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Welcome Back Winter: Colorado Unveils What’s New For The 2026–27 Season

DENVER, Colo. (October 2026)--Colorado is turning up the volume on winter. This season, the Sundance Film Festival finds its new home in Boulder, legendary ski resorts celebrate milestone anniversaries and major new experiences debut across the state. Add snow-covered adventures, buzzy après-ski spots, and new reasons to explore beyond the slopes, and the 2026–27 season delivers a fresh take on the state's iconic winter experience.

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 Legendary Ski Resorts Prepare To Welcome Back Winter In Style:

From first chair to last call, Colorado’s legendary ski resorts deliver world-class skiing, lively après, standout dining and quintessential mountain-town magic. This season, milestone anniversaries, major upgrades and buzzy new experiences are giving travelers plenty of reasons to hit the slopes. 

  • Arapahoe Basin: Celebrates 80 years in 2026 with special events, moonlight dinners, themed après, live music and a history exhibit. Expanded Ikon Pass access, first-timer lessons under $100 and $80 Wednesday lift tickets add to the appeal.
  • Aspen Snowmass: Marks its 80th anniversary, celebrating eight decades of skiing, community and mountain history. The all-new Nell Bell high-speed quad chairlift on Aspen Mountain provides direct access to the top of Bell Mountain from Gondola Plaza.
  • Beaver Creek: Hosts the biggest Birds of Prey festival yet, Dec. 3–13, featuring seven World Cup competitions across two weekends of men’s and women’s racing.
  • Breckenridge: Launches The Kingdom of Breck™, with new and returning events, including the Rockstar Energy Open, plus on-mountain investments.
  • Copper Mountain: Welcomes two World Cup events: the Stifel Copper Cup, Nov. 28–29, with a free O.A.R. concert, and the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix, showcasing top halfpipe skiers and snowboarders.
  • Snowmass: Reopens Ullrhof after a $42 million transformation, more than doubling capacity to 600-plus and introducing Aspen Snowmass’s first all-electric on-mountain restaurant.
  • Steamboat: Breaks ground on a new water ramp and trampoline training center, giving athletes a Colorado-based summer training facility.
  • Vail Mountain and Beaver Creek: Introduce Epic Ascent, elevating private lessons with a dedicated concierge service, gear delivery and trip coordination.
  • Winter Park: Adds an extra hour of weekend skiing, with lifts opening at 8 a.m. starting in mid-December.

Colorado’s Smaller, Gem Ski Areas Are Making Big Moves And Offering Big Savings:
Beyond the marquee mountains, Colorado’s smaller ski resorts deliver big-mountain fun with a more laid-back, less-crowded vibe, offering affordable lift tickets and a unique variety of terrain and experiences.

  • Cuchara Mountain Park: Revives lift-served skiing in 2026 after 25 years, with Lift 4 returning.
  • Monarch Mountain: Adds $49 beginner lessons and builds on its No Name Basin terrain expansion.
  • Powderhorn: Celebrates 60 years with affordable passes, free beginner lessons and the new Wild West Express chairlift.
  • Purgatory Resort: Debuts the Colorado Couloir, a new triple chairlift serving five new trails and two connector trails, creating a new lift-served access point to the upper mountain and expanding advanced and expert terrain.
  • Silverton Mountain: Introduces private small-group heli-skiing for up to three guests.
  • Ski Cooper: Keeps lift-ticket and season-pass prices flat, with 480 acres of natural snow and no lift lines.
  • Wolf Creek Ski Area: Invests more than $2 million in logging operations to enhance terrain and skiing conditions.
  • Gems Discount Card: Offers discounted adult lift tickets for two visits at each of Colorado Ski Country’s 10 Gems resorts.

Boulder Gets Ready For Its Sundance Film Festival Close-Up: 

The Sundance Film Festival makes Boulder its new home in January 2027, bringing world premieres, conversations and special events to the city’s vibrant arts, culinary and outdoor scene.

