It's no secret that Colorado is one of the top winter getaway spots in the country, known for its ski slopes and picturesque scenes of snowcapped mountains. According to a recent data analysis, two local towns are among the best places to visit during winter nationwide, but for very different reasons.
Writers at moveBuddha sought to provide their readers with a list of spots to "flee the cold or embrace it," designing a winter getaway list that's not just about snow. They divided towns into four themes – snow & slope, sun & sand, cozy & cuddly, and trails & trekking – and crunched some numbers, with two spots in Colorado making the cut to break into the top five of their respective category.
The highest ranking place in Colorado was Breckenridge, ranking first in the 'snow & slope' category. Home to a world-famous ski resort, a main street filled with shops and aprés ski spots, and a number of beloved winter events, Breck is a top year-round tourism spot in the Centennial State. Its close proximity to Denver and the rest of the Front Range makes it easy to get to, plus this town is well-known, thanks to a lot of positive press. For example, it was also recently dubbed a top spot in the country for Christmas celebrations.
Though it's not too surprising to see Breckenridge on this list, the list wasn't just created based on assumptions or opinion. The 'snow & slope' towns were ranked based on favorable skiing temperatures, average annual snowfall, proximity to ski resorts, and number of ski lifts adjusted for population differences.
While Breckenridge earned these honors based in-part on their local skiing, the annual International Snow Sculpture Championships also got a shout-out, with the publication calling the town "a winter wonderland."
