DENVER, Colo. (September 12, 2024) - Colorado will “Shine a Little Brighter” this winter season with new offerings to enhance the visitor experience. Guests will be welcomed with exciting travel offerings both on and off the slopes from new lifts and on-mountain enhancements at the state’s 28 ski areas and resorts to an elevated dining experience with new MICHELIN recognitions and James Beard awards. Off the slopes, guests can explore immersive arts and cultural experiences, hut trips, nighttime adventures and snow-filled events. Travelers can unwind after a day of adventuring with new craft beverage offerings, relaxation at the state’s hot springs resorts and snow-filled dreams in an array of new accommodations.
Visitors to the state are encouraged to “Do Colorado Right” and embrace the state’s interpretation of responsible tourism. Following is a sampling of what’s new this winter in Colorado. For more information and travel ideas, visit www.COLORADO.com.
Colorado’s Major 24/25 Ski Resort News:
This winter, Arapahoe Basin will implement parking reservations to be made in advance to manage skiers and riders and preserve the experience. Men’s and women’s Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup races will be held on the famed Birds of Prey course at Beaver Creek Resort on back-to-back weekends for the first time ever this December. The racing will be paired with a multi-day festival. Copper Mountain will upgrade the Timberline Express chairlift replacing the 4-person chairlift with a high-speed 6-pack chairlift. The chair replacement is a continuation of the resort's Western Territory expansion and will increase access to some of Copper Mountain's most sought-after intermediate groomed terrain. Last season, Keystone Resort transformed its on-mountain ski experience by adding over 500 acres of lift-served terrain with the Bergman Express Chairlift. This year, Keystone's River Run Village is undergoing a transformation of its own with the debut of Keystone's premier luxury development Kindred Resort scheduled to open in summer 2025. Purgatory Resort will offer several new upgrades across the resort, including enhancements to the Hermosa Park Express Lift #3 and an expanded retail footprint. The resort's demand-based pricing strategy returns, with lift tickets on sale starting at $9 on select dates. Silverton Mountain, under new ownership, invested further in forest health and mitigation work that will result in more and better tree skiing this winter. Silverton Mountain will also have a dedicated post ski bar location in town geared at Silverton Mountain guests and reinvigorating an old local watering hole. Snowmass Ski Resort will get a new chairlift, Coney Express, replacing the Coney Glade lift and allowing for easier and faster access to Snowmass' 3,300+ acres of terrain. Also new at Snowmass this winter season, Lynn Britt Cabin will debut a new renovation including an extended patio, outdoor grill and bar area and an expanded list of bookable experiences. Vail Mountain and Avanti Food & Beverage are proud to announce a joint $4 million investment in Golden Peak base area to open the third Avanti in Colorado, coming in 2025 – Avanti Vail. Avanti Food & Beverage is a collective space with multiple culinary offerings, inspired by European markets and food truck roundups. Vail Resorts will launch My Epic Gear providing access to slopeside premium gear across Colorado Vail resorts including Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte. This is a first-of-its-kind membership that combines the luxury of owning high-quality gear and the customer service of a premium valet. The Winter Park Express, through a partnership between Amtrak and Winter Park Resort, is a seasonal train between Denver Union Station and the doorstep of the ski resort. New for 2024 additional holiday services will be offered as well as two bonus Thursday roundtrips on March 14 and 21. Wolf Creek Ski Area will celebrate its 85th season with several anniversary happenings. And while Colorado is known for its big name resorts, Colorado Ski Country offers a GEMS Card that provides discounts and savings at 11 of Colorado’s smaller and mom and pop ski areas across the state.
