Grand County in Northern Colorado offers groups three huge benefits: There is a large amount of stunning open space for all sorts of outdoor fun; easy proximity to Denver but with a seclusion that is truly divine; and guest ranches, ski resorts, and a standout YMCA venue well-versed at hosting gatherings.
Winter Park Resort and Granby Ranch ski areas—in the Grand County towns of Winter Park and Granby, respectively—have helped put Grand County on the map as a winter mecca for skiing and snowboarding. However, the region is a year-round destination with a casual Colorado vibe. The one exception is the town of Grand Lake to the north, with Grand Lake Lodge and Shadowcliff Lodge & Retreat Center available to groups only in summer and early fall. The town sits at the west entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.
“Grand County has an authentic Western charm about it,” says Thad Carlson, senior director of sales at Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa in Tabernash. “It’s a special backdrop for meetings because of the location and scenic open spaces. … [It is] away from the hustle and bustle of the interstate and pressed against the majestic Continental Divide, yet has one of the closest mountain towns to Denver, [Winter Park]. There is no shortage of space to enjoy, and every activity is at your disposal.”
Year-Round Play at Ski Areas
Upon opening in 1940, Winter Park Resort became Colorado’s first major ski area, although several smaller ski hills were established around the state before then. The resort has grown leaps and bounds to more than 3,000 skiable acres and now offers a wide range of comfortable lodging, flexible meeting and event space, and loads of activities for planners to consider.
Over the years, snowboarding, tubing, snowcat tours, snowshoeing, and ski bikes have been added to the winter adventures at the resort. Biking, hiking, gondola rides, concerts, movie nights, a putting course, and an alpine slide are among the summer and fall activities. Attendees are sure to remember unique options like the “Snowcat and S’mores Tour,” “Sunset Snowshoe Tour,” and glow night tubing under neon lights. Also make time to check out downtown Winter Park and consider an off-site event at Headwaters Center, which has indoor and outdoor gathering space and a museum that focuses on water conservation and wildlife.
An easy way to transport attendees directly to the slopes or to combine an urban and mountain meeting experience is to book tickets on the Amtrak Winter Park Express that runs from Denver to Winter Park in two hours. The train departs Denver Union Station at 7 a.m. and leaves Winter Park at 4:30 p.m.
With 900 skiable acres, Granby Ranch is a smaller resort in terms of terrain but still a nice option for groups looking for less-expensive lift tickets and a more compact downhill skiing and snowboarding experience. Plus, Nordic skiing, as well as snowcat and snowshoe tours, are available as add-ons, along with a variety of other noteworthy winter activities. “We also host paint and sips, kid-friendly activities, and bands,” says Gabby Lara, marketing manager at the ranch. “There is always something to do no matter someone’s age or activity level. In the summer, we have scenic chairlift rides, mountain biking, an 18-hole golf course, hiking, and music festivals.”
Granby Ranch hosts groups of 12 to 200 in the 8350 Lounge, Bluebird Bistro, and Slopeside Great Room. Accommodations include condos, townhomes, and homes, or planners might elect to book The Inn at Silver Creek, which is 2 miles away.
Top-Notch Guest Ranches
Grand County has two standout, high-end guest ranches for groups: C Lazy U Ranch in Granby and Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa. Both are open year-round, and groups booking the ranches can easily tap into accommodations, meeting and event space, dining, and outdoor amusements, with them all in one place.
The 8,500-acre C Lazy U Ranch has 8,000 square feet of function space and various sizes of cabins for comfortable places to stay overnight. Activities range from archery, fly-fishing, hiking, off-road vehicle tours, and a ropes and zip-line course during fair weather to hockey, Nordic skiing, sleigh rides, snowmobiling, and tubing in winter. Horseback riding and trapshooting are offered year-round. C Lazy U also collaborates with two Colorado distilleries, Locke + Co. Distilling (which sells its products at various retailers statewide and is headquartered in Denver) and Peach Street Distillers (based in Palisade), to create exclusive whiskeys served for private tastings in the ranch’s Adega Wine Room. A personal chef’s meal can be crafted to complement spirit and wine tastings.
Or, consider the new Trail Rider Saloon, a transformed horse trailer that provides handcrafted beverages alongside the ranch’s herd of 225 horses during its “Horses and Happy Hour” function. Also new is Lazy You Hideaway, an outdoor lounge comprised of a sauna, 10-person cedarwood hot tub, gas fire pit, lounge seating, and two cold-plunge pools for rejuvenating after meetings.
Located on more than 6,500 acres, Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa is 15 minutes from Winter Park in Tabernash. The cabins, guest houses, and two lodges accommodate groups of up to 250. It’s hard to match the authenticity of the ranch’s meeting spaces, which include two beautifully restored barns, window-filled Timber House, stone-faced Yager House, outdoor Axel’s Pavilion, and spacious terraces. John L’s Wine Cellar & Uncorking Room and the Grotto Suraboza are the ranch’s private dining spaces, and many outdoor activities also are available.
“Steadfast winter activities include world-class Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and sleigh rides,” says Carlson. “Other newer offerings include mixology, paint and sip, and goat yoga.” He adds that one of the most popular options for team building is the customizable “Pioneer Challenge” that includes up to six activities planners select from a menu of options.
Minneapolis-based Chartwell Financial Advisory Inc. held its annual summer outing for 110 people at Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa in July. Highlights from the event itinerary included ranch tours via horse-drawn wagons, a custom cowboy hat bar with Denver-based Hats By Parker Thomas, line dancing with Two Left Boots (also based in Denver), and the “Pioneer Challenge,” with teams competing in archery, hatchet throwing, a laser biathlon, and a “minefield” activity. During this exercise, team members were tasked with solving the diagram of a faux minefield and traversing through the pattern as fast as possible. If any participant stepped in the wrong place, that attendee went to the back of the line.
“We also gave employees time for one activity [of their choice], which included mountain biking, hiking, zip lining, horseback riding, spa massage, and fly-fishing,” says Lindsey Reilly, corporate events manager at Chartwell Financial Advisory Inc. “The group challenge and choice activities were all a big hit, and they were something that everyone really enjoyed.”
Chartwell selected Colorado due to its central location for flying in employees from around the U.S., and Grand County fit the set parameters of being no more than two hour’s driving distance from Denver International Airport. “We also wanted someplace intimate for our group size, so once we found Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa, it seemed to be the perfect fit. Our employees loved the ranch, and we all had a wonderful time,” Reilly shares.
Camp-Style Setting
While YMCA of the Rockies’ Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby was once devoted to ranching, it became a venue for camps, retreats, and family vacations in 1969. This gem of a place satisfies most price points, has accommodations ranging from lodge rooms to eight-bedroom cabins, offers dozens of complimentary activities, and delivers 27,000 square feet of indoor meeting space. Snow Mountain Ranch’s sweet spot is groups of 150 to 175 people, but the property comfortably hosts up to 250.
Snow Mountain Ranch encompasses over 5,000 acres and draws groups that want space to roam. “The top activities that draw people in are our new aerial challenge course and tubing hill that are open during the summer months,” says Carrie Valan, group sales representative at YMCA of the Rockies. “In the winter, our Nordic Center brings people in from all over to take advantage of the many miles of groomed trails for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing. We also offer dog-sledding tours on-site.”
The ranch features customization, Valan notes. “Our programs department caters to events by creating a team-building environment specific to any groups’ preferences. We also offer unique outdoor environmental education for groups wanting to learn about the mountain environment and being outdoors.”
