The BEST things to do in Winter Park, Colorado
Winter Park, Colorado is one of our very favorite places. It is our home away from home. In the winter, we love to ski with our kids who snowboard. We have also started snowshoeing and just hiking through the snow in the beautiful mountain woods. In the summer, we love to hike and ride our mountain bikes. On the best of days, we see a deer or a moose or an aww inspiring sunset. We love the beauty of the mountains. Though Winter Park is a tourist destination for many, it is a small town home to the locals, and it continues to feel this way. In addition to the amazing skiing and hiking, Winter Park offers an amazing family, friend or couple vacation - in our humble opinion. And to top it off, they boast 6 craft breweries that we can't help but frequent. If you take a trip to Winter Park, we encourage you to enjoy nature and participate in all of the winter and summer sports that the area has to offer, however, there are many other things to do...check out the fun experiences that we share below.
The best things to do in Winter Park - all year long...
If you are in Winter Park in the winter, you definitely want to ski or board. If you visit Winter Park in the summer, well, hiking and mountain biking are a must. When you need a break from the outdoor activities, we encourage you to consider the following amazing experiences that Winter Park and Grand County have to offer...Do a wine tasting at Winter Park Winery
Wine tastings are super fun! Fraser, just outside of Winter Park, has a very small, cute, welcoming winery - who woulda thought? For just $10, you can try 5 (or a few more) different wines that they make and bottle right there in the very small winery. Find a wine you love and purchase it to take home. The labels are a work of art. Visit Winter Park Winery at 395 Zerex St, Fraser, CO 80442 and ask for a wine tasting experience!
Do a self-guided brewery hop
We love hanging out in breweries! In our experience, breweries are a great way to get to know the locals and get a feel for the town...and well, beer of course. Fraser and Winter Park have 6 fantastic and different small breweries. It is worth visiting all of them, and it can easily done on a short vacation (or one longer day). Check out our blog post for more information! Cheers to new beers!
Spend the day soaking...
in the Hot Sulfur Springs Resort and Spa
The small town of Hot Sulfur Springs has a Resort and Spa that is well worth a visit. The resort is not fancy, however, it is well taken care of and the many hot pools are worth a dip. Take a 40 minute drive from Winter Park to 5609 Spring Rd, Hot Sulphur Springs, CO 80451 and enjoy the healing powers of the water. With the entrance fee, you can spend the entire day enjoying the many different pools - different sizes, different temperatures. This is one of the most relaxing thing we have done in the area! Great on a cold winter day or a cool summer or Fall afternoon.
If you enjoy finding old treasures and buying souvenirs while on vacation, check out some fun antique and souvenir stores in the area! Someone else's junk may just be the perfect decoration for your home or gift for your friend! We enjoy walking through the following location in Fraser, Granby & Tabernash.
Winter Park/Fraser has a nice, small bowling alley & movie theater, The Foundry Cinema & Bowl, which is located at 22 Second St, Fraser, CO 80442. The bowling alley has 8 lanes and the movie theater has 2 cinemas. While you are there you (and your children) can also enjoy the arcade room complete with billiards, foosball and retro video games. Appetizers, pizza and a full bar round off this relaxing afternoon or evening.
Grand Park Community Recreation Center, located at 1 Main Street in Fraser, is a perfect location for the family. The pool area has a 20 foot loop slide, a lazy river, a children's water play area, a diving board and a small lap pool. You can also enjoy the climbing wall, the weight room, the gym and the track. They even have a trampoline and foam pit. Check out the day passes!
There are two distilleries in the Winter Park and Fraser area. We love having dinner and a cocktail at Idlewild with its cool and eccentric décor. On a sunny day, it is nice to enjoy some spirits on the patio at Fraser Valley Distilling.
If you travel to Winter Park in the summer, you really should enjoy the beautiful Rocky Mountains.
Take a hike or enjoy a mountain bike ride on one of the numerous hiking/biking trails in the area. Find one that fits your fancy with this fantastic trail map.
Enjoy nature, get some exercise, take pictures of the wild flowers, relax...and then enjoy a few other fantastic activities that this small town has to offer! Check out these options...
Winter Park sponsors free concerts in the Park on Thursday evenings all summer long. We love walking to the park, grabbing a camping chair (which they have at the park for all visitors to borrow) and enjoying live music and the beautiful scenery. Pick up some dinner, grab a drink and head to the park.
Winter Park also hosts festivals - Jazz festival, Blues festival, Wine festival, Beer festival - at the park on weekends which are so very fun.
Check out this calendar to find out who is playing and what festivals are scheduled.
