Activities OTHER THAN Skiing In The Winter | Winter Park Lodging Company

Moose at Winter Park Resort

My sister Anne-Marie and her husband Larry celebrated their 27^th wedding anniversary with a ‘Moose Class’ through Ecoadventures, using room 2419 at the Zephyr as their home base. Anne took the class for credit for her career as a teacher, Larry opted for non-credit (wouldn’t do him much good as a flight simulator tech).

Using Zephyr Mountain Lodge 2419 as a base of operation was far superior to tent camping in the rain, which is what many of the class participants were doing. While others were slogging around their tents, Anne and Larry were high and dry, enjoying a glass of wine from their balcony.

The moose class taught reams of minutiae about moose and the class was successful in spotting 5 moose. Also, thanks to the tip from the maintenance man with whom Anne and Larry shared an elevator, Anne and Larry kept their eyes open at the base of Berthoud Pass and spotted 2 more moose on the way home!

All in all, a very memorable 27^th wedding anniversary.

Anne and Larry say thanks to Chris and Sarah at Winter Park Lodging Company.

The only regret was not being able to stick around for the CrankWorx bike extravaganza at Winter Park Base that weekend.

Come on up to Winter Park Resort and check out the moose. Late summer and fall are the best times to see the moose. In Rendezvous sub-division moose sighting are very very common and one big bull moose over there has been affectionately named Freddy the moose.

Looking for something to do besides skiing in Winter Park? To some that just seems unusual – “why wouldn’t you want to ski?” – they might ask. Well, from our experience, it’s much more common than you may think.

Let’s say you just don’t want to ski every day you’re in Winter Park, or have an injury and you don’t want to sit at the condo all day. Fortunately, there are many other activities, both outdoor and indoor, to keep you busy. To start, here are a list of outdoor activities:

Snowshoeing
1. The Winter Park Visitor Center hosts free beginner snowshoe tours including free snowshoe rentals on Friday-Sunday from Dec – Mar. For info or to sign up, contact them at visitorcenter@playwinterpark.com or 970-726-4118.
2. Snow Mountain Ranch Nordic Center has 100km of groomed trails and snowshoe rentals (970-887-2152).
3. Devil’s Thumb Ranch also has tons of groomed trails and rentals (970-726-1099).
Sleigh Rides
1. Sombrero Stables at Snow Mountain Ranch does several hot cocoa sleigh rides per day as well as dinner sleigh rides nightly. See our discounts on sleigh rides and call 970-887-1999 for reservations.
Snowmobile Tours or Rentals
1. Grand Adventure Snowmobiles has rentals so you can go out on your own snowmobile adventure, plus does several group tours daily. We also have guest discounts on snowmobiling!
Cross-Country Skiing
1. Nordic Centers such as Snow Mountain Ranch and Devil’s Thumb Ranch have hundreds of kilometers of trails, rentals and lessons.
2. Rentals from Ice Box Rentals if you are experienced and want to try out some national forest trails on your own (970-722-7780).
Sledding and Tubing
1. FREE Sledding Hill in Hideaway Park next to the Winter Park Visitor Center in downtown Winter Park. Sleds are provided, too! Email visitorcenter@playwinterpark.com or call 970-726-4118 for info.
2. Colorado Adventure Park is the coolest and newest place to go tubing in the area. They have several different lanes for tubing, with varying levels of bumpiness and speed, a magic carpet conveyor lift to get back up the hill, plus mini snow-scoots (like snowmobiles just for kids). For kids three and under there is a free sledding hill and free sleds just for them. Plus, a terrain park is opening February 2012. Click here for details and pricing.
3. Fraser Tubing Hill is a HUGE tubing hill with a rope tow. When heading to Fraser from Winter Park, take a left at the light where Safeway is and you’ll see it on the left. Pricey, at about $17/hour, but worth it. They’re open from 12pm to 9pm weekdays and 10am – 9pm on Sat/Sun. The best time to go to avoid crowds is during the day while everyone is still out skiing (970-726-5954 after Dec 1st).
4. Snow Mountain Ranch sledding and tubing hill. This is the best value if you’re looking for something bigger than the free hill in town, but don’t want to pay as much as the Fraser Tubing Hill. About $15 per person for the entire day includes sled and tube rentals. If your a member of YMCA, it’s free. They have a rope tow and an ice skating rink next to the hill (970-887-2152).
Ice Skating
1. Village Ice Skating Rink next to Cheeky Monk at Winter Park base area. Outdoor rink with nice views of the slopes. Free to use, but you need to rent skates from Winter Park Resort Rentals if you don’t bring your own.
2. Cooper Creek Square Ice Skating Rink – partly covered rink next to the free parking garage and the Cooper Creek Shopping Center in downtown. Rentals also needed, which are available next door at Christy Sports or the Viking Ski Lodge. Call the Visitor Center at 970-726-4118 for more info.
3. Devils Thumb Ranch has an outdoor rink as well, with rentals.
4. Snow Mountain Ranch also has a covered outdoor rink located right next to their sledding and tubing hill. Rentals are included in the day pass to the rink and the sledding hill for $15. (Call 970-887-2152 for info).
Hot Air Balloon Rides
1. Yep, Grand Adventure Balloon Tours operate during the winter, too. The air is warmer as you get higher and they also supply warm blankets and champagne! Our guests get 10% off!
Dog-Sled Rides
1. Lots of fun and definitely something different. Get pulled by a team of Siberian Huskeys through the beautiful forest. Dog Sled Rides of Winter Park also offer our guests discounts.

