Winter Park is the closest major mountain destination to Denver at just 67 miles away. Don’t be fooled by the convenient location, you’ll feel remotely tucked away in this high country corner of the Rockies. With easy access to 765,000 acres of public land, Winter Park is home to pure mountain adventure representing the quintessential Colorado experience – untouched and open.

Winter Park is a world-class ski destination surrounded by Arapaho National Forest, Indian Peaks Wilderness and home to Rocky Mountain National Park. With over 3,000 acres of skiable terrain, Winter Park Resort offers an unforgettable experience for any kind of adventurer, whether you’re just taking in the views or looking to really get your adrenaline pumping.

The Crawford Hotel

The Crawford Hotel is an independent, luxury hotel located inside the revitalized Denver Union Station.
Opened on July 12, 2014, The Crawford gives a nod to its rich history while embracing a modern lodging style. Managed by Denver’s Sage Hospitality and named for urban preservationist and Union Station partner Dana Crawford, the hotel fills the upper floors of the north and south wings of the landmark train station. Find out more at thecrawfordhotel.com

Denver Union Station

Denver Union Station is the centrepiece of the $500 million redevelopment of downtown Denver’s transportation hub, with RTD rail lines and buses connecting downtown to its surrounding communities, and direct rail access to/from Denver International Airport.

Winter Park Express Ski Train

The Winter Park Express is the only service of its kind in North America, taking riders from Denver and dropping them off within feet of the nearest chairlift in just 90 minutes time.

Zephyr Mountain Lodge

We stayed in a 2-bedroom condo at Zephyr Mountain Lodge – Winter Park Resort’s, ski-in/ski-out Base Village Lodging, just 110 feet from the Zephyr Express Lift. The condo was decorated in a traditional Americana style and felt quaint and homely. This was relaxed living at its best and what it lacked in luxury, it made up for in coziness.

Ski School & Private Lessons

We grabbed rental equipment at the Mountain Adventure Center before heading out to meet Larry, one of the best ski instructors we’ve had. He made the learning process fun as well as educational with plenty of tips and positive reinforcement along the way so that we left the slopes on the first day at Winter Park feeling much happier to hit the green runs on our own the next day. Top tip from the lesson was “if in doubt, wedge it out!”.

Winter Park Green Runs

What we enjoyed most about skiing in Winter Park was the greater choice of green runs compared to Steamboat which meant we could really practice our moves in a variety of beginner friendly conditions without feeling bored of the same route again and again.

Coca-Cola® Tube Park

The newest tube park in Colorado, Coca-Cola® Tube Park features four individual lanes, exciting banked curves, a covered conveyor lift ride back to the top and the comfortable Hill House warming lodge serving gourmet hot chocolate, fresh-baked cookies, snacks, and select bar offerings. Tubing is a fun activity for all the family and offers something a little different to do while visiting Winter Park Resort.

New improvements for 2018

The new Village Plaza will be ready early November and features a brand new stage, chairlift chairs from the historic Timberline Lift and a crackling fire creating the perfect hub for quality time with family and friends.

Opening mid-December, a new 10-person gondola takes just 5 minutes to whisk you up the hill where you’ll have easy access to the slopes of Mary Jane and dining at Sunspot.

Other new improvements for 2018 include better snowmaking capacity with 40,000 feet of new pipe and new snowmaking guns allowing more snow coverage earlier and more runs open for early season skiing. Also, glading is bringing new lines to improve the gladed skiing experience at Eagle Wind and the Adventure Concierge is a new resource for planning activities and getting insider tips from booking a snowshoe tour to finding the perfect ski run and the best après stops to enjoy.

Winter Eats at Winter Park

Vertical Bistro

Located conveniently in the Village at Winter Park Resort, Vertical offers a relaxed atmosphere with locally sourced cuisine including delectable appetizers and sharing plates in addition to satisfying mains with a good choice of cocktails, wines and craft beers.

We enjoyed the Sharing Platter and delicious entrées at Vertical Bistro. The Baked Brie share plate comes recommended as does the hefty Vertical Board which feeds up to 3 people with Chef’s Choice of three meats including spicy Elk sausage, three Cheese, Fresh Fruit Mostarda, moreish Candied Pecans, Honey Spicy Grain Mustard, Granny Smith Apple Slices, Pickled Vegetables and Toast Points.

Fish lovers will be delighted with seafood options like Blackened Ahi Tuna seared rare and served with Wasabi Pea Risotto, Seaweed Salad, Pickled Ginger and Ginger Soy Sauce.

For those who want a meatier option, the Colorado lamb chops are a must-try. Served with Roasted Potatoes and Broccolini with Brown Butter Yogurt Sauce and Cherry Mostarda.

For something with an Italian flavour, try Tuscan Chicken made from all natural chicken in a x served on Linguini Pasta / White Wine Cream Sauce with Cherry Tomatoes, Spinach and Artichokes

Doc’s Roadhouse

Located across from the Private Ski School building, the generous sandwiches, burgers and salads make Doc’s Roadhouse the perfect place for lunch after an exhilarating morning on the slopes.

Tabernash Tavern

Head out just minutes from Winter Park Ski Resort to enjoy dinner at Tabernash Tavern which serves New American dishes from tasty mussels appetisers to Pork Chops entrées in an Old West-style interior. It’s a favourite with locals and tourists alike and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal there which included Antelope Burger from Broken Arrow Ranch in South Texas. Tabernash Tavern offers guests gastropub plates in cosy surroundings with friendly attentive service – it’s definitely worth the journey.

Pizza Pedlar

A popular pit stop for pizza lovers with a quirky cycle theme, this pizza parlour serves a wide range of delicious pizzas in four different sizes with a host of toppings and sauces.

Strip & Tail

Sundays at Strip & Tail mean only one thing – all you can eat snow crab legs served with warm bread, two sides and a salad. Go easy on the accompaniments and enjoy the sweet taste of snow crab that’s worth the effort. Bibs definitely necessary.

For more information about Winter Park ski resort, go to www.winterparkresort.com