Skiing at Winter Park Resort is the obvious draw, but plenty of our guests never click into a binding and still have the trip of the year. Snowshoe trails out the back door, dog sleds, sleigh ride dinners, night tubing under lights, and a gondola ride to live music above the treeline.
Here is what is actually worth your time, and what you need to book ahead.
Three Things to Know for the 2026/2027 Season
Weekends start earlier. Winter Park lifts open at 8:00am on Saturdays and Sundays from December 5, 2026 through April 4, 2027, giving you a bonus hour if you are skiing.
Book the guided experiences early. Sunset snowshoe tours, snowcat tours, moonlit uphill dinners and night tubing all run limited sessions and sell out, especially over holiday weeks.
Not everything runs every day. Most guided evening experiences operate Thursday through Saturday, with extra dates around the holidays. Check the events calendar against your travel dates.
On the Snow
Snowshoeing
The most accessible winter activity there is. If you can walk, you can snowshoe, which makes it the rare thing a mixed-ability group can genuinely do together. Winter Park sits surrounded by national forest, so trail options are effectively endless.
Where to go: the Fraser River Trail for something flat and easy, the groomed networks at Devil's Thumb Ranch and Snow Mountain Ranch for a maintained surface, or the quieter national forest routes for solitude. Local shops rent snowshoes by the day.
Guided option worth booking: the resort's Sunset Snowshoe Tour takes you up the Gondola and out onto a forest trail at twilight under the stars, with a complimentary drink in the lodge when you return. Typically Thursday to Saturday, 4:30pm to 6:30pm. Space is limited.
Snow Tubing
The best thing in the valley with kids who are not skiing, and honestly good fun without them. Three separate options:
- Coca-Cola Tube Hill at Winter Park Resort, with banked lanes and a lift back to the top. Glow Night Tubing runs under the lights, typically Thursday to Saturday from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.
- Historic Fraser Tubing Hill, locally owned since 1971, groomed and lit for night tubing with a warming house at the bottom. (970) 726-5954.
- Colorado Adventure Park in Fraser, with two magic carpet lifts, free sleds for the smallest kids, a fire pit with s'mores kits, and snowscoots for children. (970) 726-5779.
Book ahead. Resort tubing times sell out, and walk-up availability is not guaranteed.
Cross Country and Nordic Skiing
Grand County is one of the best Nordic destinations in the country, not just the state. Groomed track and skate lanes at Devil's Thumb Ranch in Tabernash and at Snow Mountain Ranch, plus miles of quiet national forest trail if you would rather break your own.
Rentals and lessons are available at the Nordic centers, and beginners genuinely can be competent by lunchtime. It is also considerably cheaper than a lift ticket.
Cross country skiing in Grand County
Snowmobiling
Over a hundred miles of groomed trails plus serious backcountry make this a top snowmobiling region. Book guided if you do not know the terrain, or rent and ride if you do. Most operators supply full winter gear, which matters more than you expect at speed in February.
Local's tip: our Kremmling home on Golden Edge Drive lets you snowmobile straight from the house, which removes the trailer logistics entirely.
Winter Fly Fishing
The trout do not hibernate. Winter fly fishing on the Colorado and Fraser rivers is quiet, uncrowded and surprisingly productive, and a guide supplies the waders plus the local knowledge about where fish are actually holding in cold water.
Book a guided trip with our preferred partner 5280 Angler.
Ice Skating
Skating in cold mountain air is its own kind of good. Winter Park Resort runs a rink at the Village Pond with skate rentals available, including Glow Night Ice Skating sessions with music and neon lighting on select evenings. The Fraser Valley Sports Complex also has an outdoor rink.
Guided Evening Experiences
These are the memory-makers, and the ones guests most regret not booking early.
Sleigh Ride Dinners
Bundle under a blanket behind a team of horses, ride out through the snow, and eat somewhere you could not otherwise reach. Options across the valley range from a simple ride with cocoa and a campfire to a full multi-course dinner with live entertainment. Devil's Thumb Ranch in Tabernash is one of the better-known operators.
These sell out weeks ahead over the holidays. Book when you book lodging, not when you arrive.
