Four Lovely Colorado Towns Ranked as Some of the Nation’s Coziest

It can be easy to get a defeatist attitude once we start heading into the colder months. For example, whenever it snows, not only do you have to deal with worse road conditions, but also the people who have no idea how to drive in icy conditions.

It’s also not fun to literally feel yourself freezing whenever you step outside. Whenever it starts to get really cold, my mustache starts to freeze over and I become aware of my nose hairs. The latter is something someone should never have to notice about themselves.

However, instead of trying to escape the chilly conditions this year, Stacker has created a list of 50 cozy towns you can visit to embrace the winter months. In their ranking, they listed four Colorado towns as great options for you to visit this winter.

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Breckenridge Makes the List Because It Offers Much More Than Just Skiing

The first Colorado town mentioned on Stacker’s list is Breckenridge. Of course, Breck is widely recognized as one of the state’s best places for skiing and winter sports, being that it is surrounded by not only Breckenridge Ski Resort but also Copper Mountain, Keystone Mountain, Arapahoe Basin, and Loveland Ski Area.

However, the town of Breckenridge offers so much more than just skiing. Of course, there’s plenty of shopping to be had, but you can also take tours by snowmobile, walk across trails with snowshoes, and go to the many great restaurants.

Estes Park is mentioned as a Great Cozy Town That Doesn’t Get as Much Traffic

Estes Park is a local favorite amongst the people of Northern Colorado, all while not offering any skiing. Confusingly, Stacker says there’s great skiing here, even though there isn't an official mountain in the general area. Sure, Eldora is only an hour away, but hanging out at Estes shows a mountain town doesn’t need skiing to be a great winter destination.

You can go backcountry skiing if you're an absolute powder hound, but there’s plenty of great lodging, restaurants, wildlife spotting tours, and even whiskey tasting that keeps winters at Estes Park a lively place to visit past summertime.

Telluride’s Famous and Historic Main Street Makes it A Must Visit in the Winter Months

We all know Telluride as one of the Western Slope’s most elite for winter sports along with their fantastic summertime festivals, but it also is a fantastic place to visit to hang out in the cold.

It makes the list of the country’s coziest towns primarily for both its proximity to some of Colorado’s most picturesque peaks and its Main Street which is on the National Register of Historic Places. It's this combination of both beautiful scenery and cultural importance that makes Telluride such an incredible winter wonderland.

Crested Butte Rounds Out the List For its Great Skiing and Activities

Crested Butte is well regarded in Colorado not only for skiing but as a great place to hang out in the summer and as one of the best places to see wildflowers in the state. However, even when the ski season is in full swing, it's also an awesome place to get comfy in the winter.

Stacker notes they have plenty of winter activities, with riding on fat bikes through the snow being one of particular interest. They also cite the Chopwood Mercantile outdoors store on Elk Avenue as one of the best places for shopping in the town as well.

One Major Omission from the List is Ouray, Colorado

Out on the Western Slope about an hour away from Telluride lies Ouray, Colorado, one of the state’s most well-regarded mountain towns. Not only is it absolutely gorgeous, but there is plenty to do, fitting it perfectly in a list of the country’s coziest towns.

Not only can you do activities like backcountry skiing, hiking with snowshoes, sledding, and ice skating, but you can also go hang out in hot springs as well (possibly the coziest winter activity there is). Not only that, but there are plenty of year-round activities like visiting museums, going to the opera house, and hanging out at the breweries that make Ouray an incredible winter spot.