Colorado in winter - non skiing activities?

I can’t help much with skiing, but as I type I am sitting at 7200 feet above sea level in Durango, CO. Since we live at sea level on the coast, acclimating is important. We are always big on hydrating and that is especially important when going to high altitude. Keep alcohol to a minimum.

Your days in Denver will help a lot, but your first day higher, just keep hydrating and don’t try to be too physically active the first day of skiing. Maybe just a couple of runs. We like to hike but our first day here we always take an easy walk.

As to trains, the Durango to Silverton train is a delight.

This link will help with scenic drives: https://303magazine.com/2019/06/colorado-road-trip-scenic-byways/
There's a new Traction Law in place for anyone wanting to head west from Denver along I-70 towards the ski fields. Basically, it requires vehicles to have either snow tires, tires with the M+S designation, or 4 wheel/All wheel drive. Google it for more info. There's a stretch along I-70 that's one of the great bottlenecks in all of Christendom during snowy weather, so do come prepared for possibly challenging conditions.
Given your limited time I'd suggest restricting yourself to the northern part of the state. Though CSprings and Garden of the Gods are terrific I frankly don't think they're worth driving out of your way. There's long-term construction going on I-25 between Denver and CSprings that pinches traffic to a standstill several times a day - you probably don't need that sort of aggravation.
I previously suggested Leadville as a possible ski destination. It's an old mining town so I'm sure there are still active silver mines and tours available there too. An interesting factoid: Leadville was the home of Molly Brown (unsinkable) of Titanic fame and was where she and her husband made their fortune.
Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the crown jewels of the NP system, and Estes Park is a pretty little place to spend a couple of nights. At an elevation of 7,500' it would also be a good place for you to start acclimating to the altitude.

Neither the Leadville nor the Cripple Creek trains run in winter, don't start until sometime in May. The Durango and Silverton does run a train in the winter but not all the way to Silverton, just to Cascade Creek, but the scenery is beautiful in winter, especially on one of those bright blue sky winter days and it is a fun ride. The problem is whether you are going to go North from Denver to ski and Estes Park and RMNP or South to the Durango area which is in the SE corner of the state.

I would second Rocky Mountain NP and Estes Park in winter, although the road over the pass to the other side of the park might be closed to snow - we ran into that once so we couldn't drive all the way through the park and over to Grand Lake. You'll still be able to see a lot of the park though. Leadville would also be great to visit (we've stayed there) but any of the high passes risk being closed due to snow and you don't always get a lot of advance warning.

For towns to visit, I love Boulder, Fort Collins, and Estes Park, my three favorites.

EDIT For Denver, I love the art museum, the botanical gardens, and they have a wonderful zoo. Also some good breweries. Not sure what your non-skiing interests are.

On a long weekend in Denver a few years ago, I had a day after dropping my daughter off at her all-day med-school interview in Aurora. I didn't want to sit in the hotel all day, so I headed north, through Boulder and Estes Park, eventually coming to the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park - in a front wheel drive economy rental car. I asked the ranger at the gate if he had any suggestions for driving an obviously not-ready-for-winter car into the park. He said with a sly grin, "just try not to drive off the road", and waved me through. Had the place virtually to myself. Drove around for an hour or two, took some pictures, and then headed back into Estes Park for an authentic green chile lunch.

After lunch, I headed south to Golden. Not only is it home to the Coors brewery, which offers a free tour that culminates in their tasting room, but it's also home to the nearby Colorado School of Mines, which might offer some interesting mining-related activities. I didn't check out the college, but I did discover that the Coors tasting room seems to be the de facto hangout for CSM students for Friday happy hour. Lots of free beer, and games at every table. Alas, I had to go back to Aurora to get my daughter before the party really got started, but it was a pretty inexpensive, fun and full day experiencing the front range.

The next day, we did a half day of skiing at Loveland. We got plenty of runs in, and given the altitude, were glad we hadn't tried to do a whole day, as we were wiped after 4 hours. Enjoyed a nice dinner in Golden that evening, then flew home the next day. Best of all, did it all without almost zero pre-planning.

Massive question -- not sure where to start -- will try line by line and there is some misinformation up thread that needs to be corrected.
.....will be in Colorado for a week at the end of March and although we plan on doing some skiing.... That is near the end of Spring skiing so skiing will be terrific or equally awful -- just depends on the weather and temperature. The upper half of most areas will be good but lower half can be mushy if it gets warm. Lift tickets have become expensive but generally discounts are available especially if combined with ski rental, lodging, etc. At that time of year Breckenridge and Vail would be better choices. Snowmass, while a great area, is over three hours from Summit Cty ski areas.

