There are plenty of families in Northern Colorado who don’t want an epic adventure, or to take out a loan to go skiing, but still want to spend some chilly days outside. Try these leisurely alternatives next time the holiday spirit strikes or cabin fever gets you to put on your snow boots.
Chop down a Christmas tree
The Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests have offered chances to cut down your own Christmas tree for years, turning an old tradition into an all-day excursion. You just have to bring your own tools.
The forest service sells $20 permits through rec.gov beginning Thursday, Nov. 14, for tree cutting from Nov. 24-Jan. 7.
It’s up to you to know where cutting is legal. Tree cutting is allowed in open portions of the Canyon Lakes Ranger District rather than a specific area since Red Feather Lakes, where cutting took place in the past, is still recovering from the Cameron Peak Fire, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Grand County will also offer Christmas tree cutting throughout most of the Sulphur Ranger District. Cutting dates should be similar, but exact dates weren’t available at press time.
The forest service will staff information sites at the Canyon Lakes and Sulphur Ranger districts on various weekends from Thanksgiving weekend through mid-December. You can download interactive visitor maps through the Avenza app, and a map of the districts can be found at bit.ly/3BFQ1M0.
Your vehicle should be able to handle winter conditions and tough four-wheel drive roads, and you might even need chains. Roads may be closed or snowy. View forest road status at bit.ly/3Nh7GvJ.
YMCA of the Rockies’ Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby also offers opportunities to cut down your own Christmas tree from Nov. 29-Dec. 14 this year. Tickets are available for purchase, though overnight guests can cut down a tree for free.
While those are cheaper and more adventurous options, there are Christmas tree farms in Northern Colorado and beyond that allow you to cut down your own tree. A few examples are Beaver Meadows Resort Ranch in Red Feather Lakes, Summerhill Tree Farm in Loveland and Creekside Tree Nursery in Boulder.
Clydesdale carriage rides
Darin Henry’s Clydesdales may look intimidating since, at first, they seem bigger than the barn that holds them on his Windsor farm. But he insists they are gentle giants.
That’s why he wants guests to pet his horses and take a trip around Old Town Fort Collins or downtown Greeley in his horse-drawn carriage.
“I call them my Hallmark horses,” Henry says. “If they had the chance, they’d sit on the couch and watch the Hallmark channel.”
Henry and his family, along with a few close friends, run Mountain Shadow Carriages. Henry, a firefighter, says the carriage rides are more of an expensive hobby, but caring for the horses is a full-time job. During the holidays, it’s more than that, as their riding hours more than double. You’ve probably seen them at big holiday events around Northern Colorado, including the Festival of Trees in Greeley and the Downtown Holiday Lighting Ceremony in Old Town Fort Collins. Valentine’s Day is a busy time as well.
“We thought about shutting down at one point,” Henry says. “It’s not a huge money-maker. But we just love sharing the horses too much.”
Along with holiday festivals, where Henry will park his carriage and give residents a chance to experience short, free rides, Mountain Shadow Carriages offers private excursions for $650 for the first hour and $150 per hour after that. He’ll travel to nearly any location to deliver the ride.
“We have custom rides and private parties,” Henry says. “There’s not much we can’t do.”
He puts his drivers and horses through hours of training to handle any stress the crowds may cause. He says he enjoys the festivals the most because of the interactions he has with guests.
“You get 40-pound children, wide-eyed, petting a 2,000-plus-pound animal with a big grin on their face,” Henry says. “It’s a very cool thing.”
Carriage rides during the tree lighting in Estes Park. Photo by John Berry.
Alpine adventures
Estes Park specializes in year-round outdoor adventures for every type of family, but the alpine environment of its neighbor, Rocky Mountain National Park, shouldn’t scare away those looking for a more casual Christmas.
Over the last couple of years, Visit Estes Park has focused its efforts on encouraging people to come to the town during the coldest months of the year. The holidays and the few months that follow are Estes Park’s slowest time. The people who visit tend to be surprised by the emptier streets, especially when they normally visit during the chaotic summer months, says Claire Molle, communications manager for Visit Estes Park.
