Winters in Colorado truly shine bright, and although the seasons change there’s no shortage of things to do. From cross-country skiing and fat biking to snowshoeing and snowkiting, the options to play outdoors are endless.
As we begin to focus on cold-weather activities, the articles and posts below feature December’s theme of winter safety and the Care for Colorado Principle — "Know Before You Go." Next month we will continue to emphasize winter safety with a focus on the backcountry. Interest in and exploration of the wonderful serenity and adventures that only Colorado’s backcountry can offer continues to grow.
We encourage everyone to stay safe no matter what activity they decide to participate in this season. Wishing you all the best for the holidays and looking forward to working together with you in 2022.
Yours in stewardship,
Tim Wolfe, Director, Colorado Tourism Office
Dana Watts, Executive Director, Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics
Help Us Share the Care for Colorado Monthly Messaging
Please feel free to share these assets on your own channels — just be sure to credit the partner organization and link back to their site.
- 7 Principles of Leave No Trace Winter Recreation
- Care for Colorado Leave No Trace Principles
- Colorado Tourism Office: Beginner Snowshoeing Tips in Colorado
- Colorado Tourism Office: Fat Biking
- Leave No Trace: 5 Critical Skills For Traveling Into The Snow
- Leave No Trace: 14 Winter Recreation Tips
- Leave No Trace: Planning Ahead
- Leave No Trace: Visitor Search & Rescues Drain Park Resources
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife: Winter Recreation Safety
- Ski Kind website
#CareForColorado social media posts
Share any of the winter-safety-focused social-media posts below to encourage visitors to Care for Colorado on all their adventures. Use one (or all) of these ready-made social posts or create your own. Don’t forget to tag @VisitColorado and @LeaveNoTraceCenter on all your posts.
- Caption 1: Winter is a great time to get outdoors, but weather can change in an instant. Make sure you plan ahead and prepare by informing someone of your itinerary and bringing layers as well as any necessary safety equipment. Practicing the #LeaveNoTrace principles will ensure you stay safe, minimize your impacts and #CareForColorado.
- Caption 2: No one loves hiking in the snow more than our furry companions. However, pet waste can take even longer to decompose in winter conditions. Be sure to always pick up after your pets and pack out all bagged dog waste to the nearest trash can. #CareForColorado #LeaveNoTrace
- Caption 3: Did you know wildfires can survive all winter? As long as there’s oxygen and organic material to burn, fires can hide under snowfall and reignite in spring. Even in winter remember to #BeCarefulwithFire. Avoid building fires on organic material and be sure to dowse your fire until it’s cool to the touch. #CareForColorado #LeaveNoTrace
Know Before You Go/Care for Colorado Additional Resources
- COtrip, for road conditions
- OpenSnow, for daily snow, forecast and a ski report
- Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), for avy forecasts
- COTREX, Colorado Trail Explorer
- Colorado Cross Country Ski Association
- Colorado Snowmobile Association
- Colorado Concierge Traveler Safety Module
- National Weather Service
Care for Colorado New Partners and Members
Please help us welcome these new Coalition Partners and Members and check out their websites:
- Denver Parks and Recreation: The Denver Parks and Recreation system includes 30 recreation centers and nearly 20,000 acres of urban and mountain parkland including off-street trails, parkways and natural areas.
- Bottomless Backpacks: Based on the Front Range, Bottomless Backpacks is all about enjoying and protecting the outdoors. We started by sharing experiences with our outdoor network. Now, we have expanded into a boutique outdoor retailer offering limited quantities of customized gear from some of our favorite brands. We specialize in outdoor accessories and unique gifts.
- Downstream Adventures: Downstream Adventures is dedicated to offering top-quality rafting near the heart of Denver. With stunning natural landscapes and more rapids per mile than any other commercially run stretch of white water in Colorado, Clear Creek is the perfect destination for all your rafting needs!
- OutThere Colorado: Colorado is a leading platform intent on inspiring people to seek meaningful experiences in the outdoors. Through a variety of highly shareable original content — including jaw-dropping video and photography, engaging articles and immersive destination profiles — OutThere is building a rapidly growing national audience. OutThere’s engaging content drives users to create the experiences they seek beyond the device, helping them lead an informed, inspired and experience-rich life outdoors.
- Pikes Peak Region Attractions Association: In the 1970s, a group of attraction owners from around Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region got together and began to collectively market the area. Since then, the top attractions from El Paso, Teller and Fremont Counties in Colorado have joined the association to draw family-friendly tourism
- Vail Valley Partnership: Vail Valley Partnership, a 501c(6) nonprofit organization, has been engaged in the community from the early days of Vail, starting in 1964 as the Vail Resort Association. Vail Valley Partnership is the regional community development organization, dedicated to the economic vitality of the Vail Valley. We support local businesses. We unite key stakeholders. We lead collaborative efforts throughout the community.
Care for Colorado Coalition
If you have any questions about the Care for Colorado Coalition or would like to refer an organization, agency or business to be a Partner or Member, please email Barb Bowman.