Winter Park Ski Holidays

Skiing in Winter Park
Winter Park is known as the locals’ favourite ski resort, being the closest major resort to Denver, a 90 minute drive from the international airport and a 2 hour scenic trip on the ski train. It has a great reputation as a friendly, down to earth ski resort, offering great skiing in one of the largest ski areas in Colorado. Winter Park receives a huge amount of snowfall – 370”annually – and is famous for its’ great snow record; this together with its’ reputation as a fantastic affordable resort for families and all levels of skiers, explains why it attracts so many visitors each season.

Skiing in Winter Park – The Mountains
The main mountain in Winter Park is interconnected to its’ neighbouring mountain, Mary Jane, offering a combined skiable terrain of 2886 acres. There are 134 trails to choose from and 22 lifts to transport skiers around the resort and up to the peak elevation of 3676m. Although Winter Park has only 9% of its’ runs catering to beginners, there is a great fenced in area to learn and practice in – the Discovery Park – with 26 acres of gentle runs served by a multitude of lifts. Intermediate skiers can choose from the most amounts of trail – 34% with an additional 59% rated difficult – including 200 acres within Parsenn Bowl, specifically tailored for intermediate level skies with its above tree-line steep slopes, with amazing views, descending into the heavily wooded open base. There are also plenty of classic long cruising runs over both mountains, all frequently groomed. Experts should head for Mary Jane, where there are some spectacular black diamond mogul runs. Snowboarders will enjoy the 3 terrain parks and a super-pipe, and within the area there are 200km of cross-country terrain to explore.

Skiing in Winter Park - The Après-Ski
Winter Park is an unpretentious mountain town and offers low-key, friendly dining and entertainment options. There are authentic saloons and sports bars, including the Winter Park Pub, Winston’s’ and the Crooked Creek Saloon, to visit when the lifts close, with some offering live music, including country and western. Families are well catered for, with typical Western easy-going hospitality being prevalent everywhere, especially in the wide choice of restaurants found along Main Street, offering everything from hearty comfort food to Mexican and pizza. Away from the slopes, there is dog-sledding, sleigh-riding, horse-back riding and ice-skating to try.

USA Ski Holidays
Colorado Skiing Holidays