No skis, no problem: 10 ideas for winter fun across the Front Range

Just because you don’t ski doesn’t mean you can’t have fun come winter. If you’re living on the Front Range, the possibilities are endless. Here are 10 must-dos:

Livvy Call, from Virginia, reacts after she pours herself a beer during a brewery tour at New Belgium Brewing Co. in Fort Collins. (Gazette file)
Livvy Call, from Virginia, reacts after she pours herself a beer during a brewery tour at New Belgium Brewing Co. in Fort Collins. (Gazette file)

1. Enjoy a beer run in Fort Collins: It’s more than New Belgium Brewing Co. and Odell Brewing Co. This town is saturated with some of the best, most creative breweries in the state.

2. Take a food tour in Denver: On the heels of gaining some of the industry’s highest recognition, that of Michelin inspectors, it’s a great time to explore the city’s culinary scene. Trust guides with Delicious Denver Food Tours to point you in the right direction.

3. Catch a show at Mission Ballroom: While Red Rocks Amphitheatre closes for the season, Denver’s latest concert venue shines. Since opening in 2019 in the RiNo district, Mission Ballroom has wowed with modern amenities and top acts.

4. Grab dinner and see a show in Boulder: BDT Stage pairs global fare with Broadway-type entertainment. A holiday show is set for the weekend of Dec. 4, with “Fiddler on the Roof” scheduled to run into January. It’s the 45th and final season for Boulder’s Dinner Theatre.

5. Explore a state park: If you think winter is the time to halt your tour of state parks, think again. We love hitting the snowy trails at Golden Gate Canyon outside Golden. Of similar size and variety but often more overlooked is Mueller State Park in Teller County, west of Colorado Springs.

6. Soak and stay at Cliff House Lodge & Hot Tub Cottages: You thought Red Rocks Amphitheatre was Morrison’s only attraction. A few blocks off downtown, this lodge offers a cozy, quirky set of cottages with hot tubs inside and outside — a perfect rendezvous for you and your loved one.

Fresh snow on Pikes Peak and the Garden of the Gods in November 2018 make for a breathtaking view for visitors at the Mesa Overlook in Colorado Springs. (The Gazette file)
Fresh snow on Pikes Peak and the Garden of the Gods in November 2018 make for a breathtaking view for visitors at the Mesa Overlook in Colorado Springs. (The Gazette file)

7. See the sights around the Springs: Do as the locals do — go to Garden of the Gods in the winter. Snow adorns the red rocks, and the tourist crowds are greatly thinned. There is much more to see and do beyond Garden of the Gods, from other parks and open spaces; to Cave of the Winds and Cheyenne Mountain Zoo; to shopping in Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs; to dozens of breweries and speakeasies.

8. Go ice skating in Evergreen: There are likely rinks closer to where you live. But none can quite match the one at Evergreen Lake, in the mountains west of Denver. For decades, families have made memories at the huge, Zamboni-groomed rink.

Lance Benzel of Colorado Springs rides a trail Tuesday, April 29, 2014, on the 200-foot cliffs in the Oil Well Flats area north of Canon City. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Lance Benzel of Colorado Springs rides a trail Tuesday, April 29, 2014, on the 200-foot cliffs in the Oil Well Flats area north of Canon City. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)

9. Hit the trails in Cañon City: If you’re a mountain biking junkie, you already know. If you’re more of a casual type, allow us to fill you in: The gorgeous singletrack networks at Oil Well Flats and Royal Gorge Park are often dry through winter. Check conditions at Fremont Adventure Recreation’s website, joinfar.org.

Madisyn Furgeson works the bar at the historic Coors Tavern Thursday, July 22, 2021, in downtown Pueblo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Madisyn Furgeson works the bar at the historic Coors Tavern Thursday, July 22, 2021, in downtown Pueblo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)

10. Get a slopper in Pueblo: It’s a quintessential Colorado way to warm up. Scarf down the iconic dish: an open-faced cheeseburger smothered in green chili. Gray’s Coors Tavern is the acclaimed slopper birthplace, but some swear by the iteration at Sunset Inn.

People do laps around the large rink on Evergreen Lake on Wednesday Jan. 5, in Evergreen. (The Gazette, Tim Hurst)
People do laps around the large rink on Evergreen Lake on Wednesday Jan. 5, in Evergreen. (The Gazette, Tim Hurst)

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