If Old Man Winter had an international headquarters, he’d build it in Colorado. As soon as the season’s first snow falls, the state transforms from a summer playground into a frosted garden of pine forest, pearlescent mountains, and rivers lidded in silvery ice. Golf courses and woodland tracks find new life as cross-country ski and snowmobile courses, and waterfalls freeze into vast crystal chandeliers that climbers travel the world to scale. It’s a storybook landscape come to life.
The state’s world-class ski resorts may get a lot of love, but there’s more than one way to experience the breathtaking wonder of a Colorado winter. All you have to do is venture beyond the typical itinerary—and embrace the state’s wilder side. Colorado’s frozen cliffs, glassy ponds, and remote backcountry peaks offer some of the most memorable opportunities for high-octane winter adventure in the U.S. Here are 8 ways to find that thrill, and experience Colorado in all its raw, wild winter glory.
1. Brave an Icy Plunge
Nothing snatches the breath from your lungs—and then leaves you giddy with joy—like a plunge in frigid water. Touted for its stress-reduction benefits, cold-immersion therapy is popular among the health-and-wellness crowd, but it’s also just pure fun. Try it for yourself on a visit to Iron Mountain Hot Springs, a Western Colorado resort housing 16 geothermal pools overlooking the Colorado River. Immerse yourself in the 55°F cold-water pool (three minutes is considered a strong effort), then hurry to a hot spring and let the 100-degree mineral waters melt your goosebumps away. When your body is warm and fingertips pruney, grab a flatbread and cocktail from the on-site café. Nibble as you watch the sun set over the river with the hot steam curling up toward the stars.
2. Escape to a Backcountry Cabin
You don’t have to go to the Alps to find a secluded mountain chalet: the Colorado Rockies are dotted with more than 60 backcountry cabins, many of which are only accessible via snowshoe or ski. The newest of these are the family-owned Yonder Yurts. These cozy huts sit tucked within Northern Colorado’s evergreen forest, right on the border of Rocky Mountain National Park—a zone that boasts some of the state’s best hiking and one of its largest moose populations. Each hut comes with a full kitchen, several bunks, a toasty wood-burning stove—and, of course, mountain views. There are seven to choose from, each with its own approach trail. Target the remote North Canadian Yurt for a challenging, five-mile trek into the deeper woods, or the colorful Dancing Moose Yurt for a mellow, quarter-mile snowshoe.
3. Break Trail on Horseback
There’s no experience more serene than touring a winter landscape on horseback. And right outside Steamboat Springs, a ranching outpost-turned-ski town, you’ll find Saddleback Ranch, a family-owned operation that spans four generations. Book their standard riding tour, which, at up to two hours, is long enough to carry you deep into the Park Range foothills. Then, mount up and bury your fingers in the warmth of your horse’s mane. Watch as your breath plumes the air, and listen as hooves brush through the region’s famously delicate Champagne Powder. You’ll ride through flocked woodland, over rolling hills, and past ever-unfurling views of the Flattops, Sleeping Giant, and Mt. Werner.
4. Catch a Different Kind of Lift
A high-speed quad can only take you so far; if you want to access some truly breathtaking ski terrain, you’re going to need a chopper. At least, that’s Silverton Mountain’s approach. A legendary ski hill beloved by locals and visitors alike, Silverton Mountain is a hub of world-class steep skiing in the rugged San Juans. It’s also the only ski resort in the Lower 48 that lets visitors hire a helicopter for either a whole day or a single run. That means you can spend the morning shredding the mountain’s frontcountry corduroy and lift-accessed backcountry—then snag a heli-drop or two to cap off your day.
5. Scale a Frozen Waterfall
Just beyond the sleepy mountain hamlet of Lake City, you’ll find one of the most sought-after ice climbing destinations in the US: the Lake City Ice Park. Each winter, local “ice farmers” line the nearby Henson Creek cliffs with hoses, which trickle water down the stone until the entire cliff freezes into a half-mile-long curtain of ice. And this year, the park is expanding, adding a brand-new climbing area called “Devil’s Kitchen” that features more than 30 new routes. Book a clinic during the annual Lake City Ice Fest in early February, hire a local guide, or set off on your own (you’ll need your own gear, a 70-meter rope, a static line, and some serious ice-climbing know-how.) Regardless, be sure to drop some cash into one of the metal boxes on-site; the nonprofit ice park is technically free to use, but it relies on visitor donations to stay open.
6. Tear it Up on Two Wheels
Perched at 10,000 feet above sea level, Leadville is a city in the clouds. But visit after a hard snowfall, and you might just think you’re floating among them. There are myriad ways to explore this pillowy wonderland—endless mountains and a spaghetti network of trail systems draw skiers, ice climbers, and mountaineers alike—but if you really want to experience the town’s vibrant energy, you’d best rent a bike and pin on a bib. The legendary Winter Bike Series encompasses five fat-tire-biking races, ranging from a hard-charging 50k to a spirited Night Jam. Each course guides riders through stunning mountain landscapes, forested tracks, and powdery descents—the true Leadville sampler.
7. Snowmobile the Rockies
Snowmobiles are one of the most powerful tools for getting deep into the backcountry, fast. And in Colorado, they’re your ticket to seeing winter views few human eyes have ever beheld. For some of the state’s wildest terrain, head to Grand Mesa, a vast playground of alpine lakes, coniferous forest, and deep powder—and the largest flat-topped mountain in the world. You can cross the entire mesa from end to end on the 123-mile Sunlight to Powderhorn Trail, a winding ribbon of groomed and ungroomed track that spans the gap between Sunlight Mountain Resort near Grand Junction and Powderhorn Ski Resort to the east. Book a guided tour or rent snowmobiles at Thunder Mountain Lodge, located just a half mile from the trail’s western terminus.
8. Tube Copper Mountain
Skiing isn’t for everyone. But you know what is? Snow tubing. Young or old, athletic or clumsy, with family or traveling solo, it doesn’t matter—careening downhill on an inflatable donut is guaranteed to make you smile. And on Copper Mountain’s high-speed, 100-yard tubing hill, it’s guaranteed to get your heart rate up, too. With convenient magic-carpet access and parallel banked lanes, up to four people can race at a time. When your session is up, play a game of broomball on the frozen surface of West Lake, ride the mile-long Rocky Mountain Coaster, or head to the Woodward Barn, a facility filled with foam pits and trampolines designed to help freestyle athletes practice airborne tricks.
