Fraser and Winter Park, up close.

Skiing, trails, food, and local favorites, all within a short drive of the A-frame.

Seasons

Winter

Winter Park Resort anchors the season: 171 trails across two mountains, wide-open terrain, and about 344 inches of snow a year. The Fraser Tubing Hill is right in town for the non-skiers, and the Winter Park Express train runs straight from Denver's Union Station, Thursday through Sunday in season.

Do this:
  • More difficult.Ski or ride Winter Park Resort. 171 trails across two mountains and wide-open terrain.
  • More difficult.Cross-country ski at Devil's Thumb Ranch. The Nordic Center is about 10–15 minutes away, voted the #1 cross-country ski resort in North America six of the last seven years.
  • Easiest.Ride the Winter Park Express. Straight from Denver's Union Station, about 3 hours each way, one-way fares start at $9.
  • Easiest.Go tubing. The Fraser Tubing Hill is right in town.
  • Easiest.Skip the parking hassle. The Lift's free shuttle stops one house north of the cabin, so you can ride to the resort without touching the car.

Summer

Trestle Bike Park at Winter Park Resort has more than 40 miles of lift-served trail across 63 runs, typically open daily from mid-June into late September. The Fraser River Trail is an easy, mostly flat 13.6 miles along the water, and the Fraser River itself is a Gold Medal fishery for wild browns, cutthroat, and rainbow.

Do this:
  • Most difficult.Ride Trestle Bike Park. Over 40 miles of lift-served trail across 63 runs, open daily mid-June into late September.
  • Easiest.Walk or bike the Fraser River Trail. An easy 13.6 miles along the river.
  • Easiest.Session the Fraser Bike Park. New, and 1.7 miles from the cabin: flow trails, jump lines, a pump track, and skills zones for every level.
  • More difficult.Fish the Fraser River. A Gold Medal fishery, best in May before runoff and June through July after.
  • More difficult.Raft the Upper Colorado. Go with a local outfitter like MAD Adventures, the season runs early May to mid-September.

Fall

Aspens turn gold from mid-September through mid-October, with some of the best viewing on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park, about 33 miles north of Fraser. The same weeks bring the elk rut, with bugling loudest at dawn and dusk. Trestle Bike Park runs daily until it closes in late September, and the trails get quieter once it does.

Do this:
  • Easiest.Chase the aspen color. Rocky Mountain National Park's west side, about 33 miles north, is the best of it.
  • Easiest.Listen for elk bugling. Dawn or dusk, mid-September through mid-October.
  • Most difficult.Catch the last of Trestle Bike Park. It closes for the season in late September.

Spring

Late April through May is genuine mud season here. The ski lifts stop running, Trestle Bike Park has not opened yet, and some restaurants trim hours or close for a few weeks while locals take a breather. It is the quietest the valley gets all year, and if you want the wood stove and the place entirely to yourselves, this is when to book it.

Do this:
  • Easiest.Call ahead for restaurants. Many trim hours or close for a few weeks in this stretch.
  • More difficult.Fish the Fraser River before runoff. May is one of the best windows of the year.
  • Easiest.Mind the altitude. The valley sits at roughly 8,600–9,100 feet even with the snow gone, so pace yourself the first day.

Distances

  • Winter Park Resort15 min
  • Fraser Tubing Hill6 min
  • Grocery store5 min
  • Downtown Winter Park5–11 min
  • Devil's Thumb Ranch10–15 min
  • Snow Mountain Ranch YMCAAbout 15 min
  • Granby Ranch25–30 min
  • Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Lake entranceAbout 50 min
  • DenverAbout 1 hr 31 min
  • Denver International AirportAbout 1 hr 57 min

* with no traffic

Favorites

The places we send our own guests to. Ten to start, and the rest of the valley below that.

More around the valley

Eat and drink

  • Pepe Osaka's Fishtaco: Mexican and Asian fusion in Winter Park, hybrid tacos and tequila cocktails.

  • Fontenot's Fresh Seafood and Grill: Cajun and seafood in Winter Park since 1990, known for gumbo and the catch of the day.

  • Elevation Pizza: Fraser pizzeria, house-made dough and San Marzano sauce, dine in or take it back to the cabin.

  • Volario's: handmade pasta and pizza in the Vasquez Creek Inn, run by the Devil's Thumb Ranch kitchen.

  • Tabernash Tavern: dry-aged steaks and a serious wine list in downtown Tabernash since 2008.

  • Ranch House Restaurant and Saloon: ranch-raised Wagyu in a 1930s homestead at Devil's Thumb, open to the public.

  • Idlewild Spirits Distillery: grain-to-glass spirits milled from Colorado grain, poured with a tapas menu in Winter Park.

  • Big Trout Brewing: family-owned brewpub in Cooper Creek Square, with proceeds flowing to local nonprofits.

  • Hideaway Park Brewery: dog-friendly taproom at 9,000 feet, house beers and seltzers, bring your own food.

  • Vertical Bistro: small plates, burgers, and a global beer list in the Village at the resort base.

  • Lime: an American cantina with hand-shaken margaritas and a deep tequila shelf.

