Skip to content
Menu
Mommy Baggage
  • About Me
  • Camper Van
  • Travel Philosophy
  • Wanderchain
  • Wanderlust
  • Work With Me
Mommy Baggage

Winter in Colorado-Minus the Skiing

Colorado averages over 300 inches of snow per year, making ski destinations like Vail, Breckenridge and Aspen a beacon for skiers who want to swoosh down powdery trails. However, you don’t need to brave a black diamond to enjoy Colorado in the wintertime. Here is a three day Colorado winter itinerary that includes lots of adventure. Enjoy winter hiking, snow shoeing, tubing and ice skating as well was cozy fireplaces and rustic cabins. No lift ticket required.

Itinerary

  • Day 1
    • Arrive in Denver-EARLY
    • Rent a car at Denver airport and drive to Glenwood Springs, CO (3 hours)
    • Hike to Hanging Lake
    • Drive to Winter Park, CO (2.5 hours)
      • Accommodations at Summit Trail Lodge
    • Dinner at Randi’s Irish Grill and Pub
  • Day 2
    • Snow shoeing at Granby Ranch
    • Lunch at the Library Brew Pub and Grill
    • Tubing at Winter Park Ski Resort
    • Drinks at Cheeky Monk
    • Dinner at Hernando’s Pizza Pub
    • Ice Skating at the Village at Winter Park Resort
  • Day 3
    • Horse Drawn Sleigh Ride
    • Drive to Denver (1.5 hours)
    • Depart for home

Hiking at Hanging Lake

Despite a 6am early morning flight to Denver and a long drive to Glenwood Springs, the hike and the beauty of Hanging Lake did not disappoint. A winter hike to Hanging Lake is rugged and rough. You’ll need ice crampons for your boots and hiking poles. Even though the trail to the lake is only 1.2 miles long; it’s difficult, steep and very slippery. Though the trail is challenging, those who are willing to make the trek are rewarded with spectacular views of clear green water and partially frozen cascading falls. Be sure to obtain a day permit prior to arrival. Including the hike to and from the lake, we spent about three hours at Hanging Lake.

After a long day of travel and the hike, we found our way to Fraser, CO. Once we checked into our condo and showered we enjoyed a yummy, fireside supper at Randi’s Irish Grill and Pub. We chose Summit Trail Lodge Condominiums for our two night Colorado stay. The one bedroom, one bathroom condo was the perfect respite complete with a cozy fireplace to curl up beside.

Snow Shoeing, Snow Tubing and Ice Skating

On our second day of winter fun in Colorado we traded our ice crampons for snow shoes. Granby Ranch offers snow shoe rental and a one time lift ticket to the top of the mountain. We spent the entire morning making our way down about 2 miles of trail with amazing scenery.

After a quick bite to eat at the Library Brew Pub and Grill, we went to Winter Park Resort to snow tube. The snow tubing hill at Winter Park Resort offers three lanes of tubing fun and they were fast. The lanes are curved and tubers find themselves riding luge style around those bends. The hill is high thrills, but the best part is the conveyor belt that hauls both you and your tube back to the top.

Even though we’d been enjoying outdoor winter fun for much of the day, we decided we weren’t done. But first, we pulled up a stool at Winter Park Resorts Cheeky Monk for a pre-dinner Belgian style beer. Post sudsy beverage, we went for pizza at Hernando’s Pizza Pub in downtown Winter Park. After dinner, we laced up ice skates and glided across the brilliantly lit ice rink at The Village. It was the perfect way to end our day of adventure.

Horse Drawn Sleigh Ride

Our final experience in Colorado was a horse drawn sleigh ride. The one hour ride was coordinated through Dashing Thru the Snow. With the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop our horses, Dan and King, pulled the sleigh through a wooded winter wonderland. We made a brief stop for hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows, before cowboy Luke guided the team back to the trailhead.

Our Colorado winter getaway was a great blend of adventure and relaxation. We took advantage of all the winter activities the area has to offer during our brief time away.

Happy Traveling, Rochelle

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

Like this:

Like Loading...
Pin
Share
Share
Share
0 Shares

Travel Abroad

  • Athens, Santorini and Mykonos
  • A Drive Through Tuscany
  • Belgium and the Netherlands
  • Cusco, Peru
  • Dubrovnik
  • Ease into Traveling Abroad: London
  • Hiking the Cinque Terre
  • Iceland/Germany/Czech Republic
  • Inca Trail
  • Kotor
  • Lake Bled
  • Mostar
  • One Day Visit to Venice
  • Peruvian Rainforest
  • Plitvice Lakes National Park
  • Split
  • Top Three Things to See in Rome
  • What to See in Paris

Travel Adventures

  • Alabama Civil Rights Trail
  • Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend
  • Best of Boston
  • Bolivar Beach
  • Cathedral Rock Trail in Sedona
  • Cedar Point
  • Chicago Christmas
  • Colorado Springs Hikes
  • Devil’s Bathtub
  • Devil’s Bridge Hike in Sedona
  • Door and Notch Trails
  • Fabulous Sights in Philly
  • Hocking Hills, Ohio
  • Honeymoon in New York City
  • Hoover Dam
  • Immersive Van Gogh Experience
  • Memphis
  • Nashville, Tennessee
  • Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum
  • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Tahquamenon Falls
  • Porcupine Mountains
  • Roughlock Falls
  • San Antonio
  • Seattle
  • Seven Sacred Pools Hike in Sedona
  • Springfield, Illinois
  • Sunday Gulch
  • Upper Peninsula Michigan
  • Washington DC
  • What to do in the Windy City; Chicago with Kids
  • Winter in Colorado-Minus the Skiing

