Like snowflakes, every traveler is different and just because some members of your family love to ski, it doesn’t mean that everyone is amenable to the idea! The cold, the snow, and the way it hurts when you fall, well, we understand that snow isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but that does not mean you have to skip Winter Park for your winter vacation! We are more than just a ski town, offering a plethora of exciting things to do in Winter Park and see, and this guide to everything that makes Winter Park wonderful only improves as you discover how staying in one of our Visit Winter Park Lodging vacation escapes will enhance your getaway!
Shopping
Our second favorite vacation activity, no matter what our destination happens to be, is exploring the shops that make up the landscape of the towns we visit. And although Winter Park is not a large town, the variety of stores we offer will more than keep you occupied while your snow loving family hits the slopes. Art galleries featuring the works of local artists (Karen Vance Fine Art is a local favorite!) boutiques that encourage you to be yourself (Be…Boutique accepts you just the way you are) even sweet shops like Treeline Treats will help you feel so much better about not joining in the fun on the slopes!
A Taste of Culture
Museums are another popular way to get to know the town of Winter Park better and two vastly different establishments jump into our minds, the Cozens Ranch Museum and Headwaters River Journey. Cozens, located in nearby Granby offers a fascinating portrait of early life for local settlers with the building it is housed on actually being listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Headwaters River Journey, located right here in Winter Park, however, is an altogether unique museum, offering an interactive experience that explores the rivers that run through the Colorado landscape. Designed to impress both kids and adults, it is the perfect place for you and your child, a fellow non-skier, to tighten your bonds as you learn about the world’s most precious resource.
Mountaintop Après & Fun Things to Do in Winter Park
Just because you don’t want to ski, it doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the most popular pastime of all, the après ski “party” held at Sunspot Mountaintop Lodge at Winter Park Resort. Taking place every Friday and Saturday from January through April, access to the Gondola is free after 4, allowing non-skiers to enjoy the fun. Offering live music (a different band each night) cocktails, and views of the most beautiful sunset you have ever seen in your life, Mountaintop Apres is about to become your new obsession!
Spa Day for the Win
What’s better than being warm and cozy inside during your escape to Winter Park? Being warm, cozy, and pampered by the amazing staff at Blue Sky Massage. Located at 21 Kings Crossing Road Unit 201 in Winter Park and offer a wonderful range of services that include multiple ways to be pampered, your skin, muscles, and body will thank you for the experience! Their Winter Wonderland package offers a body massage with peppermint oil, a foot massage in which your tootsies will be exfoliated, massaged with shea butter, and relaxed with hot compresses that will make you forget that just minutes ago you were trudging through the cold snow. The scalp massage included in this package will make you forget everything else except just how good it feels!
The Romance of Ice Skating
People who don’t like heights are prone to not like skiing, but skiing isn’t the only winter sport that you can try out during your stay in Winter Park. Ice skating still gets you out there in the crisp air and when you ice skate holding hands with your favorite traveling partner, your winter getaway becomes a romantic journey you will never forget. The Village Ice Rink, located in Winter Park, opens as soon as the ice is hard enough and stays open until warmer days arrive once again!
Eternal Summer in the Mountains
And finally, for the travelers who always have their faces turned to the sun, the Grand Park Community Rec Center allows you to experience summer in the depths of winter! Offering waterslides, pools, a lazy river, and everything you need for a resort vacation in a winter playground, the rec center is designed to keep you entertained and fit; it also offers a rock climbing wall, fitness classes, and a host of other things to do in Winter Park that will definitely counteract all the calories you have been ingesting while on vacation!
Stay at Home and Play
Let your family brave the wilds on the ski slopes as you soak in the hot tub, nap on comfy sofas, or sit in front of the fireplace with a glass of wine and a good book! Reserve your favorite Visit Winter Park Lodging winter escape today!
When you visit Colorado in the winter, you expect that snowy activities are going to be a mainstay in your adventures, and you would be absolutely correct. The snow falls early in Winter Park, creating a landscape that never fails to amaze even us, as it blankets the ground and gives visitors the chance to play as they may never have before. Although skiing is one of our most popular winter sports, there are many other snowy winter activities in Winter Park that you can participate in as you explore the town. This guide will help you discover them all!
Coca Cola Tubing Hill in Winter Park
Sledding down a hill, feeling the wind in your face mixed with the flakes of freshly fallen snow is an activity we all remember from our childhood, and the Coca Cola Tubing Hill allows you to experience its joys with your own children! Open on November 27th, it offers four lanes of softly packed snow, conveyor belts that help you get back up the hill easily, and a lodge designed to warm you up as you sip hot cocoa and wait for another go round on the hill!