  • Heck's Tavern: fireside dining at Devil's Thumb Ranch for lodging guests, known for the Wagyu burger at lunch.

Winter

  • Winter Park Resort: 23 lifts and 171 trails across Winter Park and Mary Jane, with wide-open terrain throughout.

  • Winter Park Express: the seasonal train from Denver's Union Station, about three hours each way, skis ride free.

  • Snow Mountain Ranch Nordic Center: 82.5 km of groomed track, including trails that welcome fat bikes and dogs.

  • Fraser Tubing Hill: family-owned since 1971, right in town, and the answer when not everyone skis.

  • Grand Adventures: guided snowmobile tours to the Continental Divide, November through April.

  • Colorado Adventure Park: Fraser's other tubing hill, two magic carpets, plus summer tubing when the snow goes.

  • Dog Sled Rides of Winter Park: 80 huskies in Fraser, sled rides all winter and cart rides the rest of the year.

  • The Icebox: Fraser's NHL-sized covered outdoor rink, public skating and hockey year round.

  • Devil's Thumb Ranch sleigh rides: horse-drawn winter rides from December through March, reserved for overnight lodging guests.

  • Christmas tree cutting: a US Forest Service permit is required to cut your own tree on the Sulphur Ranger District, sold through Recreation.gov each season.

Summer and fall

Farther afield

  • Grand Lake: a boardwalk town on Colorado's largest natural lake, and the park's western gateway.

  • Granby Ranch: a smaller family ski hill with 41 trails, plus summer biking and golf.

  • Hot Sulphur Springs Resort: natural mineral pools fed by gravity flow, open 8am to 10pm daily.

  • Town of Granby: parks, fishing access, and river frontage where the Fraser meets the Colorado.

  • Lake Granby: Colorado's third largest lake at over 7,200 surface acres, with pontoon boat rentals at Indian Peaks Marina and Beacon Landing Marina.

Practical

  • Safeway, Fraser: full service with a pharmacy, a deli, and an in-store Starbucks, 6am to 11pm daily.

  • Christy Sports: ski and snowboard rentals in winter, bikes and snowshoes the rest of the year.

  • The Lift: the free shuttle connecting Fraser, Winter Park, the resort, and Granby year round. The nearest stop is one house to the north, steps from the front door; schedules live in the Lift Rider app.

  • Winter Park Medical Center: urgent care at the base of the resort, open daily, for the trip that goes sideways.

  • Grand Park Community Recreation Center: a 53,500-square-foot rec center in Fraser with a lap pool, lazy river, 33-foot climbing wall, and a gymnastics center.

Practical

Altitude: Fraser and Winter Park sit at roughly 8,600–9,100 feet, with the ski area summit at 12,060 feet. Drink more water than you think you need, go easy on the first drink, and take it slow the first day if you are coming from sea level.

Mud season: Late April through May is genuine mud season. The mountain is closed for skiing, Trestle has not opened yet, and some restaurants trim their hours or close for a stretch. Call ahead if you are counting on a specific place being open.

Groceries: Safeway in Fraser is full service, with a pharmacy, a deli, and an in-store Starbucks, open 6am to 11pm daily. Under 5 minutes away.

Riding The Lift: The Lift is the valley's free bus, running year round between Winter Park Resort, downtown Winter Park, Fraser, and Granby. The nearest stop is one house north of the cabin, steps from the front door, and it is the easy answer for ski days and nights out: nobody parks, nobody drives. Times and live bus tracking are in the Lift Rider app or Google Transit; check the evening schedule before you plan on a late ride home.

Six ways to spend a weekend.

Steal one whole, or trade pieces between them. Every stop is in the Favorites list above.

Winter

The ski weekend

First chair 15 minutes away, apres at the distillery, dinner off the grill because nobody has to drive. The full version plans Friday 4:30pm to Sunday 4pm, hour by hour.

The full minute-by-minute

Winter, no skis

The snow weekend

Tubing in town, 80 huskies, a snowmobile run toward the Divide, and the ice rink. Proof that a Fraser winter does not require a lift ticket.

The full minute-by-minute

Summer

The bike weekend

Trestle laps for the downhill crowd, the river trail for everyone else, margaritas after. Bikes on the rack Friday, legs gone by Sunday.

The full minute-by-minute

Summer

The hike weekend

Alpine lakes, wilderness trailheads, a packed lunch from the deli, and a steak you earned on the way home. The quiet side of the valley, on foot.

The full minute-by-minute

Any season

The do-almost-nothing weekend

Coffee, firewood, one gentle outing a day, and permission to skip even that. The itinerary for people who came here to stop having an itinerary.

The full minute-by-minute

Any season

The hot springs weekend

A day at Hot Sulphur's 19 mineral pools, open to 9:45pm with no reservation needed, wrapped in slow cabin mornings. The oldest kind of mountain weekend there is.

The full minute-by-minute

Field notes

This week around Fraser.

A short, current read on what is worth doing near the cabin right now: conditions, events, and the seasonal windows locals watch for. Updated weekly.

All Field Notes

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