Winter Park Ski Area Profile

Winter Park has made a successful transition from being "Denver's ski area" to an attractive destination resort. Sure, it's still a favorite with Denver-area residents, who can get there by train, but with the growth of the Fraser Valley as a four-season recreational destination Winter Park draws visitors from out of the region in greater numbers.

The winter draw is simple to define. 2886 acres, 134 trails, and a 3060-foot vertical drop are covered annually by 365" of snow. The skiing terrain has expanded from the original summit, now called Winter Park, to encompass Mary Jane, Vazquez Ridge, Vasquez Cirque, and Parsenn Bowl at a lofty 12,060 feet.

At first glance the trail map is liberally sprinkled with blue squares with a black diamond insert, black diamonds, and double-black diamonds. The majority of these symbols are found on Mary Jane and beyond in the chutes and headwalls of Vasque Cirque. But the Winter Park and Vasquez Ridge areas offer wider choices, with plenty of beginner and true-blue terrain. There are even green circle trails from the top of Mary Jane accessed by the High Lonesome Express. Much of the high alpine terrain in Parsenn Bowl is blue or blue-black. Head to Vasquez Cirque where double-diamond headwalls and chutes lead into black diamond glades. You can make the trip under your own power or pay the man five bucks to get towed along the ridge by a snowmobile from the top of Parsenn. But the best collection of steep blacks and double-blacks can be found at Mary Jane, where the bumps are allowed to build to truly grand proportions.

The 22 lifts include eight high-speed quads and a bevy of triples and doubles.

For hucksters and big air fans, there are three terrain parks and a ½ pipe.

On-mountain dining is conveniently spread about. At Winter Park you can start your day at the West Portal Station Food Court, open for breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks. You can end it there, too, at the Derailer Bar. Both are located in The Village at Winter Park. Up on the mountain stop at Snoasis or go downstairs to Mama Mia's for pizza. The Lodge at Sunspot offers the Provisioner and the Sunspot Dining Room. In the evening you can ride the Zephyr Express in a gondola car or arrange a sleigh ride to the Sunspot Dining Room for authentic regional cuisine. Over at Mary Jane enjoy Mary Jane Food and Drink, The Club Car, Pepperoni's, or Lunch Rock Cafe. Vasquez Ridge offers the Sundance Cafe with a selection of vending items.

If you're looking for a base of operations the pedestrian-only The Village at Winter Park offers all the amenities you are likely to need including two lodges. An excellent selection of inns, lodges, and hotels are found close by the mountain and in nearby Winter Park (the actual town) and Fraser. A free village-to-village shuttle as well as free shuttles from some off-site lodges and hotels means convenient travel without a car.

Tour the mountain by snowcat, which makes plenty of stops for photographs. Or take a snowmobile tour through the valley. You may also try snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, an indoor climbing wall, and more.