Snowshoeing
Have you ever looked at a perfectly good tennis racket and thought to yourself, if I had two and strapped them to my feet, it would make a walk in the snow that much more fun? No? Well, although the look of snowshoes has changed over the years, this activity is definitely experiencing a resurgence and is guaranteed to add to your fun in Winter Park! Snowshoes can be rented at any Nordic center, including the one right here in Winter Park Resort, and you can explore just about any open area covered in snow. There are trails in the region where snowshoeing is even more delightful, including the Fraser River Trails you may have hiked during the summer months. This is definitely one of the best winter activities in Winter Park!
Grand Adventures with Grand Adventures
When your inner daredevil demands to be let out, a visit to Grand Adventures will give you an adventure of your own when you take one of their snowmobiling tours, or if you are feeling especially daring, rent the equipment to set out on your own. There is a special thrill received from flying over the snow on board a machine designed for speed, and the snowmobile is definitely the vehicle that will make you fall in love with snow, speed, and the winter season! The tours offered by Grand Adventures last anywhere from an hour to three hours and promise to be the most fun you can have on white snow.
Come in Out of the Cold
Of course, after spending much of your time in Winter Park playing in the snow, you may be ready for some indoor adventures to warm your bones. A visit to the Cozens Ranch Museum, located at 77849 US-40 in nearby Fraser, is the perfect way to do so! Step into the past as you learn about the issues early settlers faced—the cold, of course, being one of the biggest issues—and fall in love with the history of our mountain region. If museums aren’t your thing, and that’s ok, not everyone is excited by history, you can spend your days shopping at local boutiques, including one of our personal faves, Be…Boutique. Located at 47 Cooper Creek Way #233 in Winter Park, this sweet shop offers a variety of clothes, accessories, home goods, and more that allow each shopper the opportunity to be whatever they want to be! Just need a break from your outdoor activities? Stop by the Ditch on 40, located at 78941 US-40 in Winter Park and enjoy a New Mexican stye meal complete with delicious margaritas.
Stay Home and Play
Our Visit Winter Park Lodging escapes are designed to be a vital part of your vacation experience, and on some days, staying home and playing may be the best idea you can have! Sipping hot cocoa in front of a roaring fire while watching Christmas shows, practicing your snow angels in the yards surrounding the property, or falling into a lazy nap on a cold and wintry day are just some of the adventures you will enjoy in our tranquil homes. Reserve your favorite today and discover the joys found in making all your winter vacation dreams come true! Contact us today.
When it comes to kid-friendly hikes and hiking in Winter Park, we have a few requirements.
They must:
- Be easy to access
- Be easy to escape
- Minimal to no elevation gain
- Exhaust kids, (while not exhausting their parents)
- Not involve any dangerous features, (cliffs, roaring rivers, falling rocks, etc.)
With that said we came up with the following kid-friendly hiking in Winter Park!
The Fraser River Trail:
Access Point(s): Safeway, Headwaters Trails Alliance, Rendezvous Rd. Parking Lot, Idlewild Campground, Etc.
Distance: Up to 6.3 miles
Elevation gain/loss: minimal
Stroller/Bike friendly: Yes
Dog friendly: Yes
Fun features: Forests, Fraser River, Scenic Views, Picnic Tables, Fly fishing, and more.
Wildlife: Moose, deer, beaver, waterfowl, fish, songbirds, birds of prey, fox, coyote.
Link: https://headwaterstrails.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/FraserRiver11x10.pdf
Mary’s Pond Trail:
Access Point: Rendezvous Sales Center Parking Lot (Between Winter Park and Fraser, on highway 40.)
Distance: 0.03 miles
Elevation gain/loss: none
Stroller/bike friendly: Yes (on a boardwalk)
Dog friendly: On leash
Fun Features: A scenic trail and boardwalk winding around ponds and water features. This trail can connect to the sidewalk off of Highway 40 and lead all the way to Hideaway park.
Wildlife: Waterfowl, fish, songbirds, birds of prey, etc.
Creekside, Flume Trail:
Access Point(s): Take 73 South West to the campground.
Distance: Up to 3.3 miles
Elevation gain/loss: minor/minimal
Stroller/Bike friendly: mostly yes
Dog friendly: Yes
Fun features: Forests, Water, Scenic Views, Benches.