  • Sundance Venues News: The festival comes to life across a carefully selected collection of Boulder’s most iconic and storied theaters and gathering spaces. all within a 2-mile radius.
    • Built in 1898 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Chautauqua Auditorium is undergoing significant renovations, including winterization with sustainable geothermal heating and construction of an innovative temporary tent structure to enable year-round performances by 2027. This will allow winter performances for the first time while preserving the Auditorium’s historic integrity.
    • The historic Boulder Theater's iconic terracotta facade underwent an 8-year restoration project that was unveiled in late 2025, preserving one of the city’s most beloved landmarks.
    • eTown Hall is a solar-powered world-class live music venue, full-service recording studio and community center and is quite possibly the greenest music and media center in Colorado.
    • The University of Colorado Boulder is undergoing significant upgrades to Macky Auditorium Concert Hall, Muenzinger Auditorium and Roe Green Theatre.
  • Lodging News:
    • Steps from Pearl Street, Hotel Boulderado blends early-20th-century charm with modern amenities and remains a defining fixture in the community. A phased renovation of the hotel’s spaces is underway, with updates that honor the hotel’s historic elements.
    • Limelight Boulder opened in late 2025 as an all-electric community hub featuring 250 guest rooms, a ground-floor restaurant, an outdoor plaza, an event lawn and a second-story “viewpoint deck” with unbeatable views of the Flatirons and steps from campus.
  • Attractions:
    • In 2027, Boulder’s beloved Pearl Street Mall will celebrate its 50th anniversary, marking five decades as the heartbeat of downtown Boulder.
    • Meet Boulder's Ski Area, Eldora Mountain Resort: Just 21 miles from Boulder is Eldora, a winter wonderland with 10 ski lifts, miles of snowshoeing and nordic trails, good vibes and great views.
    • Project Junglee opened in summer 2026 on Pearl Street as Boulder's first year-round hub built for Global Majority adventurers and artists.
    • Boulder’s iconic Bluebird Music Festival (April 22-25, 2027) expands to four days at three venues including Macky Auditorium, the Velvet Elk Lounge and for the first time, two nights at Boulder’s Chautauqua Auditorium.
    • New Dining Offerings: Small city, massive food scene. Boulder's 400-plus restaurants, pioneering chefs, 10 Michelin-recognized gems, and 50 indie coffee shops welcome Sundance.
    • Morso is an Italian-American restaurant and bar opened in July 2026 by acclaimed Chef Hosea Rosenberg, behind MICHELIN recognized Blackbelly and Santo.
    • Odd Rabbit opened in May 2026 as a "traditionally non-traditional" sushi and ramen concept from the restaurateurs behind Denver's MICHELIN recognized glo Noodle House.
    • Casa Juani opened in spring 2026 and celebrates the owner’s deep exploration of Spain. Casa Juani was featured on Bon Appetit's 19 "Best New Restaurants of 2026” and also became a new 2026 Michelin Recommended selection.
    • Launched in April 2026, Wellness Counter is a premium Japanese sushi and chef's tasting experience located in Boulder.
    • Cinq à Sept, is a new Parisian bistro from Bryan Dayton and the hospitality team behind Boulder’s famed Corrida, Oak and C Burger that opened in North Boulder in late summer 2026. Dayton’s team also acquired The Kitchen American Bistro in Boulder and Denver in fall 2026.
    • San San, a new American Chinese restaurant from James Beard Award semifinalist Edwin Zoe, opened in downtown Boulder in August 2026.
  • Getting There:
    • There will be free shuttles running from downtown Denver to Boulder and available to travelers who book a downtown Denver hotel through the Sundance lodging website. The Flatiron Flyer bus provides seamless travel between Denver Union Station and downtown Boulder.

New 2026/27 Lodging Offerings - Where the Stay is Part of the Adventure : Sweet dreams are sure to be had after a day of adventuring with several exciting new lodging offerings debuting across the state in winter 2026/27. 

  • Kindred Resort will open for its first winter season in Keystone offering a 107-room hotel, 95 residences, a private club, three new restaurants and retail, transforming the Keystone base village experience.
  • White Elephant Aspen welcomes its first winter season bringing its inimitable mix of service, style and hospitality to Aspen. Exclusive winter experiences include before-hour ski runs on Aspen Mountain, private snowcat backcountry experiences through Aspen Powder Tours, winter fly fishing on the Roaring Fork River, and snowmobile tours to Maroon Bells.
  • The Buxton, a new boutique hotel in Ft. Collins, marks its inaugural winter season, featuring monthly live music showcases at country-glam bar The Caldwell.
  • The Lookout Towers will debut this winter in Alma, near Breckenridge, spanning the gap between luxury lodging and glamping.
  • The St. Elmo Hotel in Ouray recently renovated and expanded to 12 rooms, blending historic charm with modern comforts, an upgraded sauna and a vinyl listening lounge. The hotel was originally built in 1898 by the town’s first female property owner.
  • The Timberline Condominiums and The Stonebridge Inn in Snowmass both reopen for the winter season after a $25 million and $15.7 million-dollar investments, respectively.
  • Magnolia Hotel Denver has partnered with Little Blue Pigeon, a new, independent, women- and family-owned bookstore in Denver’s Larimer Square, to launch a quarterly book retreat series.
  • The Westin Riverfront has partnered with Walking Mountains Science Center to host weekly "Nature at Night” educational events from 4 to 5 p.m. in the lobby that are free and open to the public.
  • Colorado now has one two-key hotel and 15 one-key properties in the MICHELIN Hotel Guide with two new additions for 2026 including The Broadmoor and the Mining Exchange Hotel, both in Colorado Springs. 

