Winter Park

Area: Colorado

Winter Park offer an ideal ski and snowboard destination with a wealth of tree-skiing and powder.

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Winter Park still retains a friendly small-town feel, but now it's being run by Intrawest, the name behind the success of Whistler and Tremblant in Canada as well as its Colorado neighbour Copper Mountain. So the resort, especially at the Village ski base and in on-mountain improvements has seen the benefit from major new investment, with ambitious plans for the future too.

With the opening of Vasquez Ridge, the resort has its exciting Cirque area giving Winter Park 687 additional acres of double-black diamond (most difficult) terrain. However the bulk of the skiing  here is good cruising and long, winding blue runs – the infamous Hughes and  Mulligan's Mile are  real thigh-burners. The bump skiing at Mary Jane, Winter Park's other mountain, is also excellent.  After a typically massive Winter Park snowfall, make for Parsenn Bowl if you like powder: and there's a wealth of tree skiing, particularly off the top of Mary Jane and below Vasquez Cirque.

Although there are a number of good restaurants and shops at the purpose built Village (where most of the accommodation is located), the original and rustic town of Winter Park is located just a mile or so on the free shuttle bus. The town offers a wider and lively choice of après-ski bars, a selection of microbreweries that serve their own 'real' ale, live music saloons, lounge bars, and romantic as well as family restaurants. Head to Hernando's, for just about the best pizza we've tasted. Winter Park is now well and truly in the major league of Colorado resorts, and carries our highest recommendation.