Cool Ideas for Your Front Range Winter Bucket List
When it comes to a quintessential winter getaway, we don’t need to look much further than our backyard! In between your plans for a Colorado world-famous-name adventure, consider some off-beat and unexpected destinations and winter activities right along the Front Range:
Glide into Cross-Country Skiing
You can head to your favorite golf course or park when we get enough snow in town. Some popular spots in NoCo are City Park Nine and Spring Canyon Park. Or head up the Poudre Canyon to the Cameron Pass-area ski trails. Jeffco Open Space parks like Elk Meadow Park and West White Ranch Park are also perfect for cross-country skiing. Staunton State Park near Pine is also great after a snowstorm.
Skate Like a Champion
We have impressive winter playground options (indoor and outdoor)! Longmont’s Outdoor Ice Rink has a covered pavilion, protecting you from the elements. Carlston Ice Arena at the Lafayette YMCA is open to skaters of all ages and ability levels. NedRINK in Nederland is a beautiful winter playground that’s a standard Olympic-size rink!
Enjoy Some Western Fun on a Guest Ranch
A little snow doesn’t stop the year-round cowboy fun at Sylvan Dale. Named “Best Family Vacation” by Frommer’s Colorado guidebook, the ranch is only an hour from Denver and offers year-round outdoor adventure. Guests can enjoy family vacations by fishing, hiking, horse riding, rafting, and more!
Check out Ice Climbing
Intrepid adventurers with a passion for scale towering and frozen walls have a few options close by. While there is limited ice in the Ft. Collins area, you can have fun at Horsetooth Falls and the Poudre Canyon area in snowy conditions.
Moving south, there are routes along Boulder Canyon (Lower Boulder Falls, Vampire Rock, and Black Widow Rock). And just 20 minutes west of downtown Denver, there’s the spectacular ice in Clear Creek Canyon. Even the area S of Castle Rock, and a few areas upstream from Castle Rock has some great walls.
And if you’d like to learn to ice climb, check out Golden Mountain Guides and Colorado Mountain School for classes from Fort Collins to Denver.
Get Your Feet In The Powder
For more “grounded” experiences, you can easily check off your bucket list and discover if you love snowshoeing. There are too many nearby trails to mention, but here are some local favorites:
NoCo: The Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, headquartered in Fort Collins, are easily accessible from Poudre Canyon. Two photo-worthy destinations in Poudre Canyon include the Zimmerman Lake Trail and the Blue Lake Loop, Lory State Park’s East Valley-West Valley loop, and Arthur’s Rock on the park’s west side.
Boulder: Just south of Nederland, the East Portal area in the James Peak Wilderness has excellent treks. Brainard Lake area near Ward is one of the most visited spots in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. Betasso Preserve has pristine wilderness with the three-mile Canyon Loop Trail.
North Metro Foothills: Golden Gate Canyon State Park has unique and slightly challenging trails. Snowshoe Hare trail near Black Hawk is a mellow three-mile loop or the rewarding eight-mile Mountain Lion Trail Loop to Windy Peak’s stunning viewpoint.
South Metro Foothills: Staunton State Park is right off Highway 287, with excellent trails like the 6.5-mile Old Mill-Mason Creek Loop. In Jeffco Open Space, Elk Meadow Park, West White Ranch Park, and Meyer Ranch Park are a great place to try snowshoeing.
Trek with Your Sleds
It’s time to buy tubes, discs, or whatever you fancy! Parents, kids, and even dogs can race downhill on one of these great sledding spots. NoCo locals love sledding down the big hill on the west side at Fossil Creek Park. Boulder has great options, including Scott Carpenter Park’s idyllic sledding hill. Golden Heights Park in Golden Gate Canyon State Park and Morrison’s Meyer Ranch Park are fun sledding spots after a good snow. Castle Pine’s big sledding hill at Castle Pines Parkway and Monarch Boulevard is a very popular destination.
Source: travelboulder.com