Colorado Is for Everyone — Not Just Skiers
Every winter, millions of people make their way to Colorado’s mountain towns with one goal in mind: skiing. But not everyone in the group skis. Maybe you’re traveling with a friend who loves the slopes while you’d rather keep your feet on solid ground. Maybe your kids are too young, or you’ve got a knee that has other opinions about carving down a mountain. Or maybe you’ve just always suspected that Colorado has more to offer than ski lifts and moguls — and you’re right.
Colorado in winter is genuinely magical, and some of the most memorable experiences happen far away from the ski resort. If you find yourself in Breckenridge, Vail, or any of the mountain towns tucked into the Rockies this season, here’s what to do with your days — and why you might secretly become the most satisfied person in your travel group.
Discover the History Beneath the Snow
Before Colorado was a playground for powder enthusiasts, it was gold rush country. The mountain towns that draw visitors today were built by miners who flooded the Rockies in the 1860s and 70s chasing fortune underground. That history is still written all over the landscape — in the Victorian storefronts, the abandoned mine shafts, the ghost towns that sit silent in the high country.
Leadville is one of the best places in the state to feel this history. Sitting at 10,152 feet, it’s the highest incorporated city in North America, and its streets look much like they did a century ago. But the most remarkable part of Leadville’s story lies outside of town, where old gold mines and remnants of ghost towns are scattered across the hillsides.
One of the most memorable ways to experience it — especially in winter — is through Leadville UTV tours. The guided tours take you through the historical mining district in heated, enclosed vehicles, up to elevations over 12,000 feet, past gold mine ruins, and to viewpoints with unobstructed panoramas of Colorado’s two tallest peaks. No driving experience needed, no cold to fight off, and guides who double as historians. It’s the kind of experience that stays with you long after you’ve come back home.
Soak in a Colorado Hot Spring
If there is one quintessentially Colorado winter experience, it’s slipping into a natural hot spring while snowflakes fall around you. The contrast of steaming mineral water against cold mountain air is something that has to be felt to be fully understood — and it’s an experience that belongs firmly in the cozy luxury category.
Glenwood Springs, about two hours from Denver, is home to one of the largest hot springs pools in the world. Strawberry Park Hot Springs near Steamboat Springs is smaller and wilder, tucked into the forest with a more natural feel. Both are worth the drive and both have a way of turning a full afternoon into something quietly extraordinary. Bring warm layers for the walk back to the car — you’ll be pleasantly loose and a little sleepy.
Get Into the Snow Without Skis
Just because you’re not skiing doesn’t mean you have to avoid the snow entirely. Colorado’s mountain towns are surrounded by terrain that is absolutely wonderful on foot — or on a sled.
Snowshoeing is one of the most accessible winter activities there is. Most outdoor outfitters in mountain towns rent equipment for very little, and you don’t need any prior experience. A two-hour snowshoe through a snowy pine forest, with nothing but your own footprints behind you and mountains ahead, is deeply satisfying in a way that’s hard to put into words.
If you’re traveling with kids, tubing hills are a near-universal favorite. Several resorts operate dedicated tubing parks open to non-skiers, and the combination of cold air, shrieking laughter, and hot cocoa after makes for a thoroughly good afternoon.
Embrace the Après-Ski Life (Without the Skiing)
Here’s a secret the ski crowd knows: the fireside, warm-drink, mountain-town experience is actually at its best when you’re not exhausted from a full day on the slopes. You can stroll into the coziest lodge in Breckenridge at three in the afternoon, fully rested, and settle into a leather chair by the fire with a glass of red wine while everyone else limps back in on sore legs.
Colorado’s mountain towns have genuinely excellent food, boutique hotels with deep soaking tubs, wine bars with serious wine lists, and a pace of life that rewards slowing down. If you’ve never let yourself just be in a mountain town without an agenda, winter is the perfect time to try it.
Take a Scenic Drive and Let the Mountains Do the Talking
Colorado’s mountain scenery doesn’t require any effort to appreciate — you can experience a great deal of it from a warm car on a scenic byway. The stretch of US-24 between Buena Vista and Leadville is one of the most beautiful winter drives in the state, with the Collegiate Peaks rising on one side and the Arkansas River valley below. Highway 82 over Independence Pass (when open) offers views that make it genuinely difficult to keep your eyes on the road.
Winter also brings elk herds down from the high country, and spotting a large group of elk crossing a snow-covered meadow at dusk is one of those moments that reminds you why Colorado is so special.
You Don’t Need Skis to Fall in Love with Colorado
The mountains have a way of getting into people. Not because of the ski runs or the terrain parks — but because of the light on fresh snow, the quiet of a winter forest, the feeling of being somewhere genuinely grand. Non-skiers who approach a Colorado winter trip with curiosity rather than hesitation almost always come back with stories that rival anything happening on the mountain.
So if you’re heading to the Rockies this season without poles and boots, go with an open heart. You’re not missing out on Colorado — you might just be experiencing a different, and equally beautiful, version of it.
*contributed post*
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