Colorado is All in on Apres-Ski:
Colorado’s après-ski scene is as diverse as its mountains, with everything from lively slopeside parties and craft breweries to cozy fireside lounges, elevated cocktails and live music, making the fun last long after the lifts close.

  • Beaver Creek: Elevates its culinary scene this winter with new dining and après experiences, including the exclusive Last Drop Whiskey Tasting, Spruce Saddle Cabin Corner and Boots & Bubbles at Mamie’s, plus the return of the popular Alpine Table Series.
  • Vail: Keeps the après going with Après All Day at Express Lift, featuring more than 50 DJ performances throughout the season. Pop-Up Mountaintop Music will debut this winter and include surprise performances by top-tier artists at Eagle's Nest rooftop and other mountaintop locations. The 10th at Mid Vail brings back the two martini lunch while the new Vail Ice Bar revives a longtime tradition near the Legendary Back Bowls Gate. Plus, Dine with the Dogs at Buffalo's returns December 13 and February 21, offering a chance to meet Vail's avalanche dogs and handlers, enjoy complimentary hot dogs and shop premium gear.
  • Breckenridge: Live music takes center stage this winter with DJs every Friday and Saturday at the famed T-Bar on Peak 8, plus the new ski-in, ski-out Après at the Overlook series. Breck is also bringing its playful personality to the mountain with fun new dining experiences, including T-Bar's Ullr Time Mega Shotski and Ski Hill Grill's Instagram-worthy Hot Dog Towers.
  • Winter Park: No winter season would be complete without Mountaintop Après at Sunspot, and to make it even more memorable, Winter Park Resort is unveiling new elements to the popular after-ski celebration, which will kick off in mid-December. 

Signature Events Worth Celebrating:

From quirky mountain-town traditions to world-class competitions, Colorado’s winter calendar is packed with events that celebrate the state’s distinctive Western heritage, outdoor culture and festive mountain spirit.

The New West Is Having A Moment:

Colorado’s Western heritage is getting a contemporary makeover, with new ranch retreats, luxury wilderness escapes and iconic Western institutions blending authentic traditions with elevated experiences.

  • Trinchera Reserve and Lodge: Opened in summer 2026, this 172,000-acre conservation retreat in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains offers customized High Alpine Safaris, all-inclusive stays and wilderness exploration. It will close for further renovations this winter, and will reopen year-round in spring 2027.
  • 84 Ranch: A new regenerative ranch retreat near Pagosa Springs, featuring cozy cabins, winter wellness amenities, farm-to-table dining and sustainable-farming experiences.
  • Honey Rock Landing: Celebrates its first year with Cave Suites, wellness retreats, a new outdoor pool and a working greenhouse growing fresh winter produce.
  • Tumbling River Ranch: Welcomes guests for its first winter following an $8 million renovation, with snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and private access to Pike National Forest.
  • Dunton Hot Springs: The historic mining town turned luxury resort recently completed a multiyear renovation, refreshing its iconic structures while preserving their historic character.
  • Smith Fork Ranch: This exclusive-use guest ranch pairs refreshed historic log homes with contemporary design and a new riverside spa.
  • National Western Center: Denver’s 250-acre campus has launched its new Livestock Center, expanding its lineup of concerts, tradeshows and Western events.
  • Rockmount Ranch Wear: The iconic Lower Downtown Denver Western wear business celebrates its 80th anniversary.

Winter Wellness Is Heating Up:
In Colorado, wellness isn’t just a trend, it is a lifestyle. Historians estimate that as many as one-third of Colorado’s early settlers moved to the state for health-related reasons. Today, that long standing connection to wellness and longevity continues to inspire travelers.