...how to plan to decrease the likelihood of altitudes sickness..... Impossible to plan since the cause and effect of altitude sickness is not well understood. You could go to altitude five times and be perfectly fine and the sixth time sick as a dog. This, of course, assumes you no underlying problems breathing or lung conditions. You will adjust about a 1000 feet/day. We, who live here, have about 20% more red corpuscles than someone from sea level. Drinking a lot of water helps to manufacture more blood. If altitude sickness is severe the only solution is to get lower. Most healthy people don't have problems other than mild headaches. Just take it easy.

....but should we get a vehicle with chains? 4WD? Do all rental cars come with snow tires in CO?..... Chains are frown on and some car rentals prohibit the use of chains. And given that rental cars come from just about everywhere, I doubt if many come with snow tires. To clarify the above statement about snow tires. IF a snow emergency is declare then all vehicles are required to have proper M & S tire, chains, or four wheel drive. But one is checking --- BUT if you cause a problem, an accident, slide, cannot drive up an incline, hold up traffic, etc., and don't have the required tires, then you are in trouble and the fine is substantial -- maybe $500. We don't worry about it since all of our vehicles are four wheel drive. However, if you are not familiar with driving 4 wheel drive in snowy, icy conditions, Colorado is not the place to learn. If it is bad enough that you need 4 wheel or snow tires -- park it! You don't need to be on the road.

...Hoping to check out some hot springs while there, ..... Boulder (might check out a murder mystery dinner show, escape room, the tea house, and planetarium. Not sure if Pearl Street is happening in the winter...

The best hot springs would be the big hot springs pool in Glenwood Springs - an hour or so east of Vail. It is a public pool so kids would be present but it is huge. Pearl Street is a shopping street so it functions year around.

**Can/should we visit Red Rocks? Doesn't seem to be much going on there in March** Red Rocks is pretty but it is just a big outdoor amphitheater . Since it is outdoors and it tends to cold in March there are no shows schedule. But you can visit it in an hour or so.

**Is Garden of the Gods worth seeing in winter time?** I kind of share the up thread comments about G of the Gods. It is pretty but not worth the drive if that is all you are going to see in Colorado Springs. Somewhat similar to the rock formations at Red Rocks.

**We'd like to do an interesting train ride. Are there any open/worth doing in the winter?** Check the schedule for the Georgetown Loop Railroad. They run year around but the winter is more restricted. If running they have a great silver mine optional tour. The Royal Gorge RR south of Colorado Springs is pretty lame and I would not recommend it. Also there is the Argo Gold Mine in Idaho Springs that gives tours but have never done one so I cannot comment on the tours. Also at Breckenridge there is the Cowboy mine that has tours.

One other comment. The road,Trail Ridge, through the Rocky National park is permanently closed till around the end of May. Same with a number of other mountain passes. Independence pass from Leadville into the back side of Aspen (Snowmass.) is another. You can access Aspen from Glenwood Springs. I think Estes Park is pretty dead in the winter. You can make a argument for cross country skiing in that area and the lower part of the park is open but it is very limited as what you can do in that area at that time. It isn't crowded.

Just one other comment since I used up my time with the above answer. You have lots of options but you on the seam between winter and spring. And the weather at that time of year can be very variable -- to say the least. So you probably need a number of options. And Denver is interesting.

You should really do a Google search and read the provisions of the new Traction Law for yourself to ensure that you don't run afoul of the new regs when you visit. Apparently it's still a bit confusing for some of the locals too. The law was passed to try and address traffic congestion on I-70 between the foothills and the western slope - which is essentially the only artery between the city and the ski areas. Any significant snow accumulation on the road turns the interstate into something of an ice rink for anyone trying to negotiate it in a 2WD vehicle.
While you don't necessarily need to book a 4WD/AWD vehicle for your trip, you do want to pay attention to the forecast and stay off the highway in the event of bad weather, both for your own safety (and everyone elses) and to ensure that you don't get stuck in one of our legendary traffic jams and run the risk of missing your flight on your return.
You can do many of the items on your wish list as day trips from Denver once you've seen the most recent forecast. Both RMNP and Frisco are less than an hour and a half from downtown for example.
I wouldn't be too worried about having enough snow for your visit. March is historically our snowiest month, and when combined with a substantial base accumulation from what's been a very snowy year so far it would take a sustained warming trend in March to have much of an effect on local conditions ... which is not likely.
Another random thought as it occurs to me: others have mentioned the town of Glenwood Springs as a possible stop for a day or two. It really is a terrific place and, for info, there's train service between it and Denver every day via the California Zephyr (Amtrak). Takes about 4.5 hours and parallels I-70 and the river for most of its journey. Would be a very scenic way to go if you wanted to visit the town and let someone else do the driving.

