Winter Park Resort has two bases, Winter Park and Mary Jane, connected by a ski trail called the Corridor. The Gondola and Base Village are at the Winter Park base. Where you stay relative to those three things decides most of your trip.
The three areas at a glance
| Area | Getting to the lifts | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Village and the Corridor | Ski or walk | Families, skiing every day, short trips | Highest prices; quieter evenings |
| Downtown Winter Park | Free bus, or drive and park | Restaurants, groups, nightlife | A bus or parking every day |
| Fraser, Tabernash, Granby | Bus or drive | Budget, longer stays | The longest commute |
Base Village and the Corridor
Base Village sits at the bottom of The Gondola. Lodging there includes Zephyr Mountain Lodge, the closest to the slopes, along with Fraser Crossing, Founders Pointe and the Lofts. Parking is usually an underground garage with a nightly fee.
The Corridor is the trail between the Winter Park and Mary Jane bases. The buildings along it ski straight onto it: Iron Horse Resort, the original ski-in, ski-out resort at Winter Park, and residential buildings on Iron Horse Way including U9200. The Mary Jane base has Base Camp at Mary Jane and Bridger's Cache.
Which of these are genuinely ski-in, ski-out, and which mean a short walk, is covered building by building in ski-in, ski-out condos at Winter Park. What the term should mean is in what ski-in, ski-out actually means.
Downtown Winter Park
Downtown Winter Park is along US-40, a couple of miles from the base. It has most of the restaurants, bars and shops, plus Hideaway Park's summer concerts. The Lift, the free local bus, runs between downtown and the resort all day in winter (The Lift).
Stay here if evenings matter more than mornings, or if you're a group that wants to walk to dinner.
Fraser, Tabernash and Granby
Fraser is a few miles down the valley and has the Safeway and more nightly rentals at lower prices. Tabernash and Granby are further and cheaper again. From any of them, expect The Lift or a drive and parking at the resort every day.
These make sense for longer stays on a budget, or for skiers who are happy to drive.
With kids, for a week, or for a season
- A weekend with young children: stay on the snow. Every bus and parking lot you remove is a meltdown you don't have.
- A week with a group: downtown or Base Village, depending on whether the group cares more about dinner or first chair.
- A season: nightly rates for five months add up fast. A seasonal or 12-month lease on the snow usually costs far less per night. See seasonal leases in Winter Park and how to rent long-term.
Getting here
Winter Park is about 67 miles from Denver over Berthoud Pass, usually an hour and a half by car in good conditions. On winter weekends the Winter Park Express runs from Denver Union Station to the base.
Staying the season at U9200
U9200 is on the Corridor trail at 9,200 feet. Residents ski to The Gondola base in the morning and ski home down the Mary Jane trail and the Corridor. It leases residences, most of them furnished and all pet-friendly, and offers some short-term stays. 7 residences are available now.
| Residence | Size | From |
|---|---|---|
| Studio / 1 Bath | 430 sq ft | $2,200 / mo |
| One Bedroom / 1 Bath / Den | 850 sq ft | $3,400 / mo |
| Two Bedroom / 2 Bath / Den | 1,280 sq ft | $5,500 / mo |
| Deluxe Two Bedroom / 2 Bath / Den | 1,476 sq ft | $6,500 / mo |
Starting rates on leases of 6, 12 or 15 months.