17 Rocky Mountain Activities to Keep the Adventure Going All Winter Long

Winter is one of the best seasons to visit Rocky Mountain National Park. When the snow starts to fall, the park gets transformed into a winter playplace perfect for those who don’t mind bundling up and enjoying the cold. There’s plenty to do inside the park, from snowshoeing to sledding to wildlife watching, but expand your winter trip to the surrounding Rockies and you’ll find quirky events, world class downhill skiing and cute mountain towns, just waiting to be explored. Perhaps the best part? You’ll find a fraction of the crowds and no need to make a timed-entry reservation. Build your perfect winter itinerary with our favorite winter activities in and around Rocky Mountain National Park.

1. Snowshoe Rocky Mountain Trails

Want to explore the park’s trails in winter? All you need are a pair of snowshoes. Tromp through quiet forests and visit frozen waterfalls throughout the park. Popular winter destinations include Cub Lake, Mills Lake and the Bear Lake Loop. For a 3.5-mile adventure that feels as if you’ve ventured into a magical winter wonderland, snowshoe to Emerald Lake. Along the way you’ll cross right over two frozen lakes. If you’ve never snowshoed before, Rocky Mountain National Park offers ranger-guided treks in the winter, complete with gear to borrow.

Always check avalanche conditions before heading into steep terrain.

2. Go Sledding at Rocky’s Hidden Valley

Once a ski resort inside Rocky Mountain National Park, this wide open spot is now a sledding paradise. Kids (and adults) love sliding down the old bunny hill on a sled or snow tube (rentals available in Estes Park). A warming hut revives frozen toes on weekends.

3. Watch Winter Wildlife in Rocky Mountain National Park

The quiet season is a wonderful time to spot elk, which come down from the high country and congregate in park meadows and the town of Estes Park. Head over to the west side’s Kawuneeche Valley to look for giant moose picking their way through the snow, and scan the cliffs on Fall River Road for bighorn sheep.

4. Glide Across Winter Trails on Cross-Country Skis

Step into a pair of cross-country skis and break your own trails in the park—the west side has deeper snow and flat, ski-friendly valleys, while the east side offers more challenging trails to alpine lakes. Outside the park, skinny skiers head to Brainard Lake Recreation Area for ungroomed trails and Eldora Mountain Resort’s Nordic Center and Devils Thumb Ranch for groomed trails. You can rent skis in the gateway towns of Grand Lake and Estes Park, and you can even get lessons at Grand Lake’s Nordic Center.

5. Explore Rocky Mountain Park with a Ranger

In addition to ranger-led snowshoe hikes on both sides of the park, Rocky’s rangers offer many winter-focused programs from wildlife talks to avalanche awareness workshops.

6. Go Snow Tubing

Careening down a snowy slope is fun for the whole family. You’ll find excellent tubing hills at the YMCA’s Snow Mountain Ranch, Grand Lake Nordic Center, Fraser Tubing Hill, Winter Park Resort, and Winter Park Town Hill.

7. Hit the Slopes

A winter visit to Rocky Mountain National Park is the perfect combo with a ski trip to one of Colorado’s many downhill resorts. The closest options are on the park’s west side. The small, independently owned Granby Ranch is just 30 minutes away, while the endless terrain of Winter Park Resort (IKON Pass) is 45 minutes away. Steamboat Ski Resort, plus the resorts along the Interstate 70 corridor in Summit County like Copper Mountain, Breckenridge Ski Resort, Arapahoe Basin and Keystone Resort are all under a two hour drive, traffic permitting. From the east side of the park near Estes Park, Eldora Mountain is the closest skiing, just over an hour away.

8. Try Ice Climbing

Rocky’s steep slopes and frozen waterfalls make it a top destination for ice climbers. Clinging to a sheet of ice with crampons and ice picks certainly delivers a unique thrill, but beginners should seek out professional guides to get started. Colorado Mountain School offers beginner-friendly guiding, along with tours for those already in the know, at a variety of locations across Colorado including Estes Park.

9. Fat Bike (or Ski Bike) at Winter Park Resort

Love biking? There’s no need to wait for spring to melt the trails—you can hop on a ski or fat bike and get out there all winter long. Ski bikes are like bikes with skis instead of wheels, and several resorts offer lessons and guided tours. Try it out at Winter Park Resort about an hour from the West Entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.

10. Go Ice Fishing in Rocky Mountain Lakes

The lakes just west of Rocky Mountain National Park are a great place to land the big one from under the ice. Lake Granby, Grand Lake, Shadow Mountain Reservoir (in Grand Lake) and Wolford Mountain Reservoir (in Kremmling) are top spots for ice fishing; Grand Lake also hosts several ice fishing contests each winter.

11. Watch Skijoring in Leadville

What do horses have to do with skiing? A lot, if you’re talking skijoring, a sport where a horse and rider pull a skier through an obstacle course. Towns across Colorado host skijoring competitions open to the public to watch including Leadville, Estes Park and Steamboat Springs. Want to try skijoring for yourself? Devils Thumb Ranch, near the park’s west side, offers dog skijoring classes, just bring your furry friend along.

12. Cut Your Own Christmas Tree

Deck the halls starting with your very own wild Christmas tree. There’s nothing quite like tromping through the snowy forest to find that one perfect evergreen. Get a $20 permit for the Arapahoe and Roosevelt National Forests cutting areas before you strike out.

13. Attend a Winter Festival

Colorado abounds with cold-season celebrations. Favorites include Grand Lake’s Winter Carnival (teapot curling, snow golf, ice sculpture demonstrations, ice skating and bed sled races), Breckenridge’s Ullr Fest (Viking-themed festivities dedicated to the Norse god of snow, including the record-breaking attempt at the world’s longest skotski), Steamboat Springs’ Winter Carnival (fireworks and rodeo), and, perhaps most uniquely, Estes Park’s Frozen Dead Guy Days, celebrating cryonically frozen Grandpa Bredo, who has been on ice for decades. Also, watch ice artists at work at several winter events focused on the craft of snow sculpting. Attend the International Snow Sculpture Championships in Breckenridge, or head over to Cripple Creek’s Ice Festival.

14. Spend the Night in a Backcountry Hut or Yurt

If you love camping but shiver at the thought of a tent in the snow, look to one of the state’s popular backcountry cabins and yurts. These comfortable shelters provide a base for skiing and snowshoeing by day, relaxing by the fire by night. The 10th Mountain Division huts are fantastic and well-known; you can also find less-busy options through Never Summer Nordic Yurts and the San Juan Hut system.

15. Go Snowmobiling Near Rocky Mountain National Park

Grand County, just west of the park, is a snowmobiling paradise. More than 1,000 miles of trail wind through forests and meadows near Grand Lake, Granby, and Winter Park. Two favorite spots are Rollins Pass above Winter Park and Gore Pass near Kremmling. You’ll find rentals and outfitting shops in Granby, Grand Lake and Winter Park.

16. Ski or Snowshoe to a Romantic Dinner

Looking for a unique date? Surprise your sweetie with a mountainside meal. The Moonlight Dinner Series at Arapahoe Basin Resort spotlights cuisines from alpine locations worldwide. And at the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse near Ski Cooper, you’ll first ski, snowshoe or ride a mile through the trees before sitting down to an upscale dinner in a cozy yurt.

17. Soak in a Hot Springs

Warm up with a dip in a naturally soothing hot spring. Strawberry Park, just outside Steamboat Springs, lets you soak under the stars in a series of natural pools; another option close to Rocky Mountain is Hot Sulphur Springs near the West Entrance.