7 Reasons Why Denver, Colorado is a Great Winter Vacation
It is a beautiful October morning with a slight chill in the air as I work on this post. I’m working from one of my favorite coffee shop patios in town and enjoying the sunshine. I love the months of October through July the most in Denver. There’s a lot to do, the mountains are capped with snow and Denver’s summer tourist season shifts to the mountains for ski season. I love that for us. Here are TK reasons why Denver, Colorado is a great winter vacation and some of the reasons might surprise you.
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Denver Has Great Winter Weather
I’ll never forget going to college in the northeast and being completely confused by the questions I would get asked about Denver’s weather. At that time we did have more winter storms. However, the storms would hit and then the snow would melt quickly. In recent years the weather has gotten increasingly milder due to global warming. Denver’s weather is consistently pretty nice. It’s nice enough that I enjoy trolling people on social media on the days that I’m working from a nice patio somewhere around town.
Denver is also consistently incredibly sunny. I love the sun so much. The skies are often blue, vibrant and beautiful and on the days that it’s cloudy-it’s still really beautiful outside. How to plan for Denver’s winter weather for a visit:
What to Pack
Denver, Colorado is a great Winter Vacation until you have to pack. Visitors will need to prepare for a couple of unexpected things such as weather, the environment and fun.
- Bring layers-the weather can change pretty quickly
- Beanie-Keep your head warm! You’ll see people of all ages wearing beanies.
- Sweater or Sweatshirts-A heavier layer with a light layer underneath.
- Comfortable walking boots-I love Sorels for this. A pair of comfortable waterproof boots for walking around town or the mountains.
- Sunblock-It’s sunny here and if you’re outside you’ll want to protect your skin.
- Lotion and lip balm-It’s ridiculously dry here. You’ll notice it right a way.
- Water bottle-You’l notice Coloradans carrying water bottles and that’s because it’s dry here.
- Swim suit-You may end up in a hot spring or hot tub.
You Can Go Skiing
Colorado’s ski season seems to be subtly shifting because of global warming. You can typically begin skiing from then end of October through June (A Basin). My favorite months for heading to the slopes are January through the end of March.
If you don’t plan on renting a car while you’re in town, I wrote a whole post sharing how you can go to ski resorts without a car. If you’re looking for communities to go skiing with there are several and you could plan your visit around some of their regular trips to the mountains. I’ve included a couple of my favorite upcoming events below.
- Colorado Kick Back-BIPOC Mountain Collective: December 12-December 15, 2024
- This is a multi mountain ski event. I’m so excited for this.
- Breckenridge Ullrfest-Breckenridge is one of my favorite mountain towns. This is a fun event that you can attend during a ski visit to Breckenridge. December 12-December 15, 2024
- Tommelfest (Devil’s Thumb Ranch) December 14
- Women’s Ski Sip and Yoga (Devil’s Thumb Ranch) January 12
Unique Winter Experiences
There are a couple of truly unique winter experiences that I try to always enjoy every year. I’ve shared a few below.
- Breckenridge International Snow Sculpture Festival-I absolutely LOVE this event and try to attend as often as possible.
- January 20-January 25, 2025
- Ice Castles in Cripple Creek or Eagle County-I am so excited that there’s a second location!! I’m going to test out how to get there via bus from Vail. Once I do that I will share how you can do that if you’re car-free.
- Frozen Dead Guy Days-One of the funniest things that I have to explain each year is this event. It’s a huge party and if you get a chance to go-you’ll love it.
- March 14-March 16
Head to the Hot Springs
One of the cool things about living in Colorado is the opportunity to enjoy nature. Yes, we love to hike, bike, ski, etc. We also enjoy long soaks in the many hot springs across the state. There are large ones, small ones, springs you find in random spots outdoors and gorgeous facilities built around naturally occurring springs.
A Great City for Coffee Lovers
Denver is one of the best coffee cities in the United States. We have a ridiculous number of local roasters, coffee shops and unique coffee experiences to be explored. If you’re the type of person who loves to linger in a space, read a book and sip a delicious cup of coffee or tea-Denver is a fantastic city to do that in.
Fun Cultural Experiences to Be Enjoyed
I’m a huge theater and dance fan and enjoy heading to the Denver Center for Performing Arts and other venues across the city to enjoy the many cultural events we have in town. If you’re a ballet fan the Colorado Ballet is wonderful to watch. Love theater? There are so many incredible shows to choose from and I’m really excited about The Wiz coming to town Spring 2025.
Sports Fans Love Denver
In addition to loving theater I love sports. In a past life I was a cheerleader and just loved watching my favorite teams win! During winter you can enjoy professional hockey, basketball and lacrosse being played regularly in town. There are also professional ski events being hosted in the mountains as well such as X Games Aspen (get on the waitlist)
Denver, Colorado is a Great Winter Vacation
If you’re thinking about visiting Denver this winter-DO! It’s a wonderful city for a quick winter vacation where you can combine city and outdoors experiences to create a magical trip. Bring layers and some thick socks and be prepared to have a fantastic time while you’re in town.