Winter Park

The closest major resort to Denver, Winter Park is not only easy to get to, but once there you’ll get some of Colorado’s finest ski and snowboard terrain.

Current conditions:

Max temp:
Min temp:
Last snowed:

Last Updated:

Favourite

Current conditions:

Max temp:
Min temp:
Last snowed:

Last Updated:

Favourite

8%Beginner

37%Intermediate

55%Advanced

Vertical drop

Pistes

Runs

Lifts

Terrain by difficulty

Although many of the visitors come up from Denver for the day, Winter Park is a resort in its own right and a great place to base yourself for a Colorado skiing adventure.

The high altitude guarantees excellent snow cover and the two mountains – Winter Park and Mary Jane – have terrain for everyone. The former is more mellow, with vast swaths of green and blue rated trails, whilst the latter is steeper, bumpier and quite a bit gnarlier.

Fairly limited accommodation is on offer at the resort’s base and facilities are not as developed as some other Colorado resorts – especially somewhere like Breckenridge, where the town itself is enough of an attraction in itself.

Further lodging is available a little further along the valley in Fraser, but you may want to consider tying in a trip here with a neighbouring resort for variety and to experience an authentic Colorado resort town.

Beginner
Fast lifts
Intermediate
Resort Activities
Advanced
Aprés
Snow
Value

Pros and cons

Varied ski area – each section is very different
Reliable snow record and good snowmaking system
Very easy to get to and good location for a multi-destination trip

Weekend crowds can cause very long lift queues
Limited atmosphere in the resort village
High altitude may cause some visitors issues

On the Slopes

The ski area is roughly split in two. Winter Park Mountain is home to much of the resort’s beginner and intermediate terrain, which on the whole is excellent. Absolute beginners have access to a dedicated zone at the base of the mountain, from which progression on to the gentle greens of Discovery Park is excellent. The long blues down to the Pioneer Express offer great cruising for intermediates, as do those served by the Olympia Express.

Mary Jane is almost entirely an advanced mountain, with few greens or blues (aside from the mellow High Lonesome Express runs and the blues running from the top of the newly revamped Sunnyside Express) and lots of blacks. Steep and often bumpy runs drop down the front face from the top of Lunch Rock – pick you route and if fresh corduroy is your thing, check the morning’s grooming report to see if any have been flattened out overnight. On powder days, Vasquez Cirque is the place to head if the sun is out or the trees of Eagle Wind and Challenger are the ideal spots if the snow is still falling.

In the Resort

Lodging options at Winter Park are fairly limited due to the preponderance of day visitors coming up from Denver. As a result, the base does resemble a large car park in some places, but for the convenience it is a decent option to stay in one of the base lodges. If you do, you may find it a bit quiet in the evening, especially during the week, but that would mean you’d have empty slopes so it isn’t all bad! There are other options nearby, including in the town of Fraser and along the highway in between the two.