New Winter Lodging Offerings:
Sweet dreams are sure to be had after a day of winter adventuring with several exciting new lodging offerings across the state. Populus, the first carbon positive hotel in the U.S., plans to open in Denver’s Civic Center Park in fall 2024 and will serve as a skyline-defining architectural landmark and new benchmark for sustainable travel. Also in Denver, Urban Cowboy will open in fall 2024 in the historic George Schleier Mansion in the heart of the Capitol Hill neighborhood as the newest western outpost for the national hotel brand. The 365-room Hotel Polaris at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs is scheduled to open in November 2024 featuring the only immersive flight simulators at a hotel in the U.S. The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa Avon has launched an extensive renovation called “The Next Chapter” that will be completed in winter 2024 - including a guest room refresh and the Vail Valley’s first rooftop bar. Cañon City's historic Hotel St. Cloud will offer 36 renovated guest rooms slated to open in early 2025. Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail unveils its newly redesigned Spa and holistic wellness program. In winter 2024, the resort will also debut a new Ski Concierge experience, along with the opening of Tavernetta Vail from Frasca Hospitality Group. Rustic Rook Resort near Great Sand Dunes National Park offers fully furnished glamping tents and new for late 2024 will offer five upcycled grain bin glampers and five vintage RVs. Also near the Great Sand Dunes, Kosmos Stargazing Resort and Spa is set to open in early 2025 where guests will stay at one of 20 luxurious 'Telescope-Equipped' Villas, and enjoy the "Kosmos Stargazing Experience" at the on-site Planetarium & Observatory. The Hotel Denver unveils an extensive renovation project and new identity as the “Hotel Maxwell Anderson,” in Glenwood Springs. After successfully launching the new Yampah Mineral Baths at the world’s largest hot springs pool in May, the Glenwood Hot Springs Resort has announced it will begin a planned renovation of all 107 guest rooms in the Lodge and add a new boutique hotel, Hotel 1888 to be completed by the spring of 2025. The Well Hotel & Taproom in Trinidad is set to open its renovated 12-room boutique hotel this winter that was originally a hotel in 1888. The Viceroy Snowmass debuts Cirque Residences, a collection of 48 impeccably designed residences located slope-side in a brand-new luxury tower of Viceroy Snowmass. C Lazy U Ranch unveiled the Lazy You Hideaway, an adults-only wellness lounge with cold plunges, a sauna and a hot tub. Riverside Colorado is a new eco-friendly lodging option located in the Poudre Canyon, just three miles from the iconic Mishawaka Amphitheatre. Options range from stylish fully-furnished canvas wall tents and cozy tiny homes to comfortable cabins and exclusive VIP quarters in the Lodge. The Pitkin Hotel recently reopened after a complete renovation in Pitkin. Originally built in 1904 and operated as the Bon Ton Hotel, this historic 10-room hotel is back in business year-round, and their Bon Ton Restaurant serves three meals per day and cocktails. The Western Lodge Motel, a beloved motor lodge established in 1948 in downtown Steamboat Springs, will reopen in fall 2024 with newly renovated rooms and updated amenities.
Apres Adventure Eats and Craft Libations - New MICHELIN Selections, James Beard Awards and More:
MICHELIN Guide expanded to the Centennial State as Colorado became the guide's eighth destination in North America in 2023. Colorado has a rich culinary heritage that includes both established, notable chefs and innovative up-and-comers. The 2024 MICHELIN Guide Colorado selection was revealed in early September 2024 adding Denver’s Alma Fonda Fina to the exclusive list of MICHELIN-Starred restaurants and Denver’s MAKfam as a new Bib Gourmand. The full selection, including Green Stars and Recommended eateries, totals 46 restaurants with 15 cuisine types represented. Erika Whitaker and Kelly Whitaker (The Wolf's Tailor, BRUTØ, Basta, and others) won the 2024 James Beard "Outstanding Restaurateur" award, and Breckenridge's Matt Vawter (Rootstalk and Radicato) won "Best Chef" for the mountain region. Additionally, chefs and craft beverage makers across the state are turning out exciting new flavors and concepts, perfect for imbibing after a day of winter adventures. The Grand restaurant will open in Telluride this winter from beloved Telluride chefs Ross Martin and Erich Owen. Chef Eliza Gavin, owner operator of 221 South Oak and Top Chef contestant recently opened her second restaurant Liz in Telluride. Cruise Control Kitchen & Cellar, Colorado’s first craft casual winery concept, is now fully open in downtown Grand Junction. Two Twelve is a fresh take on live-fire cooking in Crested Butte and offers an elevated mountain dining experience centered around seasonal ingredients cooked over open flame. Frasca Hospitality Group and Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vailare pleased to announce a new partnership to open Tavernetta Vail winter 2024. Viceroy Snowmass will reopen the lauded Toro Restaurant by Chef Richard Sandoval this fall. Eleven18 by Chef Brother Luck is a Latin tapas bar, featuring a 10-course “Siesta Tasting Menu” in Colorado Springs. Cozobi Fonda Fina is the latest venture from celebrated Chef Johnny Curiel of Alma Fonda Fina that opened its doors in downtown Boulder. Curiel will open Mezcaleria Alma in the neighboring space to Alma Fonda Fina this Fall in Denver. Xiquita, is a Mexico City-inspired restaurant that opened in Denver in August 2024 from chef Diego Coconati of James Beard nominated Lucina Eatery & Bar. Kawa Ni is a lively izakaya in the heart of Denver’s LoHi neighborhood, housed in a historic firehouse. Carne is the new global steakhouse from multi-James Beard Award finalist, business owner, chef, and entrepreneur Dana Rodriguez. Denver’s new Populus Hotel will debut two restaurant concepts this fall – Pasque, a celebration of mindful cuisine and Stellar Jay, a lively rooftop experience.
