Why Colorado is the United States’ ultimate winter playground

With 50 states vying for your attention across the US, knowing which to devote your travels to is no simple task. If it’s wintry adventures you seek though, it’s a simple choice. Pick Colorado.

Home to 28 world-class ski resorts from iconic Vail to the artistic and cultural mecca of Aspen, coupled with diverse mountain towns which look even more enchanting under a blanket of snow, it's a destination worth travelling for. Best of all, it’s perfect for skiers and non-skiers alike.

Whether your ideal holiday involves carving up pristine runs, soaking in mineral-rich hot springs, treating your taste buds in front of a roaring fire, or communing with nature among the red-hued rocks of its national parks (or all of the above), you’ll find it here.

Drinks with a view in Winter Park, the state's longest continually operating ski resort.
Winter Park

Conveniently, getting to Colorado is a breeze from overseas. After touching down in an international hub such as LAX, San Francisco or Houston, it’s a quick flight to its capital, Denver – the ‘Mile High City’. From there, everything you seek is an easy drive or flight away.

Here are some of the reasons Colorado needs to be on your radar.

Colorado’s cities and towns come alive in winter

While it’d be easy to hibernate like black bears during the colder months, Coloradans are a fearless bunch – they embrace the crisp mountain air with gusto (and an additional layer of clothing).

Winter in Aspen is when the town's at its most enchanting.
Aspen Chamber Resort Association

Even in the depths of winter the state remains a hive of activity, both in urban centres – Boulder, Colorado Springs or Loveland, to name a few – and holiday towns from Aspen to Steamboat. It helps there are fantastic events for added incentive.

In Denver there’s Mile High Holidays, a stacked calendar of concerts and light displays running from November to January, plus the joyous, German-style Christkindlmarkt, filling the streets with the scent of gingerbread and mulled wine in November and December.

Sunset over Aspen with the Winter X Games in the distance.
Andrew Maguire

Of course, these are on top of the city’s year-round shopping and artistic scenes, both in fine form across the hubs of Lower Downtown (LoDo) and River North Art District, aka RiNo – the city’s unofficial art capital, boasting breweries, galleries, music venues and more.

Not to be left out, other areas also get in on the action. Aspen has its toast to winter ‘Wintersköl’, followed by the X Games, while Ouray turns into an ice climbing mecca during Ouray Ice Festival and Steamboat Springs amps up the energy with the rocking WinterWonderGrass music fest.

WinterWonderGrass sees revellers descend on Steamboat Springs for three days of epic live music.
WinterWonderGrass

Plus there’s more where they come from.

There’s a ski resort for every skill

Ski and snowboard champions, back-country snowshoers and those preferring leisurely pursuits like tubing or lounging at a ‘snow beach’ with a beer in hand are all welcome across the state. There are 28 resorts to choose from, after all.

Colorado’s ski season typically fires up in late November, lasting to around the end of April. January and February are widely hailed as the best months, delivering more consistent weather and the most reliable fluffy powder.

Breathing in the view from Aspen Snowmass.
Dan Bayer

Though you really can’t go wrong whichever ski resort you choose, be it Breckenridge, Beaver Creek or Winter Park, some are better suited to certain skill levels than others.

Take its biggest resorts, Aspen Snowmass and Vail, for example. Both are described as family-friendly, but the latter takes it up an advanced notch with more than 50% of its vast skiable terrain for experts only, versus just 30% at Snowmass.

Powdery-soft snow at Winter Park.
Winter Park

Steamboat Resort is another standout, particularly for those who love the unmistakable smell of pine as they glide among towering forests, while stopping by at one of the numerous nearby ranches offers a welcome glimpse into the state’s revered cowboy culture.

Over in the ski town of Telluride – which feels like a step into the Wild West – visits to Gorrono Ranch, under Lift 4, are essential. Here you can grab a table beneath the cloudless sky, listen to live music, and enjoy a tasty mid-ski snack (plus a drink or two) at its legendary ‘snow beach’.

A former mining town, Breckenridge's streets are lined with shops, restaurants and saloons.