Dog Sledding
A genuine Rocky Mountain experience for all ages. Sit back under a blanket and let the team work, or take the runners and learn to drive your own sled. These are working kennels with high-drive huskies, and good guides will teach you the commands properly rather than just seating you in the basket. Reservations required, and access roads are snow-covered, so bring an AWD vehicle.
Snowcat and S'mores Tour
Ride a snowcat up the mountain to watch the sun set over the Fraser Valley, then continue to Lunch Rock for s'mores and drinks before heading back down. Includes the tour, s'mores and a beverage. Requires nothing but warm clothes, which makes it ideal for a group where not everyone skis. Typically Thursday to Saturday, 4:30pm to 6:30pm.
Moonlit Uphill and Dinner
Only offered a handful of times each season, and one of the more memorable evenings available anywhere in Colorado. Bring boots, snowshoes or uphill gear, climb to Snoasis for an on-mountain dinner with guides stationed along the route, then ski down under the moonlight. Typically three dates across January, February and March.
These are small and they fill. Watch the events calendar and book immediately.
Mountaintop Apres at Sunspot
The best-value thing on this entire page. Ride the Gondola up above the spruce trees to the Lodge at Sunspot for live music, food and drink specials, and a view over the valley at golden hour.
No lift ticket needed after 4:00pm. That makes it perfect for a rest day, a non-skiing partner, or grandparents who came for the scenery rather than the snow. Typically Thursday to Saturday, 4:00pm to 8:00pm, running daily through the holiday week. Last ride up is usually 7:00pm, so watch the clock.
Rest Days, Storm Days and Sore Muscles
Nobody skis six days straight and enjoys the sixth. Build in a day off.
- Spa and massage. After three days on the mountain this is money extremely well spent. Book a treatment.
- The Foundry Cinema & Bowl. The valley's only movie theater and bowling alley, with an arcade and wood-fired pizza. (970) 363-7161. The best storm-day plan in town.
- Grand Park Community Recreation Center in Fraser, with an indoor aquatic center, hot tubs, gym and youth classes. (970) 726-8968.
- Hot springs. Several are within driving distance and there is little better after a ski week. See our guide to soaking near Winter Park.
- Galleries, bowling and shopping around town. More indoor options.
- Eating well. The valley's dining scene has become a genuine destination. See our restaurant guide, which lists current hours and closed days, because six local restaurants shut at least one day a week.
A Note on Safety
Winter Park sits at roughly 9,000 feet and the terrain around it goes considerably higher. Three things worth taking seriously:
- Altitude. Drink far more water than feels necessary, take your first day easy, and go gently on the apres that first night. See our guide to adjusting to high altitude.
- Terrain outside the resort boundary is not avalanche mitigated at any time of year. If you are heading into the backcountry on skis, snowshoes or a snowmobile, check the Colorado Avalanche Information Center forecast and travel with training, a partner and the right gear.
- Cold and sun. Layer properly, skip cotton, and wear sunscreen and lip balm every day. Snow reflects UV straight back at you and February sunburn catches people out constantly.
Check current weather and know before you go before you head out.
Getting Around Without the Hassle
The free town bus connects Winter Park, the resort base and Fraser, which covers a lot of what is on this page. For everything else, Home James handles airport transfers, and note that Uber and Lyft are unreliable in the valley, so book ahead rather than assuming.
Renting gear? Black Tie delivers to your rental and fits everyone in the living room, and Beaver Sport Shop handles in-town rentals.
Book Today With Stay Winter Park
After a day outside, come back somewhere genuinely comfortable. Where you stay shapes which of these adventures are easy:
- Trails from the door: our cabins and Tabernash rentals put you closest to the Nordic and snowshoe networks.
- Walk to the lifts and the Gondola: ski-in ski-out and Base Village rentals.
- Walk to dinner: Downtown Winter Park.
- Sore muscles: rentals with a hot tub, which is the correct answer after a day of any of the above.
- Bringing the dog: pet-friendly rentals.
- Big group: private homes and luxury properties.
Still deciding? Read our guide to the best places to stay in Winter Park, or check current specials.
Browse all properties or call our team at 1-800-215-6535. Tell us what you want to do and we will put you somewhere that makes it easy.
Operator hours, seasons and availability change throughout the winter, and all outdoor activities are weather dependent. Confirm directly with each operator before booking.