Thanks you all for your input. We have decided to stay in Dillon at the Ptarmigan Inn. I wish there were some good hot springs around, but guess we'll just have to make another trip back and either go north, south or west to Glenwood Springs.

Thank you for the tips about winter driving. Off to look into that now.....

Hi there,
there are many non-skiing activities you can do in Colorado in winter. At the end of March, there is still lots of snow in the mountains, you can go dog sledding, ice skating, snowshoeing, snowmobile rides. etc. And, yes, I would recommend visiting The Red Rocks park, it might be nice and warm in Denver.
https://tripuber.com/category/breckenridge/

...... Apparently it's still a bit confusing for some of the locals too...... It is not. And I provided correct information except I called it a snow emergency and CDOT has a different term. And it is correct that you must have M&S tires in the I-70 corridor between Denver and Vail BUT there is no enforce by CDOT's own words on their web site. But cause a problem, the police can look at your tires and cite you if in non-compliance. So, if the weather is bad, park it. Your are safe.

The Ptarmigan Inn is not the greatest location. Nothing is around it so you will have to drive into Frisco or elsewhere for dinner, etc., It is convenient to Keystone and only slightly further to Breckenridge but you will be a day skier. I personally don't like the day skier set up at Keystone with huge parking lots and lots of walking to the lift area unless you go very early. Breckenridge has better set up for day skiers with a gondola out of the parking lot that deposits on top on the ski lifts so walking is much less. However, that lot can fill up also, takes awhile, but then you are diverted to the old airport but it has a shuttle bus. Late in the season Breckenridge is a better choice for skiing.

So I’m late to this question, but how old is the Fodor’s guide? Discounted lift ticket options, like from Denver grocery stores and Gold C coupon books, went away some years ago. If you found somebody with an Epic or Ikon pass, who was willing to help you out by using 2 of the limited “friends and family” discounted tickets available thru their pass, you might get some savings. You’d have to run into the right person (parking lot? Restaurant at dinner?), who didn’t have plans to use those bonus savings loaded onto their pass for someone else, and were willing to go to a ticket window with you so you could get tix. Resorts offer some “deals,” often combined with lodging and equipment rentals, or multi-day tickets, but prices are way up over the past 10 years for individual tickets, making season passes the real way to go, for anyone skiing more than about 5 days in a season.

Rental vehicles in Denver don’t automatically have snow tires for 2WD. Lots of folks with red-and-white rental license plates are driving 4WD SUV’s or AWD cars now, so ask when you’re renting, and make sure they know you’re going up into Ski Country, so they get you the right vehicle.

As stated by others, stay hydrated to minimize altitude sickness. Ibuprofen can also help.

You’ve already decided on Dillon in Summit County. There are a lot of ski areas around there, also including Arapaho Basin and a Nordic Center, too. Keystone has night skiing. And excellent dining options are abundant in Breckenridge, Frisco, and Dillon.

Red Rocks is a spectacular place, fantastic views, and small museum on the big acts that have performed there. People skied in its amphitheater after a 3-foot Storm in 2003!

Idaho Springs, on the way up Interstate 70 on the way to Summit County, has a hot springs (hence its name). But hot tubs are a big part of mountain resorts, so you can probably still get yourself in hot water, even if it’s not from a spring.

But if you hadn’t decided on Dillon and Summit, and even though you have, I’d have suggested heading partway up I-70, then exiting at Highway 40 (thus avoiding the oft-jammed section of I-70 between the Hwy 40 exit and the Eisenhower-Johnson tunnels that lead to the Summit County resorts), and heading for Grand County. There, you’ll find Winter Park/Mary Jane for outstanding skiing, and just up the road, Granby Ranch, a small (less expensive) ski area that offers night skiing. Dog sledding, snowshoeing, horse-drawn sleigh rides, balloon rides, all available in late winter/early spring. Great cross country skiing and tubing/sledding hills, too. And continuing up Highway 40 for 2 1/2 hours, along the headwaters of the Colorado River, and then up over Rabbit Ears Pass, lies Steamboat Springs. Again, as indicated by the town name, geothermal hot springs exist, both at family-friendly Old Town Hot Springs, and at Strawberry Park Springs, which are adults only at night. The Steamboat ski resort there is lower than most other ski areas in the state, so might be slightly easier on altitude sensitivity. And tiny Howelsen ski hill is right in town.

Winter Park sits at the end of the Moffat Railroad Tunnel. For years, the Ski Train used to leave downtown Denver and deposit skiers at the base of the ski area, just steps from the lifts. It was an interesting ride in itself; scenic, and an engineering marvel with lots of tunnels..Then it went away. But now, the Winter Park Express, operated by Amtrak exists. It only operates on weekends, is about to start up for the season in a week and a half, and will run thru March 29, 2020. The Winter Park area doesn’t yet have quite the quantity of fantastic dining options as Summit County or Steamboat Springs, but it’s still a great destination.

