While springtime in the Rockies brings plenty of snow, temperatures across the state begin to warm, and unique experiences beckon travelers to break away from the ordinary. Below is a list of lodging packages, seasonal events and springtime experiences travelers can enjoy this spring. For more information, visit www.Colorado.com.
Spring Lodging Deals and Packages
Double Down on Lodging at Winter Park: Guests visiting Winter Park who book a two-night stay receive 50 percent off the second night of the stay and 25 percent off additional nights when booking before March 2. This deal applies to stays before April 30. Additionally, guests can enjoy the Winter Park Triple Play deal and ski any three days from April 1 through the end of the season for less than $50 a day.
Frozen Worlds Weekends at YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park: YMCA of the Rockies is offering specially-themed Frozen Worlds weekends from March 13 through April 2 with counselor-led activities for all ages including snow fort building, snowflake crafts, educational polar bear and deer talks, penguin egg races, winter science experiments and more. Frozen Worlds activities are free for overnight guests or day passes are available for $25 per person. Cabins ranging from 2-4 bedrooms start at $109 per night, and lodge rooms are available starting at $89 per night.
Glenwood Hot Springs Resort & Sunlight Mountain Resort Offer Soak & Slope Combos: Travelers to Glenwood Springs can hit the slopes at Sunlight Mountain Resort for the day and then soak tired muscles and stay overnight in a comfy bed at Glenwood Hot Springs Resort (GHSR) through the Ski Swim Stay Package. All adults registered at GHSR through Ski Swim Stay receive Sunlight Mountain Resort lift tickets and free transportation to and from the mountain. The package also includes a full hot breakfast poolside at the Grill and unlimited access to Glenwood Hot Springs Pool. Additionally, one child (age 12 and under) per paying adult receives a free lift ticket. This package is available through April 5, 2020.
Mavens of Wine Package, The Maven Hotel, Denver: Visitors can explore the burgeoning wine scene at Denver’s Diary Block micro-district with the curated new Mavens of Wine package from The Maven Hotel. Guests can start off at Dairy Block’s Poka Lola Social Club, with two pours of red or white wine paired with an artisan charcuterie board. Next, head across the Alley to Blanchard Family Wines – which offers a Sonoma wine country experience in downtown Denver – for a wine tasting flight and hand-selected chocolate pairings. Cap off the evening with two delicious pours of wine at Cellar at Denver Milk Market, Dairy Block’s all-local, all-wonderful mix of restaurants and bars by Chef Frank Bonanno. This package is priced at $219 per night.
Ski & CBD Spring Break Getaway at Vail Mountain Lodge: Located creekside in the heart of the Vail Village, this boutique luxury hotel is just a short walk from Vail’s Gondola One for easy access to the slopes as well as Vail’s famous Bridge Street for shopping and nightlife. The Vail Mountain Lodge Ski & CBD package includes ten percent off of three nights’ lodging, two 50-minute CBD massages including gratuity.
Ski Extravaganza Package at The Windsor Hotel, Del Norte: The Windsor, located just 45 minutes from Wolf Creek Ski Area, is offering its Ski Extravaganza package now until the end of the ski season. Guests who show valid lift tickets for that day to Wolf Creek will receive a nightly room rate of $100 or if two nights are booked, they receive the 3rd night for free.
Spring Break at C Lazy U Ranch, Granby: This spring break, guests can enjoy western hospitality at C Lazy U Ranch. Packed with activities for the entire family, guests can indulge at the top-rated spa, embark on a horseback ride or take in the majestic views of the Rocky Mountain on a cross-country skiing adventure – all while the ranch’s chef prepares gourmet meals daily. Spring Break activities include horseback riding, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, sleigh rides, snow tubing and more. The Spring Break dates are March 2 through April 5, 2020. Rates (per person per night): adults double occupancy: $440; adults single occupancy: $490; and children: $250.
