Winter Park ski resort located in Grand County in Colorado in the Rocky Mountains in western USA. The resort is just an hour and a half’s drive from Denver in Colorado. Winter Park is the nearest city to the ski resort. The top elevationof the ski resort is 3,680 metres while skiable area is 11.18 square kilometres. This resort has a history of being a laid-back spot although it has undergone a big makeover in recent times (Intrawest has played key role behind its development) with new lifts and an entirely new resort village at its base. There is a traditional resort base alongside the new resort village known by the name of Fraser, which gives a real ski town feel. It is also a major centre of Apres ski and also shopping at Winter park.

Winter park consists of three interconnected mountain peaks, namely, Winter Park, Mary Jane and Vasquez Ridge. Among these, Mary Jane has a separate base area and is known for its tree skiing and difficult terrain.

Winter Park is a top holiday destination of the residents of Colorado, who mostly take the Amtrak rail link to reach the slopes. Winter Park is also one of those few railway stations located near the skiing slopes.

Skiing Winter Park:

The skiing area at Winter Park offers great excitement to skiers of all levels (the rated runs are suitable for advanced skiers). Winter park ski resort has 61 black trails in all while Vasquez Cirque has an off-piste zone. The toughest run at this ski resort is the one called Hole In The Wall.

The Groswold’s Discovery Park is fenced-in area, where the beginners can learn their lesson on skiing.

Intermediates too can try out their skills at Parsenn Bowl and runs like Mary Jane.

The skiing season at Winter park runs from November to April.

One can also make GPS tracking during skiing throughout the day to keep a track on the distance skied. Small GPS tracking devices are available from Guest Services in the Balcony House.

Winter Park Attractions / Winter Park Activities:

• Swimming in pools
• Movie watching
• On-snow activities like snowshoeing, snowcat tours, ice skating, tubing, sleigh rides, dog sledding

• Trip to Denver where one can visit movies, galleries, museums, zoological garden
• Visit Hot Sulphur Springs Resort located about 40 minutes away. It has natural hot-springs that range from being pleasantly warm to uncomfortably hot.
• Winter Park’s Children’s Centre provides babysitting service for children from two months old. Besides, Rendezvous Flats section of the Groswold Discovery Park is a good centre of family fun.
• Shopping:
  Most of the shopping outlets here are concentrated at Fraser (at Fraser Valley Center to be more particular). Skiwear, souvenirs and art works to gift items are available here. Belerique Galleries is a well-known outlet.
• Après ski:
  Special drinks are available at Derailer. Besides, Five Mountain Tavern at Vintage Hotel in Winter Park Mountain base serves cold beer, cocktails and hot toddies.
• Eating out:
  There are great many places to eat in and around Winter Park and Fraser, both on mountain top as well as at the base of the slopes. Club Car, Mary Jane base, has a signature Mt Mary Jane sandwich, along with seafood broth and other lunchtime attractions. Smokin’ Moe’s Ribhouse and Saloon, offers Oklahoma-style barbecue and other traditional regional dishes. There are also places to have sushi, tapas, delis, Mexican, pizza and others.

Winter Park Accommodation:

There are modern lodging facilities at a mini-resort known as The Village located at the foot of the slopes.

• Zephyr Mountain Lodge
• Bear Paw Inn
• Snow Mountain Ranch

Reaching Winter Park:

Denver, at 108 km, is the nearest airport to Winter Park ski resort.

Getting around:

Winter Park has a free shuttle service along with a bridge over the Fraser River, between the car park and slopes.