5 Winter Adventures In The West To Add To Your Bucket List

When snowflakes start to fly, your first instinct may be to curl up on the couch and snuggle under a blanket for the rest of winter. But this chilly season is actually one of the best times to travel, thanks to smaller crowds, cozy accommodations, serene natural scenery, and a wide array of activities (both hot and cold). From riding Colorado’s iconic “ski train” to scoping out awe-inspiring Wyoming wildlife, these are our top picks for winter adventures in the West.

1. Relive The Glory Of Train Travel In Colorado

Before the rise of automobiles and planes, trains were the best — and most glamorous — way to get around. Though the golden era of train travel is largely behind us, you can still experience this slower-paced, scenic mode of transportation in Colorado.

Reserve a seat on the Winter Park Express, a seasonal “ski train” offered through a partnership between Amtrak and Winter Park Resort. You’ll board in Denver at Union Station, the city’s opulent and historic train depot that first opened in 1881. With your gear stashed away safely, all you have to do is sit back, relax, and gaze out the window as you ride the rails west, climbing higher and higher into the Rocky Mountains. After a scenic two-hour journey, you’ll arrive at the base of the 3,081-acre ski area, ready to hit the slopes.

The Cascade Canyon Winter Train is a gorgeous ride through the Rockies (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad).

Before or after your voyage, spend some time at Union Station, which recently got a major makeover. Grab a classic cocktail at the Cooper Lounge, which overlooks the train station’s Great Hall, followed by Spanish-inspired tapas and pintxos (learn more on page 75) at Ultreia. When it’s time to turn in for the night, retire to your room at the Crawford, the on-site luxury hotel named after Dana Crawford, the pioneering preservationist who helped revitalize Union Station a decade ago.

If you’re a narrow-gauge enthusiast and like your train travel more like it was in the Victorian Wild West, make your way to Durango for a winter ride through the San Juan Mountains in 1882 style. Offered November through May, the Cascade Canyon Excursion leaves the Durango Depot and chugs alongside the Animas River up into the Rockies, delivering amazing views of the snow-dusted San Juan National Forest along the way. Coaches are heated, concessions are available, and box lunches can be ordered ahead for maximum enjoyment of the 60-minute layover, when you can relax fireside in a pavilion. Be sure to book your seat in advance, as this popular winter train ride tends to sell out. After the 5.25-hour journey, train buffs will want to make time for the 12,000-square-foot Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum.

Say That Again: Pintxos

Derived from the Spanish term for cocktail stick (pincho), these small skewered snacks are especially popular in Northern Spain and the Basque Country. In the American West, Basque cuisine can be traced to the 19th century when poor, young Basque sheepherders came West in search of better wages. The result is authentic Basque-American cuisine that has been served throughout the West for more than a century.

2. Play Like An Olympian In Utah

The Summer Olympics in Paris may be in the rearview, but you can keep the magic alive with a trip to Utah.

After landing in Salt Lake City — which will host the 2034 Winter Olympics — make your way to Utah Olympic Park, a 400-acre facility built for the 2002 Winter Games. Here, you can experience four to five times the force of gravity on a thrilling bobsled ride down the 2002 Olympic track (with a professional pilot in the driver’s seat). Travel back in time while wandering through the Eccles 2002 Winter Olympics Museum and Alf Engen Ski Museum. And be sure to keep an eye out for the next generation of Olympians, as the park is an official training site — you just never know who you might bump into.

Pretend you’re an Olympian by bobsledding or conquering the Discovery Course at Utah Olympic Park (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of Utah Olympic Park).

Feeling inspired to get in a few runs of your own? Grab a lift ticket to Deer Valley Resort, a 2,026-acre winter playground for skiers at every level. Book a room at St. Regis Deer Valley, where you can arrive via a funicular, a type of sloped railway that offers panoramic views of the mountains. For dinner, make a reservation for Fireside Dining at Empire Canyon Lodge and indulge in ooey-gooey melted raclette cheese heated by stone fireplaces.