The Elizabeth Hotel Brewery Package, Fort Collins: Drink like a local Coloradoan with The Elizabeth Hotel’s new Brewery Package. Located in Old Town Fort Collins, The Elizabeth has partnered with top local breweries to offer an authentic Fort Collins micro-brew experience. Starting at $199 per night, The Elizabeth Hotel Brewery Package includes two bottles of local craft beer or soft drinks upon arrival, an Elizabeth-branded Beer Growler welcome amenity and a curated map of top Fort Collins breweries.
Spring Events
Ski Joring & Crystal Carnival, Leadville- March 6–8, 2020: A fearless skier navigates an obstacle course connected by towrope to a horse and rider galloping at top speed, and it all takes place in the middle of town, in addition to a winter carnival with other snowy activities.
5th Annual Barstool Race, Minturn – Saturday, March 7, 2020: Each winter “athletes” affix a pair of skis to the base of a barstool and come out to “race” down a snow-covered course in Minturn, just west of Vail. Spectators cheer as teams compete for the coveted “Golden Barstool” with an awards ceremony and after-party at the Minturn Saloon. All proceeds benefit the Minturn Community Fund.
Après Ski Cocktails Classic, Aspen – March 12-15, 2020: The Après Ski Cocktail Classic is an annual slope-side celebration blending all things Après with Craft Spirits. Set in Aspen, the four-day event features the Après Tasting Experience, craft cocktails, seminars by award-winning mixologists and brand ambassadors, snow parties, pop-up bars, demonstrations, fireside chats, spirit-paired dinners, special on-mountain events and the Great Après Ski Pub Crawl & Cocktail Competition.
Frozen Dead Guy Days, Nederland – March 13-15, 2020: Celebrating its 19th year in 2020, Frozen Dead Guy Days continues to be a world-renowned spectacle. This homegrown festival pays homage to Bredo Morstol (aka Grandpa), who is frozen in a state of suspended animation and housed in a Tuff Shed on dry ice high above Nederland. Highlights include coffin racing, costumed polar plunging, frozen t-shirt contests, icy turkey bowling, human foosball and more.
5th Annual Frisco BrewSki – March 14, 2020: The fifth annual beer festival invites guests to dress up in their favorite costumes and ski between local Colorado brewery tents at the Frisco Nordic Center. The day concludes with an after party with even more beer tastings, music and prizes awarded for best costume, best team costume and toughest costume to ski in. This event is also family-friendly, so the littles can dust off those Halloween costumes and sip on kid-friendly beverages along the trail.
Natural Forces: Winslow Homer and Frederic Remington, Denver Art Museum – March 15-June 7, 2020: Featuring 60 artworks, this exhibition will reveal connections between artistic themes and techniques used by the two acclaimed American artists. Born a generation apart, both artists succeeded in capturing the quintessential American spirit through works of art at the turn of the late-19th and early-20th centuries, an era of growing industrialization and notions of the closing of the American western frontier.
Snowcat Dining Excursion at Purgatory, Durango – March 21, 2020: Guests looking to enjoy an on-mountain dinner experience can book the snowcat dining excursion at Purgatory. The enclosed snowcat departs the base area around 5 p.m., and guests are taken to Powderhouse Restaurant to enjoy a uniquely-themed meal while enjoying incredible views of the Needles Mountains.
Steamboat Springalicious Festival, Steamboat Springs – April 1-12, 2020: This annual festival celebrates springtime and the close of the ski season at Steamboat Springs. This two-week event includes live music, the 40th annual Cardboard Classic, pond skimming and more.
2020 Barrel Into Spring, Grand Valley – May 16-17, 2020: The Grand Valley Winery Association presents the 2020 Barrel Into Spring. Seven wineries offer barrel tastings, which is a rare opportunity to taste “futures” of wines that are not readily available to the general public. Along with tastings, visitors can try exquisite food pairings and enjoy behind the scenes winery and vineyard tours.