The Fraser River trail is a partially paved trail that goes from the Winter Park resort through Winter Park all the way to the end of Fraser. It is a beautiful walk or ride. Bring your fishing pole and see if you can catch a fish! Maybe you will even see a deer or a moose! If you need to rent a bike, check out Epic Mountain Sports.
The Winter Park resort base is a great place for the family on a summer day. With a day pass, you can ride the gondola, play miniature golf, climb the climbing wall, ride the alpine slide (reservations). While you are there, take a hike up the mountain side.
The small town of Hot Sulfur Springs has a Resort and Spa that is well worth a visit. The resort is not fancy, however, it is well taken care of and the many hot pools are worth a dip. Take a 40 minute drive from Winter Park to 5609 Spring Rd, Hot Sulphur Springs, CO 80451 and enjoy the healing powers of the water. With the entrance fee, you can spend the entire day enjoying the many different pools - different sizes, different temperatures. This is one of the most relaxing thing we have done in the area! Great on a cold winter day or a cool summer or Fall afternoon.
Go antiquing
If you enjoy finding old treasures and buying souvenirs while on vacation, check out some fun antique and souvenir stores in the area! Someone else's junk may just be the perfect decoration for your home or gift for your friend! We enjoy walking through the following location in Fraser, Granby & Tabernash.
- High Country Autumn's Nest at 301 Eastom Ave, Fraser, CO 80442
- Mountain McGyver Antiques at 879 W Agate Ave, Granby, CO 80446
- About Time at on US40 in Tabernash, CO 80478
- Grand Mountain Trading Co at 231 E Agate Ave, Granby, CO 80446
Go bowling or to a movie
Winter Park/Fraser has a nice, small bowling alley & movie theater, The Foundry Cinema & Bowl, which is located at 22 Second St, Fraser, CO 80442. The bowling alley has 8 lanes and the movie theater has 2 cinemas. While you are there you (and your children) can also enjoy the arcade room complete with billiards, foosball and retro video games. Appetizers, pizza and a full bar round off this relaxing afternoon or evening.
Play at the Rec Center
Grand Park Community Recreation Center, located at 1 Main Street in Fraser, is a perfect location for the family. The pool area has a 20 foot loop slide, a lazy river, a children's water play area, a diving board and a small lap pool. You can also enjoy the climbing wall, the weight room, the gym and the track. They even have a trampoline and foam pit. Check out the day passes!
Toast your vacation with some spirits
There are two distilleries in the Winter Park and Fraser area. We love having dinner and a cocktail at Idlewild with its cool and eccentric décor. On a sunny day, it is nice to enjoy some spirits on the patio at Fraser Valley Distilling.
- Idlewild Spirits Brewpub and Restaurant- 7877 US-40 #1000 in Winter Park
- Fraser Valley Distilling -410 Zerex St in Fraser
The best things to do in Winter Park - in the Summer
If you travel to Winter Park in the summer, you really should enjoy the beautiful Rocky Mountains.
Do some mountain biking at Trestle Bike park.
Take a hike or enjoy a mountain bike ride on one of the numerous hiking/biking trails in the area. Find one that fits your fancy with this fantastic trail map.
Enjoy nature, get some exercise, take pictures of the wild flowers, relax...and then enjoy a few other fantastic activities that this small town has to offer! Check out these options...
Attend a concert or a festival at Rendezvous Park
Winter Park sponsors free concerts in the Park on Thursday evenings all summer long. We love walking to the park, grabbing a camping chair (which they have at the park for all visitors to borrow) and enjoying live music and the beautiful scenery. Pick up some dinner, grab a drink and head to the park.
Winter Park also hosts festivals - Jazz festival, Blues festival, Wine festival, Beer festival - at the park on weekends which are so very fun.
Check out this calendar to find out who is playing and what festivals are scheduled.
Walk, ride or even fish the Fraser River trail
The Fraser River trail is a partially paved trail that goes from the Winter Park resort through Winter Park all the way to the end of Fraser. It is a beautiful walk or ride. Bring your fishing pole and see if you can catch a fish! Maybe you will even see a deer or a moose! If you need to rent a bike, check out Epic Mountain Sports.
Spend a day at the Winter Park resort
The Winter Park resort base is a great place for the family on a summer day. With a day pass, you can ride the gondola, play miniature golf, climb the climbing wall, ride the alpine slide (reservations). While you are there, take a hike up the mountain side.
And when you are hungry grab a bite to eat at one of the fantastic restaurants -
...we recommend Lime - An American Cantina at 135 Parry Peak Way #33, Winter Park, CO 80482
Rent a pontoon boat, swim at the swim beach, go paddle boarding...regardless of how you enjoy this beautiful lake, you will surely have a fantastic day. The views are indescribable.
After a day at the lake, go shopping on main street, grab a burger or BBQ or pizza for lunch or dinner.
