Thrillist, the online media journal, wants you to spend your summer outside – and made this check list to make sure you do just that. We took their challenge – Winter Park Style! See how you can check off all these summer activities during your trip to Winter Park Resort.

Go kayaking

We go on and on about our mountain sports, but we aren’t scared to jump in the water now and again either. Grand Lake and Lake Granby are a hop and a skip down Route 40 where you can get your paddle on. Try Kayaking, Stand-Up Paddle Boarding, or just use a day on the water to recover and rent a pontoon.

Rent a lake house with friends

If you’re vying for that lake view, why not post up on Grand Lake for a day- I mean check out that view: you get a lake and the mountains. Plus, lakes are the perfect setting to enjoy an array of summer activities on the water. 

And if you’ll settle for a view of the pond and some pretty grandiose mountains, try one of our properties.

Hit up a massive music festival

We have everything from the Solshine Music Festival and Saturday Music Series to the Jazz Festival and the Switchback Music Festival coming up this summer, so if you missed our other music events, you can still check this one off the list! They may not be described as massive, but does size really matter?

Or just hit all the stops in town that have live music and make it feel like the music fest is spread throughout the valley.

Wednesdays – Campfire Sing Along

Thursdays – High Note Thursdays

Friday, Saturday, Sundays – Mountaintop Après Music

Yeah, we like a little music with our mountains. See more here.

Spend a day fishing

No tall fish-tales here – we have plenty of places to cast a line. Grand County has 1,000 miles of streams and rivers, almost 1,000 acres of high mountain lakes, 11,000 acres of reservoirs as well as stocked ponds – check here for more details

Spend a weekend camping in the great outdoors

Grab a warm sleeping bag and a cold 6 pack and hit one of our local camp grounds. Idlewild Campground puts you walking distance to the resort, St. Louis Creek is just around the corner in the Experimental Forest, or go BIG and check out a night in Rocky Mountain National Park. Either way, you can wake up with views like this:

Or just camp out in the backyard

Which for us is slope side. And hey, that’s not a bad place to be either.

Hit up the local amusement park at night

We totally have the amusement park covered, with activities like our Alpine Slide. Or, you could check out our Twilight hours at Trestle Bike Park where you can get the adrenaline rush of a roller coaster with the ambiance of dusk.

Have a s’mores night

Tag this one on to your camping trip or join us for our camp fire sing along in the Village and use one of our fire pits at the base.

Visit a water park

Around here, we spell water park – “RIVER.” No need to soak in chlorine or worry about the pool closing for other people’s poor hygiene decisions. Instead, head out on a rafting trip. Book your Mad Adventures trip and adventure on the Colorado River or Clear Creek.

Take a hammock nap

Don’t know if you can do this one here – we don’t have any peaceful spots and are really short on trees… 😉

Crack open a cold shower beer

We do sell beer (Riverside Spirits is right at the base) so this one is pretty easy. Still, we can take it up a notch and suggest a cold brew while enjoying a water fall!

Get buried in the sand

Who is down for some sand volleyball? Burry your opponent with your awesome skills as you hit the volleyball courts at either at Snow Mountain Ranch or the Fraser Valley Sports Complex.

Additionally, if you just want some sand to play in, we recommend the playground at the Sports Complex (husky not included).

Float down a river on an inner tube

How about a lazy river?

Host/attend a lobster boil

An outdoor shindig does make lobster taste better, but how about eating on a patio with a mountain view? Check out Strip and Tail in Winter Park. (Bonus if you go on a Friday, after dinner head downstairs to The Basement for Karaoke Night).

Perfect your guacamole recipe

How can you start this unless you first shop around? We have some great options for devouring the highest form of avocado, try Lime or Casa Mexico – (Bonus, add some more green to your sampling and order a margarita so you can start working on perfecting that recipe, too).

Host a barbecue

One of the most classic of all summer activities, everyone and their mother will be hosting a good ol’ BBQ this summer. So, why not upstage just a tad and come grill here:

or just get some of the best barbecue in town and bring your whole gang to the Smoke House.

Stay up all night and watch the sunrise

Although we are more well-known for some bomb sunsets, the sunrise ain’t so bad!

Bonfire at the beach

Beach. Ranch. Po-tay-toe. Po-tah-toe.

Check out the fire pits at Snow Mountain Ranch!

Visit the farmer’s market

Peaches and corn constitute as a farmer’s market, right?

Catch the ice cream truck

Get all the nostalgia of chasing down the ice cream truck without the limited flavors, freezer burn, or getting Scott Joplin stuck in your head. Goody’s has ice cream, waffle cones, and milkshakes!

Jump off a dock

Let’s substitute “rock” for dock to open up endless options for taking a dip this summer. Explore Lake Granby and the countless lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park for some refreshing (and possibly chilly!) places to take a midsummer-day swim.

Don’t let August pass you by! Venture Out and make the most of the mountains and so many summer activities- it all starts at Winter Park Resort.