  • VESPR is a new 40-acre wellness destination opening west of Denver in late 2026, blending Indigenous-inspired teachings with breathwork, sound baths, sauna, cold plunges and advanced recovery technology.
  • The award-winning Colorado Historic Hot Springs Loop offers America’s most relaxing road trip through eight top soaking destinations.
  • The Collective Snowmass offers new wellness programming this season including special sessions for sound healing, tarot readings, breathwork, and new moon events.
  • Iron Mountain Hot Springs recently expanded with The Summit, a circuit of saunas, steam rooms, salt rooms and cold plunge pools inspired by wellness destinations across the world.
  • The Bohemian Bier Spa opened in Glenwood Springs in summer 2026, offering a unique and relaxing experience that combines the benefits of a traditional spa with the therapeutic advantages of beer.
  • The Wiesbaden Hotel & Hot Springs in Ouray, which dates back to 1879, is undergoing renovations this winter. Once a hospital, it offered arthritis relief in its basement vapor caves in the 1920s.
  • Spa Monarch in Blackhawk combines global healing traditions with Colorado-inspired treatments, plus sound therapy, herbal steam rooms, a rooftop infinity pool and relaxation lounges.
  • Hotel 1888 and the Yampah Vapor Caves in Glenwood Springs are offering a new Vapor Cave Spa Package which pairs a stay at Hotel 1888 with hot springs access, an 80-minute massage and two hours in Yampah’s historic vapor caves.

Colorado Looks To The Stars: 

New for 2026, the Colorado Tourism Office launched the Colorado Stargazing Trail that maps a constellation of Colorado’s certified International Dark Sky Parks and Communities, along with unique stargazing events and experiences. The new trail gives travelers a tool for planning unforgettable trips under Colorado’s night skies. Colorado is now home to 13 International Dark Sky Parks, nine International Dark Sky Communities, and as of September 2026, its first Urban Night Sky Place at Golden Gate Canyon State Park. The town of Frisco became Colorado’s newest Dark Sky Community in August 2026. Across Colorado, guests can experience winter adventures by moonlight.

  • Night Skiing: Keystone Resort, Granby Ranch and Steamboat Resort offer after-dark skiing, while Keystone adds nighttime adventures at its World’s Largest Mountaintop Snow Fort.
  • Ullr Nights: Snowmass brings nighttime fun to Elk Camp with tubing, an alpine coaster, snowbiking, s’mores and hot chocolate.
  • Backcountry Yurt Dining: Snowshoe or cross-country ski to Tennessee Pass Cookhouse near Leadville for a four-course Colorado-inspired dinner or to Magic Meadows Yurt in Crested Butte for a moonlight dining experience.
  • Sleigh-Ride Suppers: Pine Creek Cookhouse near Aspen offers a memorable mountain dining experience, accessible by skis, snowshoes or horse-drawn sleigh. Two Below Zero in Frisco offers dinner sleigh rides along the Frisco Peninsula.
  • Moonlight Dinners: Arapahoe Basin Ski Area hosts global mountain-inspired dinners at Black Mountain Lodge, reached by chairlift or uphill skiing.
  • Sunset Skiing: Copper Mountain’s Aerie Sunset Ski events feature after-hours lift access, dinner, drinks and live music.
  • Astronomy Tours: Book a winter guided stargazing tour in Boulder or Breckenridge with AstroTours. 

Adventure and New Experiences Go Well Beyond The Slopes: 

From ice climbing, fat biking and Via Ferrata routes to winter Jeeping, heliskiing, dog sledding, snow kiting and winter fly-fishing, Colorado offers no shortage of ways to play in the snow and have new experiences.

  • The Mighty Argo Cable Car: Makes its winter debut in Idaho Springs, whisking visitors 1.2 miles from the historic Argo Mill to mountaintop Argo Landing, with panoramic views, dining, an amphitheater and access to 28-plus miles of trails.
  • Arrowhead Nordic: Colorado’s newest cross-country ski area expands to 25 kilometers for 2026–27, adding beginner-friendly and advanced terrain, ski-in/ski-out lodging and dining, plus the CMU Nordic Invitational Feb. 13–14, 2027.
  • The Leonardo da Vinci Museum of North America opened in summer 2026 in Pueblo, featuring life-sized machine replicas based on Leonardo da Vinci’s sketches, STEAM exhibits and interactive displays. The Pueblo Museum is the only permanent home in North America for Leonardo da Vinci’s model-based exhibits.
  • The Stanley Chocolate Factory Carousel opened in fall 2026 in Estes Park. Housed in a specially designed pavilion adjoining the restored 1909 church. The carousel features 18 hand-painted carousel figures and an accessible wheelchair chariot, putting a fresh spin on the classic carousel experience.
  • Colorado Skijoring: This high-octane Western spectacle pairs horses and riders with skiers racing at speeds of 35–40 mph. Colorado’s packed circuit spans nine mountain towns, with events running January through March 2027.
  • Ice Climbing in Ouray & Lake City: Trade skis for crampons and axes at the world-renowned Ouray Ice Park, where frozen waterfalls and towering ice walls create one of Colorado’s most unique winter playgrounds. Lake City Ice Park's newest wall, Devil's Kitchen, brings the park to four areas and 100-plus farmed-ice routes on pitches from 60 to 170-plus feet.
  • Dog Sledding: Mush through snow-covered forests and mountain valleys behind a team of energetic sled dogs, with guided excursions available near destinations including Steamboat Springs, Winter Park and Breckenridge.
  • Winter Via Ferrata: Climb high above the valley on a protected mountain route using steel cables, ladders and iron rungs. Telluride’s Via Ferrata offers an especially dramatic winter experience with views of the San Juan Mountains.
  • Snowcat Skiing: Go beyond the boundaries of the traditional ski resort with guided snowcat excursions into powder-filled backcountry terrain in destinations including Loveland, Purgatory, Steamboat, Aspen, Vail and Monarch Mountain. Colorado operators offer access to remote slopes, fresh tracks and big-mountain views without the crowds or chairlift lines.