“Our big goal is to have people come see us in the winter,” Molle says. “It’s so much more quaint and quiet.”
This year’s holiday celebrations in Estes Park kick off with a lit 36-foot pixel pine tree and light show choreographed to holiday tunes in Bond Park. The town will light the tree at an evening ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 23, and it will shine every night from 5-9 p.m. during the holiday season. The Catch the Glow holiday parade takes place at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 29, downtown on Elkhorn Avenue.
Other festive outdoor events in Estes Park include a Snowman Festival from 12-5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, where families can embark on a snowy scavenger hunt; two Sunday strolls at noon on Dec. 8 and Dec. 22 along the downtown thoroughfare with Santa and a live reindeer named Savannah; and a holiday town at The Bull Pin, a family-friendly entertainment spot that will feature candy cane lanes, holiday-themed cocktails (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and decorating workshops after Thanksgiving and throughout the holidays until January.
Both locations of YMCA of the Rockies—there’s one in Estes Park in addition to Snow Mountain Ranch—offer less intense outdoor fun in addition to more strenuous hikes in the snow. Winter activities include sledding and ice skating as well as indoor swimming and rock climbing for people who want to stay inside. Those who stay at the YMCA can access many of the activities for free, though day passes are also available for anyone who prefers to sleep at home.
The 5,100 acres at Snow Mountain Ranch allow for expanded adventures such as Nordic skiing on trails that wind around the grounds, dog sledding with huskies offered in two- and four-mile rides and a five-hour immersive course with a chance to guide your own dog sled.
The Estes Park YMCA puts on guided snowshoe hikes led by area experts in a range of difficulties. At the end of the day, guests can relax around a private bonfire with hot cocoa and s’mores.
Snowshoeing might sound intimidating, but it’s really just hiking in snow, and most trips don’t require more than a mile to have a good time, Molle says.
“I know it seems like it can be pretty intense, but I love it,” she says. “It’s so peaceful, even if all you do is walk around a lake.”
Molle counts Emerald Lake in the national park as one of her favorite places to snowshoe because the path is well-traveled and includes Bear, Nymph and Dream lakes along the way, offering scenic spots to stop or even turn around if you don’t want to go all the way.
“You can see how the day is going and how you’re feeling,” she says.
Ice skating rink in Old Town Fort Collins.
Ice skating among the shops
Purists may not appreciate the synthetic ice surface that covers the skating rink in Old Town Fort Collins, but most people are not purists.
“Every year it’s used consistently,” says Krista Knott, administrative manager of the Downtown Development Authority in Fort Collins.
The DDA changed the rink to a synthetic surface in 2016, which saves a lot of energy since real ice was harder to maintain during warmer winters, says Tom Dent, technology and maintenance manager for the DDA. Most people don’t notice the difference.
“You don’t get quite the same experience,” Dent says, “but you can still skate on it.”
The rink, which doesn’t have an official name, opens the day before Thanksgiving and is one of the more popular attractions of the season. Families love it, Knott says, and the DDA even offers free ice skate rentals, though you can bring your own skates as well.
Hours vary, and the rink is closed Monday through Thursday (except during winter break, when it’s generally open from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.). It’s usually open from 4-7 p.m. on Fridays and 12-6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. It will be open from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The rink closes on the last Sunday in January.
Loveland’s Centerra shopping center will also add an ice skating rink to its extensive holiday celebration this year. The plan is to open it in late November if the weather isn’t too warm or stormy, says Chris Bierdeman, group sales and events manager for Visit Loveland, the producer of Centerra’s Winter Wonderlights and surrounding holiday celebrations.
An all-day pass at the ice rink costs $13 for visitors ages 13 and up and $11 for those 12 and under, which includes an ice skate rental. Military personnel and those using their own skates receive $3 off their ticket price.
The Old Town skate rink probably attracts far more customers than if it wasn’t there, Knott says, and she knows there are families who look forward to it every year.
“Cold weather can make it tough to get people to come down and enjoy downtown,” she says, “but this is a great way to activate Old Town Square. It gets people excited.”
