Winter Park ski resort has something for everyone with great skiing, shopping, dining and a laid-back atmosphere.

Winter Park has a long-standing reputation as the favourite resort of Colorado residents, a good proportion of whom use the Amtrak rail link from the city to the slopes. This has always been a wonderful experience as the train ascends through spectacular scenery, but now has the bonus value of being environmentally friendly. Only a handful of North American ski areas have a railway station close to the slopes (and this one is served by the biggest scheduled passenger train in the USA!).  

The ski area is big, with something for everyone. It is one of only nine ski areas of the 500 or so in the USA to operate 25 or more lifts.

The resort has always been laid-back and friendly, but in common with most of the major ski areas on the continent, has had an expensive make-over in recent years, with new lifts on the mountain, and more significantly for the money men, and indeed for ski holiday convenience, a new resort village at the base. The redesign has been masterminded by the big success story in ski resorts of the past 20 years, Intrawest, the company behind Whistler and a dozen others.

Alongside the new resort village, nearby Fraser, traditionally the resort base, has a real ski town feel. It doesn't play on the region's cowboy heritage, but you do feel that this is how that heritage has truly evolved, rather than being a forced recreation of a bygone era for the tourist trade. Fraser remains home to the majority of lodging, shopping and nightlife.

Resort elevation: 2,743m (9,000ft) (resort); 2,613m (8,574ft) (Fraser).

Top elevation: 3,676m (12,600ft).

Base elevation: 2,743m (9,000ft).

Number of lifts: 25.

Number of runs: 143.

Average annual snowfall: 9m (30ft).

Winter Park is located west of Denver, close to the centre of Colorado state, in the Rocky Mountains of western USA.

The season runs from mid November to mid April.

Winter Park has plenty of terrain for all levels of skier, including an unusually high percentage (57%) of the runs rated ‘most difficult' for advanced skiers. There are 61 black trails in total; much of this terrain is found on Mary Jane mountain (named after a legendary local lady of ill repute) and the recently added Vasquez Cirque off-piste zone. The toughest run is the short, sharp and ominously named Hole In The Wall.

All other levels of skier have plenty to entertain them however in Winter Park's 1,248 hectares (3,060 acres). Groswold's Discovery Park is a huge fenced-in area especially for first timers to learn in, without having the distraction and danger of more experienced skiers whizzing past and using them as slalom posts.

Intermediates have the whole area to enjoy including the popular Parsenn Bowl and fast, long runs like Mary Jane.

Most non-ski attractions beyond swimming pools, hot tubs, restaurants and shops are outdoors, but there is a cinema.

On-snow alternatives to downhill sliding include snowshoe tours twice daily, snowcat tours three times daily, tubing, ice skating (two rinks), sleigh rides and dog sledding.

Worthwhile trips away from the ski area, especially for non-skiers, are Denver, about two hours away (zoo, cinema, ice hockey matches, museums, galleries, shopping), and the Hot Sulphur Springs Resort, 40 minutes away, where natural hot-springs fill several pools with water ranging from pleasantly warm to uncomfortably hot.

Winter Park's Children's Centre offers nursery services for babies from two months old and ski school from age three. On the slopes the Rendezvous Flats section of the Groswold Discovery Park, which is segregated from the main ski area, has fun, family-friendly features and terrain.

Off the slopes, the resort's relaxed atmosphere and friendly, affordable, dining and accommodation normally make for a great family holiday.

There are about 50 retail outlets around the resort base areas, most of them in the town of Fraser, with a particular concentration in the Fraser Valley Center. This has everything from groceries to unique gifts.

As well as skiwear and souvenir stores, there are half a dozen art retailers including Belerique Galleries, 78727 US Highway 40, which features fine art from widely collected, international celebrity painters and sculptors.

As the ski day ends, listen out for the steam train whistle which announces the Derailer Bar, Winter Park mountain base, is ready to serve up après-ski beer and drink specials. It's one of more than 40 night spots around the resort.

For a bit of British history, Five Mountain Tavern, Vintage Hotel, Winter
Park mountain base, features the Churchill Bar - you can even see where Winston Churchill burned the bar with his cigar. It serves cold beer, cocktails and hot toddies by the stone firepit on the patio and there's often live music.

There are more than 40 places to eat around Fraser and Winter Park, with eight choices on the mountain or at the base of the slopes. Amongst the latter, the Club Car, Mary Jane base, has been a local hang-out for many years and has a signature Mt Mary Jane sandwich, along with seafood chowder or other lunchtime staples.

Further out there are steakhouses, sushi, tapas, delis, Mexican, pizza - a great choice. For a taste of the Old West, Smokin' Moe's Ribhouse and Saloon, Cooper Creek Square, 78930 US Highway 40, offers an Oklahoma-style barbecue and other traditional regional favourites.

Winter Park has a free shuttle service and a pedestrian walkway network including a pedestrian bridge over the Fraser River between the car park and slopes.

Purchase your own personal trail map which shows exactly where you've skied during the day, how many miles, how much vertical, even how many calories you've burned off. You need to pick up a small GPS tracking unit from Guest Services in the Balcony House at the start of the day.

Luxury

Zephyr Mountain Lodge
Marketed as ‘the closest you can sleep to the ski lifts without sleeping outside' - it's 35m (110ft) from the base of the Zephyr Express chairlift to be exact. 

201 Zephyr Way
Tel: (970) 726 8400 or 1 866 443 3908.
Website: www.zephyrmountainlodge.com

Moderate

Bear Paw Inn
Hand-hewn log lodge with spectacular views, feather beds, Jacuzzi and gourmet breakfasts.

871 Bear Paw Drive
Tel: (970) 887 1351.
Website: www.bearpaw-winterpark.com

Budget

Snow Mountain Ranch
YMCA of the Rockies lodge and cabins close to Winter Park; affordable, friendly and Christian.

US Highway 40, Granby
Tel: (970) 887 2152 or 1 800 777 9622.
Website: www.ymcarockies.org

Nearest airport: Denver (DEN). 

Distance to resort: 108km (68 miles).

Driving time: 2 hours.

Snowboarders, Snow reliability, Après ski, Intermediates, Experts, Families, Beginners, Non-skiers