25th Annual Fruita Fat Tire Festival, Fruita – May 1-3, 2020: Celebrate hundreds of miles of world-class trails, test out the latest bikes at the demo at the 18 Road trailhead, try out new equipment at the product expo in downtown Fruita and more.
Great American Horsedrive, Northwestern Colorado – May 5-11, 2020: Guests can join the family and riders from around the world in this unique experience pushing one of the largest saddle horse herds in the nation. Covering approximately sixty miles of open range, highways and back-roads, this six-day adventure is an authentic Western experience that includes cowboy entertainment, a guest-favorite cookout, many hours in the saddle and memories to last a lifetime.
CSK PaddleFest, Buena Vista – May 22–25, 2020: Considered the kickoff to the always-anticipated Colorado rafting season, Paddlefest invites lovers of rapids to the banks of the Arkansas River, one of the nation’s most popular whitewater destinations. Festivalgoers can check out clinics, gear swaps, concerts and a disc-golf tournament. All of the activities center around the fest’s main event — the Buena Vista Whitewater Pro Rodeo. This freestyle competition among the world’s top playboat athletes will take place at the Buena Vista Whitewater Park.
Springtime Experiences
Explore a Colorado Creative District, Statewide: The Centennial State boasts 26 designated creative districts, communities brimming with galleries, artists in residence and special arts events. First Friday gallery art walks take place in several districts while others are known for outstanding performance art. New this year, the Colorado Symphony launched the Beethoven 2020 Statewide Celebration tour, which will stop in multiple creative districts, including Steamboat Springs, Salida, Crested Butte, Pueblo, Trinidad, Mancos and Grand Junction.
Follow the Colorado Gold Trail, Statewide: Colorado mines tell the stories of early explorers, fur trappers and prospectors who came to the state in search of treasure. The Colorado Gold Trail is a scenic tour of gold rush towns and mines that flourished in the boom of the late 1850s. Towns on the trail include Boulder, Black Hawk, Central City, Idaho Springs, Breckenridge, Fairplay, Alma, Como and Leadville. Many of these communities still host mine tours—some with live reenactments sure to entertain young history buffs.
Visit the Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver and Littleton: The Denver Botanic Gardens offers a range of programming in March and April. The Orangery’s spring theme is Scents of Spring and will feature well-known blooming plants of the season like sweet peas and primulas. Visitors can get ready for gardening season with gardening workshops on perennials, herbs and a new-gardener boot camp series. Family programming includes the Science Studio and Bumblebee Jamboree. At the Chatfield Farms location, adults can enjoy a guided forest bathing walk.
Take a Farm Tour, Statewide: What’s cuter than baby animals? Visit a Colorado farm this season and you may get the chance to see one. Springtime is the perfect time of year to take a farm tour and meet farmers preparing for planting season and learn about where the state’s food is grown. The Living Farm in Paonia hosts tours and offers meals at its onsite farm-to-table restaurant. The Art of Cheese hosts weekly cheese making classes for all levels and also includes farm tours in the price of the class. Mesa Winds Farm and Winery offers not only tours but wine tastings and is known for its peach wine.
Ski and Bike in One Day, Mountains and Mesas: Colorado’s wide range of elevations gives outdoor enthusiasts even more ways to catch thrills in the springtime—even several in one day. Pack two helmets and experience Powderhorn Ski Resort in the morning, located alongside Grand Mesa, the world’s largest flattop mountain. Then, in the afternoon, put on a bike helmet and take a road bike ride at Colorado National Monument, one of the region’s most breathtaking cycling spots or head to nearby Fruita for some of the state’s best mountain biking. If cycling isn’t your speed, check out one of the many scenic golf courses near Grand Junction.
Spot Migratory Birds on the Eastern Plains: Springtime brings delight to birdwatchers as winged migrators make their way north for the season. The eastern part of the state is home to a variety of favored habitats including plains, semidesert shrubland, riparian, pinyon juniper woodland and canyons. Migratory birds that can be spotted as they pass through include snow geese, sandhill cranes, hummingbirds, plovers, meadowlarks and more.
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