New Events to Celebrate Winter:
New this winter, the inaugural Aurora Borealis Festival (November 1-3, 2024) comes to Aurora as a spectacular celebration of light and culture, bringing the enchanting magic of the northern lights to Colorado's Front Range. Estes Park welcomes Skijor (January 25-26, 2025), an action-packed competition where a horse and rider pull a skier as fast as possible through a course including gates, jumps and obstacles. The Ouray Ice Festival (January 23-26, 2025) will celebrate its 30th anniversary transforming the town of Ouray into an ice climbing mecca with people from around the world gathering to celebrate the sport of ice climbing. Longmont will host the Ice Climbing and Dry Tooling World Cup(February 21-23, 2025) back in the U.S. for the first time since 2019. The National Brotherhood of Snowsports (NBS), in partnership with Vail Resorts, has selected Keystone Resort for its 2025 Annual Summit (February 22 to March 1, 2025) bringing together 58 member clubs and thousands of supporters from around the world. These events are added to Colorado’s roster of iconic winter celebrations including Aspen’s Wintersköl (December 13-15, 2024), Breckenridge’s International Snow Sculpture Championships (January 20-29, 2025), Steamboat’s Winter Carnival(February 2025 TBD), Cripple Creek’s Ice Festival (February 2025 TBD), Leadville Skijoring and Crystal Carnival Weekend (March 1-2, 2025) and more.
Winter Huts and Yurt Experiences:
Colorado’s extensive network of backcountry huts offers the awesome opportunity to get away from it all with limitless adventure. Ski or snowshoe from hut to hut in the European tradition or set up camp in a single location for a more relaxing getaway. Full service huts include the luxe Red Mountain Alpine Lodge and Thelma Hut on Red Mountain Pass and the Opus Hut near Silverton. Colorado is home to one of the most extensive backcountry hut systems in North America, with more than 30 huts across 350 miles of U.S. Forest Service trails called the 10th Mountain Division Huts. There is also the San Juan Hut System in southwestern Colorado, Summit Huts offers five easily accessible huts near Breckenridge and Copper Mountain and the Hinsdale Haute Route is Colorado’s highest altitude hut system offering two year-round yurts near Lake City. Other unique hut/yurt experiences include the Broome Hut on Berthoud Pass, Pass Creek Yurt near Pagosa Springs and the High Camp Hut on Lizard Head Pass near Telluride. The Colorado Hut Yurt Alliance is a statewide organization for owners of huts and yurts to promote their offerings.
Healing Waters are Hot this Winter:
The Colorado Historic Hot Springs Loop showcases the state’s premier hot springs destinations via self-guided itineraries to explore 23 unique hot springs soaking experiences. The East End Expansion Project at Glenwood Hot Springs Resort was completed in summer 2024 and added a new swimming area with five additional pools featuring varying water temperatures. Also in Glenwood Springs, Iron Mountain Hot Springs will break ground on its WorldSprings expansion, adding another inspired pool, large cold plunge pool, sauna, locker room, 6 private cabanas, private riverside pools and riverside seating. Guests will continue to enjoy 32 geothermal, freshwater and inspired pools, WorldSprings 21+ section, two cafes and luxury bath house throughout the season. The project should be completed in late summer/fall 2025. In summer 2024, Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort celebrated the grand opening of the highest hot spring water slide in Colorado. Located at an impressive 8,250 feet above sea level, the new 340-foot open double water slide winds with exhilarating curves, all fed by hot spring waters. The Durango Hot Springs Resort and Spa has plans for a zen garden with additional pools. The Springs Resort in Pagosa Springs is undergoing an expansion to double the number of hotel rooms and add 20 new hot springs pools along with a new geothermal spa, a geothermal greenhouse and a greenhouse-to-table restaurant to be completed in 2025.
