Winter Park / Fraser Valley Activities

Golf:
Enjoy high-altitude golf at the following golf courses: Pole Creek Golf Club, SolVista Golf Club, Grand Elk Ranch & Club, and Grand Lake Golf Course.

Mountain Biking:
The Fraser Valley offers approximately 600 miles of interconnected, mapped and unmapped maintained trails. Twelve full-service retail and rental shops satisfy bikers' equipment needs. Mountain bikers of all abilities can join the guided Community Ride for men and women on Thursdays, which meets at Beavers Sports Shop in Winter Park and begins at 6 p.m. sharp. The weekly Ladies Ride meets at King's Crossing shopping plaza on Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. and is an excellent opportunity for locals and visitors to ride together.

Camping:
Four campgrounds (Byers Peak, St. Louis Creek, Robber's Roost and Idlewild) are operated by the Lions Club on National Forest land. Reservations are not accepted.

Hiking and Backpacking:
The valley is home to some of the most scenic hiking trails in the Rocky Mountains. Day and overnight hikes to the surrounding peaks of the Arapaho National Forest and Continental Divide are easily accessible. Trail maps and overnight permits are available through the U.S. Forest Service at (970) 887-4100.

High Country Stampede Rodeo:
This outdoor rodeo attracts cowboys and cowgirls from around the Rocky Mountain region every Saturday night from July 5-Aug. 26 at the John Work Arena in Fraser. The evening begins with a western-style barbecue at 5:30 p.m.

Adventure Activities:
Options include rafting on the Colorado, Eagle, Clear Creek and Arkansas Rivers (full and half days available), hot air ballooning, horseback riding and guided fly-fishing tours.

Museums:
The area is rich with history - from the Ute Indians to the settlers who arrived with the logging and railroad industries. The Fraser Visitor Center and Cozens Ranch Museum offer a glimpse into the characters, events and industries that shaped this valley.

Shopping:
Summer is the time for bargains in the Fraser Valley. Local shops hold sidewalk sales throughout the summer months to close-out winter clothing and equipment and the latest in summer equipment and apparel. Gift and specialty shops offer a wide variety of mountain souvenirs.
     
GRAND COUNTY ACTIVITIES  

Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest:
One million acres of National Forest land in Grand County is open for biking, fishing, hiking, backpacking, camping and boating along the Continental Divide.

Grand Lake:
This summer resort community is home to the world's highest yacht club, Colorado's largest natural lake, and the Grand Lake Golf Course. The town is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park and the Three Lakes District that includes Lake Granby, Shadow Mountain Reservoir and Grand Lake.

Rocky Mountain National Park:
One of the nation's most popular national parks due to its dramatic scenery and abundance of wildlife including moose, elk, mountain goats and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. Motorists can travel U.S. Highway 34 from Granby, to Grand Lake and Trail Ridge Road, which is the nation's highest continuously paved highway.

TOWN 
Downtown Winter Park is located two miles (3.2 kilometers) from Winter Park Resort. More than 40 restaurants and bars, a movie theater, shops, day spas, recreational activities and other services are available.

Contact: 
Winter Park/Fraser Valley Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 3236
Winter Park, Colorado 80482
(toll free U.S. and Canada) (800) 903-7275
(local and international) (970) 726-4118
e-mail: chamber@winterpark-info.com
web: www.winterpark-info.com

Fun Within & Beyond the City Limits

Whether it’s a break from the world-class hiking or mountain biking, or visitors are just looking for a leisurely day in the Fraser Valley as part of a weekend getaway, Winter Park, downtown and beyond its city limits, has plenty of things to see and do this summer.

The five mile-long Fraser River Trail makes an introduction to the town, either on bike or on foot. The wide and relatively flat trail begins in the town of Fraser and winds its way through meadows and under pines, eventually following the Fraser Valley River to Winter Park Resort. Along the way, visitors see what Winter Park and the Fraser Valley have to offer by way of museums, scenic picnic areas, kids’ fishing ponds, shops, restaurants and more.

Winter Park’s museums and galleries are a good place to find local arts, crafts and culture. The Walk Through History Park in Fraser, at the west end of the Fraser Valley Trail, features a collection of life-size wooden sculptures portraying the early days of the American West. Further east, the trail stops in at one of the valley’s earliest homes, now maintained as the Stagestop at Cozens Ranch. Art galleries in Fraser and downtown Winter Park feature the best work of local and Colorado artists and artisans. Shops that carry books, gifts, western wear, and off-season deals on skiwear, are found all over town.

The YMCA of the Rockies/Snow Mountain Ranch offers an inexpensive day pass to sample the swimming pool, basketball courts, miniatures golf, craft shop and roller skating facilities.

Water-lovers can enjoy river rafting and a variety of fishing options. Mad Adventures offers several river trips including a gentle float down the Colorado River and a white-knuckle ride through white water in the nearby Arkansas River. Hook-friendly fish are abundant in the gold medal rivers and streams around the valley. If the fish prove too evasive, Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort holds fly-fishing clinics that cover the basics of casting to showing avid anglers secret river stashes.

For nighttime entertainment, the Silver Screen Cinema in downtown Winter Park shows first-run movies. Some of the area bars feature local and visiting musicians. Visitors craving the blues can catch some “blues from the top” with visiting singers and instrumentalists at one of the frequent Grand County Blues Society’s shows at Smokin’ Moe’s restaurant. The Fraser Town Park becomes a locals’ favorite gathering place for evening music concerts featuring local talent.

For information on these county-wide activities, contact the Winter Park-Fraser Valley Chamber of Commerce at www.winterpark-info.com or call 1-800-903-7275.