My Minnesota

  • Alphabet Family Adventure
  • Drive-In Movie Theater
  • Girls Day Away Ideas for Adventurers
  • Ice Castles
  • Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular
  • Minnesota Bucket List
  • Minnesota Donut Tour
  • Minnesota Drive-In Tour
  • Minnesota Ice Cream Tour
  • Minnesota Pizza Tour
  • Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store
  • Pine Grove Zoo
  • Pizza Farm
  • Pumpkin Patch
  • Reading Adventures
  • Sam’s Christmas Village and Light Tour
  • Say Hello to Paul Bunyan Land
  • Superior Hiking Trail
  • Trolls in Detroit Lakes
  • Wonderful Wabasha Street Caves

Minnesota State Parks

  • Banning State Park
  • Frontenac State Park
  • George Crosby Manitou State Park
  • Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock Lighthouse State Parks
  • Interstate State Park
  • Itasca and La Salle Lake State Parks
  • Minnesota State Parks
  • North Shore State Parks
  • Sibley State Park Winter Camping
  • Snowshoeing at Jay Cooke State Park
  • Southeastern Minnesota State Parks
  • Southwest Minnesota State Parks
  • Tettegouche State Park
  • Yurt Camping at Cuyuna Country Recreation Area
  • Yurt Camping at Glendalough State Park

4th Grade Minnesota Ski Passport

  • Andes Tower Hills
  • Spirit Mountain

6th Grade MN History Pass

  • Historic Fort Snelling
  • James Hill House
  • Jeffers Petroglyphs
  • Lower Sioux Agency
  • Mill City Museum
  • Minnesota History Center
  • Minnesota State Capitol
  • Oliver Kelley Farm

National Park Adventures

  • Badlands National Park and Mount Rushmore
  • Big Bend National Park
  • Destinations to Die for in Death Valley
  • Gateway Arch National Park
  • Gorgeous Glacier National Park
  • Grand Canyon National Park
  • Indiana Dunes and Cuyahoga Valley National Parks
  • Isle Royale National Park
  • Joshua Tree National Park
  • North Cascades National Park
  • Mammoth Cave National Park
  • Mount Rainier National Park
  • Olympic National Park
  • Petrified Forest National Park
  • Pipestone National Monument
  • Saguaro National Park
  • Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Adventures at Home

  • Adventure Awaits Anniversary Party
  • Back to School Party
  • Back to School Treat
  • Build Your Own Treehouse
  • Caramel Apple Bar
  • Christmas Bucket
  • Dinosaur Taco Tuesday
  • Dr. Seuss Party
  • Eat to Explore: Spain
  • Elfin’ Around
  • Festive Ice Cream Floats
  • Fortnite Back to School Party
  • Last Day of School: Ice Cream Party
  • Last Day of School Party
  • Leap Year Party with Littles
  • Milk and Cookies After School Party
  • North Pole Express
  • Olympic Games
  • Pandemic Social Distancing Activities
  • Reading Buddy Birthday Treat
  • Skol Vikings Party
  • S’mores and Stargazing Party
  • Soda Tasting Party
  • Super Easy Super Bowl Party
  • Travel Christmas Tree
  • We love you because….

Birthday Adventures

  • Barnyard Birthday Party
  • Birthday Pie Bar
  • Construction Birthday Party
  • Dragon Birthday Party
  • Firefighter Birthday Party
  • Hoppy Birthday Party
  • Ninja Birthday Party
  • Pirate Birthday Party
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Birthday Party

Holiday Adventures

  • Candy Explosion Gift Box
  • Christmas Movie Parties
  • Donut Valentine Party
  • Easter Bunny Pancakes
  • Easter Tablescape
  • Gingerbread House Party
  • Gnome Valentine Party
  • Gobble, Gobble Breakfast
  • Great Pumpkin Party
  • Grinch Party
  • Holiday Tablescape
  • Hot Cocoa Party
  • Little Love Valentine Party
  • Mother’s Day Tea Party
  • New Year’s Eve Party
  • North Pole Breakfast
  • Peach of My Heart
  • Pumpkin Carving and Cocktails
  • Spooktacular Halloween Party
  • Spooky Snacks
  • Super Father’s Day
  • Thanksgiving Tablescape

Date Your Spouse

  • Date Your Spouse: Cooking Class
  • Date Your Spouse: Drink Dangerously
  • Date Your Spouse: Play Hooky
  • Date Your Spouse: Soup Saturday

More on Mommy Baggage

  • About Me
  • Camper Van
  • Hot Cocoa Party Packages
  • The Baggage’s Bag Recommendations
  • Travel Philosophy
  • Travel Journal
  • Wanderchain
  • Wanderlust
  • Work With Me

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

©2025 Mommy Baggage | Powered by SuperbThemes!
%d