Located in Granby at 1101 Co Rd 53, Granby, CO 80446, it is only a 30 minute drive from Winter Park. Snow Mountain Ranch has a variety of activities to do in the summer, including horseback riding! Check out the beautiful mountain trails on horseback. While you are there, try out some archery or rock climbing.
It is so much fun to bring out your inner child, whether you are with your children or with adult friends, and go sledding on one of the sledding hills. There are two tubing hills in the area, each a little bit different.
The hiking and biking trails in the summer turn into snowshoeing and cross country skiing trails in the winter. Bring or rent some snowshoes or cross country skies and trek into the mountains. Great exercise and beautiful scenery. At Colorado Adventure Park in Fraser you can rent snowshoes and snow bikes. At Epic Mountain Sports in Winter Park, you can rent snowshoes and cross country skies. At Alpine Sun, you can rent snowshoes.
For pizza - Hernando's Pizza Pub - 78199 US-40, Winter Park, CO 80482
For a good old American dinner - Deno's Mountain Bistro - 78911 US-40, Winter Park, CO 80482
For green chili and margaritas - The Ditch on 40 - 78941 US-40, Winter Park, CO 80482
For BBQ - Smokehouse BBQ - 78656 US-40, Winter Park, CO 80482
For a fancy, fresh and expensive dinner - Tabernash Tavern - 72287 US-40, Tabernash, CO 80478
Visit Grand Lake
Rent a pontoon boat, swim at the swim beach, go paddle boarding...regardless of how you enjoy this beautiful lake, you will surely have a fantastic day. The views are indescribable.
After a day at the lake, go shopping on main street, grab a burger or BBQ or pizza for lunch or dinner.
Go horseback riding at the YMCA of the Rockies - Snow Mountain Ranch
Located in Granby at 1101 Co Rd 53, Granby, CO 80446, it is only a 30 minute drive from Winter Park. Snow Mountain Ranch has a variety of activities to do in the summer, including horseback riding! Check out the beautiful mountain trails on horseback. While you are there, try out some archery or rock climbing.
The best things to do in Winter Park - in the Winter
If you visit Winter Park in the winter, well, we strongly encourage you to go skiing and/or snowboarding because the Winter Park resort has great snow and ski runs to meet everyone's skill level. Find information about reservations here. However, when you need to give your legs a rest and try something different, here are a few wonderful options...Go Sledding
It is so much fun to bring out your inner child, whether you are with your children or with adult friends, and go sledding on one of the sledding hills. There are two tubing hills in the area, each a little bit different.
- Coca Cola Tubing Hill At Winter Park - is located at the base of the Winter Park resort right next to the Vintage Hotel. Choose a sledding lane, sit on a large sledding inner tube, and GO! So much fun. There are even 2 person tubes. When you get to the bottom, take the magic carpet back to the top and do it again.
- Colorado Adventure Park - is located in Fraser at 566 County Rd #721. Grab a tube (or a double tube), head up the magic carpet, jump on your tube and OFF you go down the tubing hill. When you get to the bottom, up you go again.
Go Snowshoeing or Cross Country Skiing
The hiking and biking trails in the summer turn into snowshoeing and cross country skiing trails in the winter. Bring or rent some snowshoes or cross country skies and trek into the mountains. Great exercise and beautiful scenery. At Colorado Adventure Park in Fraser you can rent snowshoes and snow bikes. At Epic Mountain Sports in Winter Park, you can rent snowshoes and cross country skies. At Alpine Sun, you can rent snowshoes.
Snowmobiling
Have you ever gone snowmobiling? What a blast. Check out Grand Adventures for book a snowmobiling tour to ride the Continental Divide. Maybe you will even see a moose!Go dog sledding riding at the YMCA of the Rockies - Snow Mountain Ranch
Located in Granby at 1101 Co Rd 53, Granby, CO 80446, it is only a 30 minute drive from Winter Park. Snow Mountain Ranch has a variety of activities to do in the winter, including dog sledding! If you are looking for something truly different to do, try this out.Our favorite places to eat
For breakfast - Carver's Bakery Cafe - 78336 US-40, Winter Park, CO 80482For pizza - Hernando's Pizza Pub - 78199 US-40, Winter Park, CO 80482
For a good old American dinner - Deno's Mountain Bistro - 78911 US-40, Winter Park, CO 80482
For green chili and margaritas - The Ditch on 40 - 78941 US-40, Winter Park, CO 80482
For BBQ - Smokehouse BBQ - 78656 US-40, Winter Park, CO 80482
For a fancy, fresh and expensive dinner - Tabernash Tavern - 72287 US-40, Tabernash, CO 80478
“We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink.” —Epicurus
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