Immersive Arts:
Arts and culture is an immersive experience in Colorado, and there are several new winter offerings to ignite the senses. The Sundance Institute selected Boulder as a finalist being considered to host the Sundance Film Festival starting in 2027. This fall, the Colorado Historic Opera Houses Circuit is reviving a Silver Rush tradition, bringing a tourist artist to multiple opera houses. In an innovative partnership, Central City Opera will present special youth-focused operas, which inspire and shine light on mental health issues, in three mountain communities (Leadville, Ouray, Roaring Fork Valley). The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) Off-Center and The Path Entertainment Group are proud to announce Denver as the U.S. tour launch of MONOPOLY LIFESIZED: Travel Edition (Oct 22, 2024 – Jan 5, 2025). Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak opens October 13, 2024 at the Denver Art Museum for a limited engagement featuring more than 400 artworks spanning his 65-year career. Aspen One’s long-standing art program Art in Unexpected Places - ArtUP, celebrates its 20th anniversary this season. Launched in 2005 through a collaboration with the Aspen Art Museum, ArtUP integrates art into the Aspen Snowmass ski resort and community experience, partnering with world-renowned artists.
Colorado For All:
Colorado strives to be a truly welcoming destination and offers experiences and access opportunities for everyone. The First Peoples Festival (January 18-19, 2025) will take place in Estes Park celebrating Indigenous culture, art, music, language, oral traditions and more. Learn about the Indigenous connection to the Estes Valley and Rocky Mountain National Park, and take part in cultural demonstrations and workshops. Girls rule winter in Colorado with ski areas across the state offering tailored programming to provide women skiers and riders the opportunity to take part in a welcoming, supportive and fun learning environment on the snow. Moxie Mountain Guides is a girl-powered guiding service in Ouray that strives to elevate those from marginalized communities so they can experience adventures such as ice climbing, skiing, ski mountaineering, rock climbing, and alpine climbing with pay what you should programming. 99ers, Denver’s first sports bar devoted to women’s sports, is slated to open early fall 2024. Aspen and Telluride roll out some of the liveliest gay ski weeks in the country. Several ski areas across the state also offer adaptive sports programming including the Crested Butte Adaptive Sports Center and The National Sports Center for the Disabled based out of Winter Park Resort. Colorado is the place where kids become lifelong skiers and snowboarders with unparalleled learning programs and terrain and offerings like Keystone Resort’s Kids Ski Freeprogram and Purgatory’s FREE Power Kids season pass for kids 12 and under. History Colorado has a number of ongoing series to deepen appreciation for the diverse history of Colorado, including its critically acclaimed podcast, a speaker series on how women change history, and programs highlighting the achievements of Black Coloradans. The Colorado Black History Trail is an interactive mobile app that maps sites and places of Black historical significance
Offbeat Snowventures:
There has been an emergence of off-beat and dynamic winter adventures for visitors to enjoy Colorado's snowy terrain, both on and off the slopes including new mountain coasters, curling, fat biking, new Via Ferrata offerings across the state, winter Jeeping, heliskiing, dog sledding, winter fly-fishing, snow kiting and more. The Lake City Ice Park will unveil Devil's Kitchen this winter season. This new expansion will more than double Pumphouse Park’s size, adding 500 feet of new ice climbing terrain. With over 30 new routes, climbers can look forward to even more diverse and challenging ascents. In addition to the Lake City Ice Park expansion, the Lake City Ski hill is also adding two new routes. Pitkin, formerly Quartzville, is the oldest incorporated town on the Western Slope of Colorado. The old mining and railroad outpost sits 27 miles northeast of Gunnison. For the first time since the railroad days, several Pitkin businesses will be open through the winter this year. There are plans to groom 31 miles of road all the way to Waunita Hot Springs for cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and fat biking. Tuxon Ranch, southwest Colorado’s premier equestrian center, is now open to the public and offering two-hour guided walking tours of its 115-acre property so visitors can explore the rich history of the equine industry and the Durango area's agricultural heritage. Adrenaline Driven Adventures in Grand Junction is expanding their offerings into winter to include guided snowmobile excursions to explore the breathtaking landscapes of the Grand Mesa National Forest and Uncompahgre National Forest. Located just 45 minutes from Denver and spanning 2,600 acres, Jones Pass Guides provides snowcat-accessed backcountry skiing and riding experiences and is adding a second snowcat this winter season to now offer Large Group Private Snowcat Reservations for 14-21 guests in addition to individual and small group reservations.
