Winter Park, CO Attractions
Winter Park, CO Attractions
 | Colorado Adventure Park 566 County Rd. Fraser, CO • 970-726-5779 The park offers a great mix of snow-sliding devices for kids of varying ages: inner tubes, Airboards (inflated, steerable sleds), pint-sized snowmobiles, and traditional sleds. A magic carpet lift services the tubing hill. If you don't have the required helmets, rent one on site. The park is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily (December to mid-April), so you could get in plenty of after-dinner runs. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Devil's Thumb Ranch 3530 County Road 83 Tabernash, CO • 800-933-4339 Many of the activities at this phenomenal guest ranch -- cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, horseback riding, sleigh rides, fishing, and wagon rides -- are available even if you're not staying there. See the lodging section for more info. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Ice Skating Winter Park, CO • 970-726-1564 By itself, the chance to live out Olympic wannabe dreams at a ski-area ice rink is fairly common. What sets apart Winter Park's outdoor Village Rink, however (in addition to the stellar view of the Continental Divide), are the free hour-long lessons offered Thursday through Sunday, through mid March. Skate rentals are available next to the rink. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12) |
 | Kids' Ski and Ride School Winter Park, CO • 970-726-1564 Winter Park outfits each child in its ski and ride school with a helmet and a real-time GPS-enabled tag, so their whereabouts on the mountain are easily tracked (only a handful of ski resorts are currently using this technology). Group ski and snowboard lessons are available for kids six to 14. Just Because I'm Three is a perfect intro to skiing for three-year-olds, with a combination of on-snow play, indoor time, and skiing. Wee Willie's Childcare, located in the Kids' Ski and Ride School, provides half- or full-day supervision for babies as young as six months and children as old as six. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12) |
 | Mini Rail Jam Winter Park, CO • 970-726-1564 Kids can't get enough of practicing their freestyle tricks? The Bouncer terrain park, at the Winter Park base, opens after the lifts close, from 4-5:30 p.m. every Friday, mid January to mid March. Six to 12-year-olds (the recommended age group) can ply their snowboards or skis on mini terrain features perfect for aspiring X Gamers. Best For: Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Summer Base Village Activities Winter Park, CO • 970-726-1564 Yes, there's the biking, but the base area and mountain are also buzzing with other activities: a mini-zip line, bouncy house, human maze, climbing wall, bungee bouncing, the GyroXtreme, panning for minerals, mini-golf, chairlift rides, and, at 3,000 feet, Colorado's longest alpine slide. Everything is open daily from mid June through Labor Day; then it's weekends only through September. If your kids want to try several of these, you'll save a bundle by buying a half- or full-day Daily Adventure Pass. Keep in mind that some of the activities have age or size and weight restrictions. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Trestle Bike Park Winter Park, CO • 970-726-1564 Three lifts serve the on-mountain bike park, one of the most extensive in the U.S. Lessons and coaching, starting with Trestle 101, help give kids and adults the skills and confidence to tackle the trails and terrain features, whether it's riding the 5-mile top-to-bottom Green World beginner trail or learning to navigate a table-top jump. Bike rentals, including protective padding, are available in the base village. [Here's the bike park update: There's no minimum age for lessons; rather, height, weight, and riding skill are factored. That said, 12 years old is a good guideline for age appropriateness. There's also a small pump track (a loop ride with small rollers and banked turns) at the base area that kids of any age can ride their bikes on.] Best For: Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
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