Steve Parcell

Review of Winter Park Resort/Intrawest

We have a second home in Winter Park and it s a de...

We have a second home in Winter Park and it s a decent resort that s trying hard to be better. It s good for kids, beginners and intermediates but if you re looking Steep skiing it s not really the place to go unless you like bump skiing. The terrain park is very good so if you have kids into snowboarding and freestyle they re going to like it. Considering that you re only on I 70 for short period time coming from the front range it s a very good choice. On powder days of course the skiing is amazing. It s a great compromise for front Range families. Keep in mind however that I ve skied on some of the best resorts in the world. If you are coming from New England you re going to think it s huge. If you are coming from British Columbia or the Sierra Nevada s you re not going to be impressed with the amount of snow or the steepness. There s rarely horrible ice and there is some decent tree skiing. The town of Winter Park is going through a development phase and there are more restaurants and amenities. In the summer it s great with massive amounts of trails for mountain biking and downhill riding at the ski area. Another huge benefit to the area is over 200km of Nordic ski trails. Going to Devils Thumb Ranch is a must. The lodging is solid four star in the architecture and interior spaces are really cool western themed but also modern. They even have log cabins to rent they re beautiful with heated floors and you can ski right out the front door onto the Nordic trails.. Unlike many other ski resorts off the I70 corridor it s not on the highway you can take a fat bike out and ride for three or four hours in the forest. As far as the general town amenities are concerned it s less than steamboat less than Breckenridge more than Keystone and A basin and way more than Eldora. People love the town and the resort because it retains a real Colorado ambience without the expensive glamour of most resorts.