WINTER IN COLORADO

ICE SKATING

Enjoy some old-fashioned ice-skating fun at one of Colorado’s many outdoor rinks. For an urban setting, visit the rinks in Fort Collins or Boulder. Both are located in lively pedestrian areas and are surrounded by charming shops and cafes. For a more mountainous venue, glide over to 40-acre Evergreen Lake, west of Denver, where you can spin on the ice and then cozy up to the fireplace in the rink’s warming hut. Keystone,Breckenridge, Beaver Creek, Vail and Crested Butte are also favorite spots for skate.

Read about more Colorado ice skating rinks.

HORSE-DRAWN SLEIGH RIDES

Warm, snuggle-ready blankets, crisp, winter air and the gentle jingle of bells tinkling to the rhythmic stride of strapping horses are hallmarks of Colorado sleigh rides. So are elegant dinners, local Colorado wines, convivial conversation, roaring fires and decadent desserts. Sleigh rides in Colorado are much more than circling around a track; they’re fodder for vacation-defining moments and stories to share back home. Dude ranches, including those in Grand County and Steamboat Springs, are some of the best places to find fun sleigh rides.

SLEDDING/TUBING

Bundle up the kids in hats and mittens and head for the hills — that’s where you’ll find plenty of sled- and tube-friendly terrain. It’s hard for anyone not to emit a lighthearted giggle as you sail down the hill, catching a bit of air as you roll over gentle bumps. Try the hills at Vail, Keystone, Steamboat, Copper Mountain, Cuchara and Fraser. Lifts and tow ropes will lug your tube or sled to the top of the hills, giving you time for more runs.

ICE FISHING

Sometimes the best parts of ice fishing have nothing to do with fish at all. Winter anglers reap some of the state’s most placid rewards: quiet landscapes, glimpses of early-morning light shimmering off a lake’s frozen ripples, solitary animal prints tracking across the surface. You can go the basic route and just cut a hole, set up a chair and wait for a bite. Or for a more sophisticated approach, you can rent an ice-fishing cabin. Fishing licenses: wildlife.state.co.us or 800-244-5613.