in 1922. The Moffat Tunnel opened in 1928, boring straight through the Continental Divide, and it still carries rail traffic from Denver's Union Station today. Cabins went up for hunters and workers, and the settlement was originally called Hideaway Park. The Winter Park ski resort opened in 1940 as a city park for Denver, and the town itself was incorporated in 1978.
The practical bit: the resort and downtown are about two miles apart, and the free town shuttle connects them, so you genuinely do not need a car to have a good week.
Where to stay in Winter Park:
- Ski-in ski-out rentals for the shortest possible walk to the lifts
- Base Village rentals, steps from dining, the Gondola and the ice pond
- Downtown Winter Park for walkable restaurants, breweries and shops
- Iron Horse Resort, Snowblaze, Meadow Ridge, Beaver Village, Hi Country Haus, Arrow Townhomes and Fraser Crossing and Founders Pointe
Fraser
Founded as a townsite called Eastom in 1871, renamed Fraser in 1905 and incorporated in 1953. It sits a couple of miles up the valley from downtown Winter Park with a noticeably more relaxed feel, which is exactly why a lot of families choose it. More space, better value, and the same free town shuttle connecting you to the mountain.
Downtown Fraser has grown into its own destination, with restaurants, a distillery, an outdoor ice rink, the rec center and the Fraser River Trail running right through it. Fraser is also where the Amtrak station sits, so if you are arriving by rail outside ski season, this is your platform.
Where to stay in Fraser:
- All Fraser rentals
- Houses, cabins, condos and townhomes
- Grand Park neighborhood, a newer development with modern homes and mountain views
- Fraser luxury rentals and pet-friendly options
Tabernash
Tabernash takes its name from a Ute man named Tabernash, who was killed here in 1878. The community that grew up around the site later became a stop on the rail line, and today it remains the quietest of the valley's main communities.
This is where you go for space and views. Private homes tucked into the trees, wide-open mountain outlooks, and enough distance from the resort that evenings are genuinely still. It is also home to Devil's Thumb Ranch and some of the best Nordic terrain in Colorado. A handful of restaurants and shops round it out, including Tabernash Tavern, which locals rate as the best special-occasion dinner in the county.
Where to stay in Tabernash:
Granby and Granby Ranch
Granby was founded in the early 1900s and incorporated in 1905, growing up as a ranching and rail town. It still has that character, plus the practical advantage of being a real town with a full-service grocery store, restaurants and shops rather than a resort village.
Granby Ranch is the area's other ski hill, and it is a genuinely different proposition from Winter Park: smaller, quieter, and far less intimidating for young families and new skiers. The resort has changed names more than once over the decades before settling into its current identity under newer ownership.
Why families pick Granby Ranch: short lift lines, manageable terrain, and the ability to actually keep an eye on your kids. If you have a five-year-old on their second-ever ski day, this beats a 3,000-acre mountain.
Where to stay in Granby:
- All Granby rentals
- Granby Ranch ski-in ski-out and Slopeside at Granby Ranch
- Private homes, cabins, condos and townhomes
- Pet-friendly rentals and Granby resorts
Grand Lake
The one a lot of visitors miss, and a mistake worth avoiding. Grand Lake sits on the shore of Colorado's largest natural lake, at the western gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. The boardwalk main street, the lodge architecture and the setting give it a character nowhere else in the county matches.
In winter it is snowy, quiet and beautiful, with snowmobiling, Nordic skiing and ice fishing on the doorstep. Note that Trail Ridge Road through the national park closes from roughly late October to late May, so winter access is via US-40 and US-34 rather than over the top.
Where to stay in Grand Lake:
Kremmling
A general store and a ranch called Kinsey City started the settlement in 1881. Kremmling became a town in 1904, and by 1912 the Middle Park Fair had launched, cementing the western character the area still carries. Today it has earned nicknames like "Motorsport Capital of Grand County" and "Sportsman's Paradise," which tells you most of what you need to know.
This is wide-open outdoor country: rivers, ranchland, hunting, fishing and boating. If you want genuine seclusion and do not mind the drive to the ski hill, it delivers something the resort towns cannot.
See our full property list for current Kremmling availability, or call us and we will point you to it.
Planning for the 2026/2027 Ski Season
Three things worth knowing before you pick your dates and your town.
Weekends start an hour earlier. Winter Park lifts now open at 8:00am on Saturdays and Sundays from December 5, 2026 through April 4, 2027. That extra hour is much easier to use if you are staying in Winter Park or Fraser rather than driving in.
Check your pass blackout dates. Ikon Base and Session passes are blacked out at Winter Park December 26 to 30, 2026, January 16 and 17, 2027, and February 13 and 14, 2027. Granby Ranch is a good alternative on those days, and a cheaper one.
Mary Jane opens later. Winter Park's famous bump-and-tree mountain typically opens in January and closes earlier in spring. Plan mid-January through mid-March if she is the draw.
Choose by Home Type Instead
Know what kind of place you want but not where? Start here:
- Cabins and luxury cabins
- Private homes and luxury homes
- Condos and townhomes
- Rentals with a hot tub, which after a ski day is not a small thing
- Pet-friendly rentals
- Flexible stays and long-term rentals
- Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday rentals
Or browse all complexes and every property we manage.
Traveling as a Group?
We handle ski groups, weddings, reunions and retreats, and corporate retreats. Multiple homes in one neighborhood is usually the answer for a big group, and we can put that together. Start with a group information request.
Get Your Logistics Sorted Before You Arrive
- Home James transportation for door-to-door airport shuttles from Denver
- Black Tie ski rental delivery, with gear fitted at your rental
- Beaver Sport Shop rentals
- Know before you go and current weather
- Things to do and our events calendar
Book Today for Your Best Vacation
There is a lot on offer here, and picking between six towns is genuinely harder than picking a house. If you need a hand, our Guest Services team are locals with the insider tips, and they will happily talk you through it.
Still on the fence? Read our guide to the best places to stay in Winter Park, or check current specials before you book.
Browse all properties or call us at 800-215-6535. Tell us who is coming and how they ski, and we will tell you which town to book.
Season dates, blackout dates and resort operations are current as of publication and subject to change. Property availability varies by season. Confirm details when booking.