I’m in Fraser, Colorado at this moment, 5 miles from Winter Park. Some years ago, a handful of moose from Canada were introduced to Colorado, and they’re now all over Grand County, so it’s been a good place for Canadians to come.

Frank: Thanks for the tip about Breckenridge vs Keystone.
Cyn: It’s this year’s Fodors edition. Sadly, I have discovered that there are zero lift ticket deals to be found anywhere outside of Liftopia. I see some on Craigslist, but that makes me very nervous.

Good to know that we will have lots of dining options near Dillon.

Re: hot springs in Idaho Springs, the only one I can see is Indian Springs and it doesn’t look appealing. Can you give me the names of some others?

I was really torn about whether to go north to Steamboat area, which does seem to have a lot to offer, or going west instead. Wish we had more time to explore more of the state.

Indian Springs is the one and only location in Idaho Springs. Although I’ve never personally soaked there, about a month ago, I passed right by it in town, when I-70 was closed for hours due to a completely unexpected rock slide, and the place was packed, based on the large number of cars and trucks parked outside, across both sides of the road. This was on a Friday night.

But I’d completely forgotten about Mount Princeton Hot Springs. If you’re on a hot springs quest, this might be worth considering. It doesn’t have the high sulfur smell of Glenwood and some other springs in Colorado, but is still mineral-rich. I used to go there often when hiking, or passing thru the area, but it’s been over 15 years. It used to be a funky place, with one outdoor pool and one pool that was covered in winter by a giant, enclosed canopy. You could also go down to Chalk Creek, which flows right at the site, and sit in the water. Even when the banks were covered with snow and ice, and parts of the creek would be freezing cold, the springs at the edge warmed up the water, and little pools had been formed by people, using rocks and stones. If the water got too hot in your space, move a rock and let in more of the cold water. Really a unique experience, like what Native Americans had done there for centuries, to relax and rejuvenate. But looking online now, I see it’s a now more-developed Resort, with lodging and many more rectangular swimming pools, on both sides of Chalk Creek. But the soaking in the creek option remains, with 140 degree Fahrenheit spring water still there! I see they’re open for soaking until 10pm, and 11pm Friday thru Sunday.

So here’s the deal: Mt. Princeton is closer than Glenwood to Dillon. But you get there on mostly 2-lane Highway, not 4-lane Interstate. But if you went there on your Quest, you’ve got some options:

1) on your way from Denver to Ski Country, pull over just before you go thru the Eisenhower-Johnson tunnel, and ski at Loveland. Smaller, (cheaper!), great, and high and open late into the season, so snow will be good in March. At the end of the day, proceed thru the long tunnel (or over Loveland Pass) to your Dillon lodging.

2) ski in Summit County - Keystone, Breck, A-basin, Copper.

3) The Mt. Princeton springs are south of Breckinridge. You can reach them down Highway 9, beyond Breckenridge, then at Fairplay continue south on Highway 285, and turn west at tiny Nathrop for 5 miles to the springs.

4) Or, from Copper Mountain, go south on Highway 91, and when you reach Leadville, follow Highway 24 west, then south, thru Buena Vista, then onto Highway 285 to Nathrop and the springs.

5) or, head to Ski Cooper, north of Leadville, as Frank and Robert have described. Another smaller (and cheaper), but lower ski area. Less busy, so powder stashes remain even if it hasn’t snowed recently. It’s really historic, in the area of where the American 10th Mountain Division trained Army ski troops for WW II. They saw bloody battles in Italy, but many of those who survived wound up starting the ski industry in Colorado, creating resorts, after the war.

6) From Ski Cooper, continue south on Highway 24, thru Buena Vista, and then onto Highway 285 to Nathrop and the springs.

So Mt. Princeton is maybe 70 miles from Dillon, longer if you do the Ski Cooper day. But it’s still shorter than most residents in Denver and the Front Range of Colorado drive to go skiing for the day!

Oh, on I-70, just west of Denver, there’s a Buffalo Herd Overlook, where you can often see bison owned by the City of Denver, grazing in the sunshine. Might be out in March, but are definitely present all summer.

If you have a Canadian military connection be advised that there's an Outdoor Rec Center at Buckley AFB which includes an ITT ticket office, and which is probably available to you on a reciprocal basis with the USAF. They offer discounted lift tickets for authorized patrons, cheap prices for winter recreation gear, and discounted passes for a variety of attractions in and around Denver. Worth looking into if you're elegible.