For indoor activities, you can choose from these:

Wine Tasting

Winter Park Winery in Fraser, on left when heading from Winter Park, past the stoplight where Safeway is. Great folks who make the wine right here in Winter Park (970-726-4514).

Apre Ski Bars (just some personal favorites)
1. Derailer Bar – right at the base of Winter Park, with great views of the skiers coming down the slopes. Pricey appetizers that aren’t that great, but the view and the atmosphere make up for it.
2. Cheeky Monk Belgian Beer Cafe– great selection of European brews as well as some very tasty appetizers and a cozy atmosphere. They have a huge patio great for sunny days. They offer our guests a free draft with appetizer (970-726-6871).
3. Winter Park Pub – locals favorite for watching the game, with great burgers and wings (970-726-4929).
4. See more ideas!
Movie Theatre
1. Nightly showings at 7pm, and the Winter Park Visitor Center (visitorcenter@playwinterpark.com / 970-726-4118) can tell you what’s showing if you don’t see it on the marquee in downtown Winter Park.
Cafés – with WiFi
1. Rocky Mountain Roastery is a locals favorite with freshly roasted coffee (they have their own roaster in Fraser). Two locations, one in downtown Winter Park next to Rudi’s Deli and one in Fraser in Alco Shopping Center (970-726-4400).
2. The Mountain Grind Coffee & Bistro– right in the Cooper Creek Square shopping center, a nice place to grab some Italian Gelato or a sandwich, too (970 -726-0999).
Hot Sulpher Springs
1. Well, this is technically outdoors, but it’s a more relaxing activity. About 45 minutes to an hour from Winter Park, depending on the roads. They have about 20 outdoor pools of different temperatures of natural spring water. The Ute Indians used to use the very same springs. www.hotsulphursprings.com.
Massage
1. Bella Vita Wellness Spa and Salon – they have thermal massage tables as well as massage therapists and salon services. The thermal massage tables are great for a quick & affordable treat. They offer our guests $10 off 45 min massage or 10 mins additional for free (970-726-9505).
2. Devil’s Thumb Ranch – for luxurious pampering this is the place to go, but be prepared to spend a pretty penny (970-726-1099).
Fraser Valley Recreation Center
1. They have yet to open, but they will be in January from what I hear. They will have an indoor swimming pool with water slide and lazy river, basketball courts and a lot more.
Snow Mountain Ranch
1. Besides the Nordic center for snowshoe hiking, cross-country skiing and tubing, they also have an ice skating rink, an indoor climbing wall & an indoor swimming pool.

So, there you have it. A nice list to get you started on planning what to do in Winter Park. You can also click here to see more winter activities. Have a fun time on and off the slopes!

Tag Archives: Activities OTHER THAN skiing in the winter

Moose Class in Winter Park, CO

Activities in Winter Park – More than Just Skiing

Hot Sulphur Springs: Fun Activity Apres Ski or for the Non-skiers