Wildlife: Moose, fox, coyote, squirrels, chipmunks, beaver, birds of prey, owls
Link: https://headwaterstrails.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/FraserRiver11x10.pdf
Monarch Lake:
Access Point: From Granby, Colorado turn north on U.S. Highway 34, after six miles turn on County Road 6/NFSR 125, after 10 miles you will see the parking lot.
Distance: Approximately 4 miles
Elevation gain/loss: Intermediate
Stroller/bike friendly: Not advised (lots of roots and somewhat steep at times)
Dog friendly: Yes, on leash
Fun Features: Stunning drive around Lake Granby, lake views on and off throughout the hike, beach access, fishing, old steam engine.
Wildlife: Migratory birds, moose, deer, elk, etc.
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There is nothing we love more than a good rainstorm here in Winter Park—except maybe a good snowstorm—and when the skies turn a gloomy gray and that wet stuff falls from the clouds during your Winter Park vacation, we can promise that you too will soon feel the same way! Yes, even if it dares to rain during YOUR vacation, these fun activities in Winter Park will keep you warm, dry, and entertained as you shop, explore, and dash between the raindrops as you come in and out of museums, restaurants, and whatever else we find for to do. This guide to rainy day activities in Winter Park in our favorite mountain village will ensure that EVERY minute of your getaway, not just the dry ones, will be even better than you imagined!
A Step Back in Time
As the rains fall, you will stay dry as you spend the hours exploring the Cozens Ranch Museum, 77849 US-40, learning how life was so much different for the early settlers who made their home in this area. Times were rough, especially during the winter, but when Cozens Ranch Museum was simply another stop on the stage coach trail, visitors could always count on a hot meal and a warm place to relax before continuing on with their travels. Today, the buildings that make up the museum have been restored to their former glory, bringing to life the days when travel was by stagecoach, heat was provided by fireplaces, and air conditioning wasn’t even a glimmer in anyone’s eyes. Take a step back in time and enjoy the simpler life for a few quiet hours during your Colorado vacation.
The Heart of Downtown
Serious shoppers never let anything like a few raindrops interfere with their habit—er, we mean hobby—and the downtown area of Winter Park will definitely be your new happy place, rain or shine! Pick up a new tee shirt or some cool souvenirs at Moose Hollow Trading Company in Cooper Creek Square or find a sweet gift for your sweet mom who is babysitting her sweet grand puppies at the General Store, also in Cooper Creek Square. Your children are being relative angels as they splash in mud puddles while you rush them from store to store, so we think a stop at Imaginations would be a worthy reward. Also located in Cooper Creek Square, this fun toy store has a great collection of board games, so pick up a few of your favorites and get competitive in your Visit Winter Park Lodging rainy day sanctuary after you have finished with your shopping expedition! Looking for some winter clothing, ski gear, or other outdoor accessories but don’t think you will use them enough to pay full price? Winter Park Trading has a fantastic selection of gently used clothing and equipment that won’t break your bank and is located next to Cooper Creek Square!
Taste-FULL Adventures
Our favorite part of any vacation is the food; being able to try out new restaurants, new foods, and yes, new beverages makes our hearts beat a little faster, and on a rainy Colorado day, trying out a new restaurant can be a great way to stay dry! Sip and snack at Adventures Decanted, where wine, cocktails, charcuterie boards, pastries, and small plates will make you forget about the dreary weather outside. Located in Cooper Creek Square, their menu changes with the seasons, but is surprisingly well rounded for an establishment that is mainly there for the wine! Paella’s Restaurant and Bakery has a fantastic seafood selection, but we want to be 100% honest with you: We go there for the bakery treats, because how can you go wrong with chocolate and ice cream and sweet cakes? Although we have had a simply wonderful time in Cooper Creek Square, it is time to venture out of its boundaries as we choose a nice Italian dinner from Volario’s, located at 78786 US Highway 40. Offering the best of Northern Italy cuisine, you could spend hours here, sipping red wine and enjoying your favorite dishes; pizza, pasta, and veal Milanese are what’s on their menu! Their dessert menu offers a twist to our favorite Italian sweet, serving strawberry mint cannolis and their ricotta cheesecake will make you wonder why every cheesecake isn’t made with ricotta!
Keep It Cozy with Visit Winter Park Lodging
The rainiest of days offer a sweet comfort when spent under the protective roof of our homes and condos, so unwrap the games you just bought, light a fire in the fireplace, and brew yourself a fresh pot of coffee. We can’t predict when the rain is going to stop, but we can predict you will have the time of your life when you choose Visit Winter Park Lodging for your rainy day adventures. Reserve your stay with us today!