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Why we think Winter Park Resort is the Best Ski Resort in Colorado
7 REASONS WINTER PARK RESORT IS THE BEST SKI RESORT IN COLORADO
No. 1 Ski Train
The Winter Park Express continued service to during the 2016/17 Ski Season, to the Winter Park Resort. The ski train runs weekends and holidays from Union Station Downtown Denver to the Winter Park Resort. This alone makes Winter Park Ski Resort the best ski resort in Colorado. Where else can you take a train to a ski base in Colorado? Amtrak manages the Ski Train transportation service. The Ski Train departs Denver’s Union Station at 7:00 am and arrives at Winter Park Resort at approximately 9:00 am. The return trip leaves the Winter Park Resort at 4:30 pm and arrives back in Denver at Union Station at approximately 6:40 pm.
No. 2
Mary Jane
I’ve used this analogy before. Mary Jane is the Wicked Step Sister of the Winter Park Resort; you’ll find this side of Winter Park Resort loaded with bumps, trees, diamonds and at the end of the day you’ll be sore and glad you picked us as the best ski resort in Colorado.
Look for stickers around town declaring the wickedness that is Mary Jane.
“No Pain, No Jane!”
“Don’t groom the Jane. – God”
No. 3
The National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD)
Based out of Winter Park Resort and Sports Authority Field in Denver, The National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) helps thousands of disabled children and adults get on the snow and learn more about themselves and sports each year.
Since 1970 the NSCD has provided ski lessons to those in need.
The NSCD mission statement “We enable the human spirit through therapeutic sports and recreation.”.
This makes Winter Park Resort the Best Ski Resort in Colorado. Choose Winter Park Resort and indirectly help the NSCD.
No. 4
Off I70
If you’ve ever been skiing in Colorado, you’ll know about the parking lot they call I70 West of Denver.
Skip this scene and take exit 232 to Winter Park, Colorado. You’ll be skiing while your friends are sitting on I70 on their way to other resorts.
No. 5
Winter Park and The Seven Terrain Parks!
Yup! Seven Terrain Parks! Think Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, only more fun.
- Starter
- Bouncer
- Gangway
- Ash Cat
- Re-Railer
- Rail Yard
- Dark Territory
No. 6
Seven Territories
To continue with Winter Park Resort’s theme of seven
The Seven Territories of Winter Park Resort ™ Seven is better than one territory!
- Winter Park Territory ™
- Parsenn Bowl Territory ™
- Mary Jane Territory ™
- Vasquez Ridge Territory ™
- The Cirque Territory ™
- Terrain Park Territory ™
- Eagle Wind Territory ™
No. 7 Dollars
Cheaper than those Hoity Toity Colorado ski resorts. You won’t see many if any expensive fur coats in Winter Park. You can still book Winter Park, Colorado lodging for less than $99 a night, and a day lift ticket will set you back less than $140. Purchase your lift ticket at the Winter Park Resort. The money you save on lift tickets and lodging can go towards your apres ski day!Click Here for a list of our downtown Winter Park vacation rentals.
Updated The Winter Park Express Ski Train came back into operation in 2017 but due to the Covid 19 pandemic the Winter Park ski train suspended service for the 2020/21 season.
While the Winter Park Ski Train is not currently operating (at least not when this article was posted, December 2015) it has transported many happy skiers and snowboarders. If you ever wanted to know more about the historic Ski Train, this article is a must-read!
Starting in 1940, the Ski Train carried skiers from Union Station in Denver to the base of Winter Park Resort. The Ski Train gained 4,000 feet in elevation over the course of its 2 hour 15 minute trek. This gave passengers the opportunity to converse, sight-see and relax while avoiding the hazards and weekend traffic of I-70. The Ski Train also made one stop at Rocky Flats to pick up/drop off more passengers.
The Ski Train was capable of carrying 750 people in 14 cars: 8 Coach cars, 1 Retreat class car, 3 Club Class cars and 2 Cafe Lounge cars, with 3 locomotives. En route, the Ski Train went through 30 tunnels including the Moffat Tunnel, which is over 6 miles long and the highest railroad tunnel in the U.S.!
During the 1950s and 1960s, the Ski Train often carried members of the Eskimo Ski Club on its 56 mile voyage. The Eskimo Club is a historic program for kids ages 9-17 who are interested in learning how to ski and ride at Winter Park Resort. Click here for more info.
Sadly, the Ski Train ceased operation in 2009, after over 20 years of economic loss and amid the recession. There was a brief revival of the ski train for 2 days in March, 2015, as part of Winter Park Resort’s 75th anniversary celebration. These 450+ capacity trains sold out in a matter of hours, bringing about renewed interest in the future of the Ski Train!
Over the past few months, Winter Park Resort, Amtrak and the Union Pacific Railroad have been meeting about the future of the ski train, and word is services MIGHT resume sometime in 2016. Here’s to hoping!