Colorado Adventures After Dark:
Colorado is now home to 11 International Dark Sky Parks and six International Dark Sky Communities, including the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area and the Town of Paonia that were designated in fall of 2024. Colorado Stargazing: Experience the Night is a self-guided stargazing tour that connects several Colorado locations known for their night skies and incredible stargazing opportunities.Colorado Stargazing: Experience the Night is a self-guided stargazing tour that connects several Colorado locations known for their night skies and incredible stargazing opportunities. Colorado’s sun-soaked skies and powder-capped peaks make it a winter wonderland filled with activities such as snowmobiling, tubing, ice skating, snowshoeing and so much more. And the fun doesn’t stop after the sun sets. Across Colorado, guests can experience winter adventures by moonlight. Keystone, Granby Ranch and Steamboat all offer night skiing on various runs. Copper Mountain hosts free full-moon snowshoe excursionsthrough the area’s forest to see the Earth’s natural satellite rise above the valley. During Ullr Nights at Snowmass,guests can board the gondola to Elk Camp for night time adventures like tubing, riding the alpine coaster, snowbiking and indulging in s'mores and hot chocolate by the bonfire. Beaver Creek Village’s ice-skating rink and surrounding fire pits offer a cozy place for hot cocoa, and ice bike rentals are also available. Snowshoe or cross-country ski to the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse outside of Leadville and enjoy an intimate, candlelit four-course dinner of classic Colorado cuisine. Similarly, Magic Meadows Yurt, a backcountry yurt outside of Crested Butte, provides a truly magical setting for moonlight snowshoe and cross-country ski dinners. Beano’s Cabin offers sleigh ride dinners up through Beaver Creek's iconic aspen groves to an exquisite gourmet dinner. Alpino Vino, one of the highest elevation restaurants in North America is a quaint European chalet on the Telluride Ski Resort that offers a prix fixe Northern Italian dinner accessible via a snow coach. Aspen’s legendary restaurant, the Pine Creek Cookhouse, is nestled at the base of the Elk Mountains and is accessible via cross-country skis, snowshoes or horse drawn sleigh. Arapahoe Basin's annual Moonlight Dinner Series highlights cuisines from mountain regions of the world and are held at the Black Mountain Lodge at mid-mountain accessible by riding the Black Mountain Express Lift.
Looking Ahead:
Looking ahead, Colorado is excited to welcome other major travel developments to consider for longer lead story opportunities. The America 250 – Colorado 150 Commission is gearing up for the twin anniversaries of the nation – which is turning 250, our Semiquincentennial – and the Centennial State, Colorado – turning 150, our Sesquicentennial – in 2026. Excitement continues to build in Keystone with their recent terrain expansion, a new town and now the construction of a new luxury base area development, Kindred Resort opening in summer 2025 with a 107-room hotel, 95 residences, a private club, three new restaurants and retail. Aspen Hospitality and the University of Colorado Boulder will unveil the Limelight Hotel Boulder set to be Boulder’s largest meeting and events facility of its kind slated to open in the summer of 2025. The historic Tabor Opera House in Leadville will complete an exterior remodeling within the next two years. The Stanley Film Center will be a venue for not only watching and celebrating film, it will also be a creative space for making film, art, and literature at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. Blumhouse, the driving force in horror, will exclusively curate the 10,000+ square-foot Stanley Film Center exhibit space. The Mighty Argo Cable Car in Idaho Springs will take riders 1.2 miles from the Argo Mill up Rosa Gulch to the mountain top Argo Landing, which will feature pedestrian plazas, viewing decks, an observation trestle, creative food and beverage options, an amphitheater and more to open in late 2025. Monarch Mountain will unveil a major expansion into the No Name Basin. The development will add 377 acres of skiable terrain on the west side of the Continental Divide in winter 25/26.
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ABOUT COLORADO: Colorado is a four-season destination offering unparalleled adventure and recreational pursuits, a thriving arts scene, a rich cultural heritage, flavorful cuisine and 28 renowned ski areas and resorts. The state's breathtaking scenic landscape boasts natural hot springs, the headwaters of seven major rivers, many peaceful lakes and reservoirs, 12 national parks and monuments, 26 scenic and historic byways and 58 mountain peaks that top 14,000 feet. For more information or a copy of the Colorado Official State Vacation Guide, visit www.COLORADO.comor call 1-800 COLORADO. Follow Colorado on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
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