Those with a more adventurous glint in their eyes will find all they’re looking for on Silverton Mountain, where backcountry and heli-skiing can put your advanced skills to the test.

It’s not just the skiing that deserves your attention

When it’s time to hang up your ski boots for the day, or you’re a person who prefers to keep their feet on dry ground, you’ll find plenty to hold your interest throughout the state.

Colorado is renowned for its majestic national parks and forests – and the rugged red rocks so often found within. Indeed, those rocks are where the state’s name comes from, with Spanish explorers of the region dubbing it ‘Colorado’, meaning ‘coloured red’.

Glenwood Springs features an onsite lodge, while day pool passes can also be arranged.
Glenwood Hot Springs Resort

Of the many parks worth exploring, from the Great Sand Dunes National Park south of Colorado Springs, where its namesake dunes resemble a mini Sahara against the white-capped Sangre de Cristo range, to the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in the far southwest, it’s the Rocky Mountain National Park that’s arguably most iconic.

Winter biking is a thing in Telluride.

Easily accessible from Estes Park, around an hour from Fort Collins, Rocky Mountain is a place where guided snowshoe walks, wildlife spotting (free-roaming moose are a regular sight) and simply breathing in the pure-white landscape are all worthwhile.

When it’s time to warm up, a visit to one of Colorado’s famous hot springs – such as Strawberry Park near Steamboat Springs, Glenwood Hot Springs Resort (home to the world’s largest spa pool) or The Springs Resort at Pagosa Springs – is a must.

Estes Park is a key jump-off points to explore the Rocky Mountain National Park.
Visit Estes Park

Beyond natural pursuits, the state’s luxury hotel scene is worth seeking out too, each one sure to sate your appetite for fine food, fabulous wine and pampering indulgence.

In Denver are global brands from the Four Seasons Hotel, home to a heated rooftop pool that’ll warm you up in no time, to the opulent Ritz-Carlton, together with more boutique choices like The Ramble Hotel or Crawford Hotel – on the second floor of Union Station.

Winters done right at The Little Nell, Aspen.
The Little Nell

Further afield, try The Little Nell at the base of the Silver Queen Gondola in Aspen; The Broadmoor, an iconic five-star resort in Colorado Springs; or the lavish Madeline Hotel & Residences in Telluride, framed by the San Juan Mountains.

The locals take their après ski very seriously

After a long day on the ski slopes or exploring the ins and outs of the state, a meal packed with flavour (and a fire) is just what the doctor ordered. Add a few drinks in the mix and you have an afternoon well spent. Thankfully, Colorado delivers on all fronts.

But it’s not just about après ski (the French term meaning ‘after ski’) – you’ll be satisfied no matter when hunger calls, and there’s a very simple reason for this: the locals are passionate about great food and phenomenal flavour.

French Alpine Bistro is a cosy spot to indulge post-ski in Aspen.
French Alpine Bistro

Boasting enough top-rated restaurants, bakeries and hole-in-the-wall eateries to satisfy taste buds from dawn till long after dusk, coupled with more than 400 breweries, 140 wineries and nearly 100 distilleries, you’ll be in gourmet heaven.

Denver is the perfect place to start your Colorado culinary journey, while its impressive calendar of concerts and sporting events will ensure there’s plenty to hold your attention.

A RiNo legend, Blue Moon Brewery has been keeping Denver locals hydrated since 1995.
Blue Moon Brewery

LoDo is bursting with restaurants and bars (Rioja is a definite must-visit), while RiNo too has a solid array of dining choices, including local favourite The Source. It’s also home to stellar street art and the best nightlife in town.

Rioja is one of Denver's top-rated restaurants - and it has the quality to back it up.
Rioja

Fort Collins too, especially around its Old Town precinct, has a tantalising mix of restaurants, bars and breweries. Tap and Handle, for one, has over 70 rotating beers on tap, while the speakeasy vibe at Social cocktail bar is destined to become a quick favourite.

Sound like your kind of winter holiday? To start planning your Colorado adventure, visit colorado.com

This article was produced in collaboration with Colorado Tourism.