All About Winter Park

Hate the dreariness of the plains or the heat and dust of summer? Looking for a winter park? A vacation spot that will give you the freshness of mountain air, the adrenaline rushes from skiing or snowmobiling, or simply the cool and calm that the wondrous natural beauty the American Rockies bring to the tensed and tired soul tortured by the strains of modern urban living? If you have zeroed-in on Colorado's Winter Park, look no further ? here's your gateway to heaven!

Be it winter, spring, summer or fall ? there is something for the visitor to Winter Park and Fraser Valley all through the year. In winter, make the most of the snow all around you. Snowshoeing, dog sled riding, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling are just some of the outdoor activities that you, your friends or family can indulge in. For the less adventurous, there are great spas and hot springs, opportunities to shop till you drop, gorge to your tummy's content and guzzle as much as you like.

In summer, skiing is no longer the primary draw, but nature nonetheless keeps vacationers coming. You can go for hikes along beautiful wild-flower strewn trails if long walks are what you enjoy. If you are a bike enthusiast, opt for the many mountain-biking opportunities that beckon you at Winter Park. If white-water rafting is what excites you, head for the several facilities that offer both beginners as well as advanced enthusiasts a wide diversity of rafting experiences.

Though established only in the 1940s, Winter Park has a lot to offer even to the historically minded. While there are many trails named after historic personalities, there is also Cozens' Ranch House Museum just north of town - the site of a stage stop and post office set up in the 1870s. Don't forget to drop in at the room commemorating Doc Suzie, the area's first female doctor.

Located just 1 1/2 hour's drive away from Denver, Winter Park Resort receives the most snow of all Colorado destination resorts. The area has five different mountains - Winter Park, Mary Jane, Parsenn Bowl, Vasquez Cirque and Vasquez Ridge. To proceed from I-70 out of Denver, take the exit 232 to US Highway 40, and over Berthoud Pass. From the exit, Winter Park is only about 25 miles away and just about 60 miles from Denver overall.

Accommodation is no problem at all with over 30 places to choose from and many more in and around the place. Restaurants provide delicious German, spicy Cajun or Mexican food to meet the needs of cold weather activities and shoppers can buy all that they need from facilities around the town.

So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and head for the coolest spot in the West!