Colorado Winter Vacations for Non Skiers
When you think of Colorado winters, world-class skiing destinations may come to mind. Therefore, can you still enjoy a wintry Colorado vacation if you don’t ski?
The answer is of course. Colorado is a destination for a ton of fun, family-friendly winter activities. Whether you’d like to take the kids tubing in the snow, enjoy a dip in a warm hot spring, or even have an icy adventure, Colorado has something to offer you.
Check out your options for Colorado Winter Vacations for Non Skiers below!
Ice Skating
Did you know that Colorado contains one of the top 10 most beautiful ice rinks in the world (CNN)? It’s true, at the immensely popular Evergreen Lake! The enormous natural ice rink is 8.5 acres featuring over 10 pond hockey rinks and a large public rink. Evergreen Lake is an ideal ice skating experience, as it combines the authenticity and beauty of Colorado outdoors with professional smoothing and grooming.
This Zamboni-groomed rink is just half an hour west of downtown Denver and framed by ponderosa pine and mountain landscapes. After your ice rink excursion, you and your family can warm up inside the Evergreen Lake House. Hot chocolate and snacks are available for sale, and a giant stone fireplace will warm your fingers and toes!
Snowmobile Getaways
One of the must-do winter activities in Colorado is a snowmobile ride along the snowy trails of the Continental Divide. Grand Adventures operates an epic 2-hour snowmobile tour through the Continental Divide. It leaves from the Winter Park Mountain Lodge, right across from the Winter Park Mountain Resort! This trip is family friendly, with snowmobiles for children and adults.
The tour will take you to an elevation of 12,000 feet to see gorgeous views of Winter Park and Fraser Valley.
Ice Fishing
Ice fishing is a popular past-time in Colorado, with the season being from December to mid-February. There are several notable locations known for ice fishing, one of them being Chambers Lake near the town of Walden. Cutthroat, lake and rainbow trout are common here, but kokanee salmon are also present in the lake and can be caught as well.
The deeper regions of the lake contain trout that can exceed 16-18 inches! The town of Walden, CO has several angler and bait shops where you can pop in and get some insider tips on fishing Chambers Lake.
Ranch Getaways
Several Colorado ranches offer winter vacation experiences that are unlike anything you’ve ever seen! One example is the Vista Verde Ranch in Steamboat Springs. This ranch offers all the amenities of a luxurious mountain resort with real winter activities to enjoy for you and the family.
Christmas and New Years weeks are open to families, while January and February shift to the adults-only season. One of the amazing activities you can do is a winter sleigh ride around the ranch. Gliding through the snowy Colorado landscape in a one-horse open sleigh is a must for the winter season. You can also go sledding, tubing, do snow yoga, fat biking, ice fishing and more!
Sledding and Tubing
If you’re looking for a winter vacation experience with sledding and tubing for the kids, Winter Park is the ideal spot. Stay a few days in this charming mountain town and enjoy some of the top spots in the state for sledding and tubing.
You can bring the kids to the nearby Colorado Adventure Park, for example. At this location, they have a mini tubing hill for very small children and snowscoot rentals for children six and up!
The hill is great for a snow tubing excursion with the whole family! You can travel down the hill in a single tube, a double or even link hands in a group and sail down the hill at high speeds. Occasionally in winter, Friday night festivals occur in the area with live music and food.