3. Watch For Wildlife In Wyoming

You may think wildlife-watching is a summer activity. But winter is one of the best times to observe animals in Wyoming. Creatures big and small stand out against the snowy white landscape, and waterfowl are wearing their most colorful plumage at this time of year. Fewer leaves on deciduous trees also makes it easier to spot the flutter of a wing or the shake of a tail.

Don your warmest clothes and clamber into a horse-drawn sleigh for a chilly tour of the National Elk Refuge, a 24,700-acre protected swath of grasslands, forests, and wetlands just northeast of downtown Jackson. As you snuggle under blankets, look for huge herds of majestic elk — with impressive antlers crowning their heads — as well as bald eagles, bison, trumpeter swans, bighorn sheep, wolves, and coyotes. For more inspiring views of wildlife, explore the trails and galleries at the renowned National Museum of Wildlife Art, which is situated on a bluff overlooking the National Elk Refuge.

Elk spend the winter relaxing at the National Elk Wildlife Refuge (PHOTOGRAPHY: Sarah Kuta).

Warm up in your suite at Amangani, a high-end hotel perched high atop East Gros Ventre Butte on the outskirts of town. Amangani — which means “peaceful home” in Sanskrit — is like a snug cabin with upscale flair: It has a full-service spa, a fine-dining restaurant, a massive heated infinity pool, a curated art collection, and elegant finishes like Pacific redwood and Oklahoma sandstone. Amangani also offers a signature wildlife tour, led by a private guide in a toasty luxury vehicle. For the other kind of wild life, the resort offers dogsledding, sleigh rides, and snowmobiling, as well as expert concierge service (and refreshments) at its ski-in, ski-out lounge in the heart of Teton Village in Jackson Hole, just steps from the Bridger Gondola and Aerial Tram.

4: Bask In The Beauty Of Ice In Canada

Ice can be beautiful. See for yourself while visiting Banff, a small mountain town in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta.

Take a guided “icewalk” to see the frozen waterfalls of Johnston Canyon inside Banff National Park with Discover Banff Tours. You’ll strap provided ice cleats to your shoes for good grip, then start hiking among the serene, snow-dusted evergreen trees. The cascading icicles of the falls sparkle in the midday sunshine, but the experience is even more magical at night, when you’ll have the canyon all to yourself. Listen for the faint gurgle of water beneath the ice and the crunch of your boots on the snow-packed trail — and, if you’re lucky, you may even see the purple and green Northern Lights dance across the sky.

Wander among icicles on a guided tour of Johnston Canyon in Banff National Park (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of Discovery Banff Tours).

Round out your itinerary by gliding across Lake Louise on ice skates and skiing or snowboarding at Mt. Norquay, Banff Sunshine Village, or Lake Louise Ski Resort. Afterward, refuel for the next day’s adventures (and treat yourself — you are on vacation, after all) with a multi-course tasting menu at Eden, located inside the Rimrock Resort Hotel.

5. Heat Up In A Hot Spring In Idaho

Picture this: big, fat snowflakes falling all around as you soak in the healing waters of a hot spring. You can make this vision a reality at The Springs, a resort situated about 45 minutes from downtown Boise in the historic mining town of Idaho City. If you’re traveling with a group, post up in the steamy main pool, where servers come around with drinks and snacks. Or, for a more romantic outing, reserve a private tub.

Enjoy the views from a backcountry yurt near Idaho City, Idaho (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation).

After a few hours of bliss, dry off and retreat to a comfy backcountry yurt managed by the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. These circular structures are way off the beaten path outside of Idaho City — you’ll need to strap on a pair of snowshoes or cross-country skis to reach them — but the warming welcome in all that remoteness is a big part of the allure. Once you arrive, you’ll feel like you have the serene, powder-covered wilderness all to yourself.

If you prefer something a bit less rustic, head back to Boise and check in at The Avery, a new 39-room boutique hotel in a lovingly restored 120-year-old building on Main Street. For dinner, wander over to Boise’s “Basque Block” and enjoy traditional tapas — like croquetas and patatas bravas — at Leku Ona.

From our November/December 2024 issue.