What’s New on Colorado’s Award-Winning Culinary Scene:

Colorado’s culinary scene blends established talent with innovative newcomers. In 2026, the MICHELIN Guide expanded statewide, recognizing 63 restaurants across 22 cuisine types in 10 destinations, with Denver’s Milpero earning a new One-Star distinction. Chef Penelope Wong of Yuan Wonton was named the James Beard Foundation’s 2026 Best Chef: Mountain. A few new mouthwatering highlights:

  • The Stockton Steakhouse, Denver: Award-winning restaurateur Bryan Dayton is debuting the Stockton in late 2026, an upscale steak house inside the National Western Complex’s Exchange building that will showcase his Corrida Cattle Company’s beef.
  • Heretík, Denver: James Beard semifinalist Chef Theo Adley brings the culinary traditions of Northeast Spain and Southern France to his second restaurant project.
  • Forage, Breckenridge: Opened in summer 2026, this 12-course tasting experience pairs Colorado-sourced ingredients with storytelling inspired by local art, history and nature.
  • Tiki Bird, Grand Junction: A new downtown restaurant from the owners of Palisade’s acclaimed Peche serving globally inspired chicken dishes and rum-forward cocktails in a laid-back setting.
  • Antithesis, Cañon City: Opened in August 2026 inside the historic 1884 Robison Mansion, this destination restaurant combines Colorado ingredients with global techniques and a 1920s-inspired speakeasy.
  • Amara, Carbondale: A Mediterranean restaurant from two Little Nell alumni, known for tableside tinned-fish service and Tuesday paella dinners.
  • La Vie En Rose, Denver: This Parisian-inspired Champagne and cocktail bar opened in RiNo in September, featuring more than 120 Champagne selections, French-inspired bites and elegant interiors.
  • Bier Touren, Fort Collins: Heads into its first full winter, shuttling guests between local breweries in a vintage Swiss Pinzgauer.

Looking Ahead:

  • Snowmass Ice Age Discovery: Summer 2027 will bring the next phase of excavation at Ziegler Reservoir, site of the 2010 Snowmass Ice Age Discovery—the richest high-altitude Ice Age ecosystem ever discovered. The project is a collaboration among the Town of Snowmass Village, Snowmass Water & Sanitation District, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Aspen Skiing Company and Aspen Science Center.
  • Aspen/Pitkin County Airport Modernization: Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) will temporarily close from April 4 to Nov. 19, 2027, allowing crews to complete critical improvements as part of the airport’s modernization project. The airport is expected to reopen ahead of the 2027–28 ski season.
  • The Beckwith-Crested Butte: Crested Butte’s Elevation Hotel & Spa is being transformed into The Beckwith-Crested Butte, slated for completion in winter 2027–28. The property will be the only ski-in, ski-out hotel at the base of Crested Butte Mountain.
  • Rodeo Dunes: A new public golf resort set across more than 4,000 acres of towering sand dunes, Rodeo Dunes will offer member play beginning in 2026, followed by a public grand opening in 2027.
  • Imperial Hotel Breckenridge: The 36-key Imperial Hotel at the base of Peak 8 will be the final slopeside resort built in Breckenridge. The property will feature hotel rooms, fractional residences and a limited collection of slopeside chalets, with a partial opening planned for December 2027 and full completion in winter 2029.
  • After Sunset Hotel & Resort: A 202-room hotel and resort is planned for northern Colorado Springs near the Ford Amphitheater, with an anticipated opening in 2027.

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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.com or call 1-800 COLORADO. Follow Colorado on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

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