When there’s snow on the ground, Steamboat Springs truly comes to life. A magical winter wonderland, Ptarmigan Inn is the ultimate basecamp for travelers wanting to ski, snowboard, and do winter the Steamboat way. Hop on a snowmobile and explore places the chairlifts can’t take you or get romantic on a sleigh ride complete with dinner. Our base location makes it easy to ski in and ski out and take advantage of everything the mountain has to offer.
Steamboat Springs is known as “Ski Town USA” for very good reason! Steamboat Ski Resort is a world-class 3,000 acre ski resort that is getting better every day due to an impressive slate of upgrades and new projects. Our private shuttle will drop you off at our very own ski-in/ski-out location near the base of the gondola, and you will be amazed at how good Steamboat’s ultra-dry, ultra-light champagne powder is! In addition, Steamboat Springs is the home of Howelsen Hill, the oldest continually-operating ski area in the U.S., which offers skiing as well as numerous opportunities to watch Olympic hopefuls strut their ski-jumping stuff.
Ride a chairlift to the top of historic Howelsen Hill and enjoy The Howler, a 2,400-foot long alpine slide near downtown Steamboat that is lots of fun for the whole family.
For a truly epic winter adventure, you can take a guided back-country snowcat skiing trip with Steamboat Powdercats. One of their skilled guides will escort your group out to an area of pristine, untracked powder near Buffalo Pass, and you will be treated to a day of back-country skiing that you will not soon forget!
There are a handful of local ranches that offer scenic sleigh ride dinners on winter evenings, most notably Saddleback Ranch, Dutch Creek Guest Ranch, and Elk River Guest Ranch. You will enjoy a cozy horse-drawn sleigh ride followed by a delicious dinner served in either a tepee or a lodge, depending on your preference, for a rustic and charming winter experience that is perfect for the whole family.
There is a nearly endless supply of spectacular snowmobile trails criss-crossing the Steamboat area, many of which are concentrated around Rabbit Ears Pass and north of Steamboat in the Mt. Zirkel Wilderness. Steamboat Snowmobile Tours and High Mountain Tours both offer guided snowmobile tours to let you explore the mountain corridors winding high above The Porches.
There are thousands of acres of land that are perfect for snowshoeing in and around Steamboat.Yampatika and Rocky Mountain Ventures each offer guided snowshoe tours if you’re not quite sure where to go to explore. Or just rent some snowhoes, head to the top of Rabbit Ears pass, and strap ‘em on!