Activities Not to Be Missed in Montrose
Posted: December 29, 2021 by Inactive Lisa Stephenson
Montrose’s motto “Stay Here… Play Everywhere” doesn’t disappoint with all the amazing outdoor winter adventures suitable for the whole family. Enjoy vast expanses of public lands, groomed trails across some of the most beautiful and peaceful land on the Western Slope.
ICE CLIMBING: The Black Canyon and Curecanti Recreation Area make Montrose a remarkable ice climbing destination. Gandalf’s Beard is one of Black Canyon’s most popular routes and has amazing winter views! Other areas to check out are Shadowfax, 268 (Train Route) and Curecanti Monster in the Blue Mesa area.
Ouray Ice Park is a stone throw away from Montrose and offers some of the best ice climbing in the area. The famous Ouray Ice Festival + Competition will be held January 20-23 and offers tons of fun over this 4 day event.
SKIING & SNOWBOARDING:: We have some of the best mountains to show off your skills. Telluride Ski Resort is recognized around the world for its stunning views of the San Juan Mountains and is located among the nation’s highest concentration of 13,000-14,000 peaks.
Powderhorn Mountain Resort is located on the north face of the Grand Mesa with views of the Colorado River and offers unbeatable learn-to-ski packages, as well as slopes for the advanced enthusiasts.
Crested Butte offers more extreme experiences with slopes that tend toward advanced/expert, with a large quantity of ungroomed runs featuring chutes and drops.
SNOWSHOEING & CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: A beautiful atmosphere for the soft crunch of snowshoes or light swoosh of cross-country skis is the Black Canyon National Park. South Rim is closed to traffic in the winter and provides a 6 mile stretch of sheer beauty. For a slower pace, try snowshoeing on Rim Rock Trail or Oak Flat Loop. A guided tour is available from mid-January to mid-March.
SNOWMOBILING: The areas around Montrose offer hundred of miles of excellent snowmobile trails. Check out Black Mesa which offers the most spectacular powder riding in the region. It consists of groomed trails and thousands of acres of meadows, pine and spruce forests. Speed demon snowmobilers will enjoy the open parks and adrenaline junkies love to climb to the top of Baldy Mountain.
The Grand Mesa is one of the world’s largest flat-topped mountains with ideal terrain. Sunlight to Powderhorn Trail boasts 123 miles and is one of the longest snowmobile trails in the lower 48 states.
Uncompahgre Plateau is just 30 minutes from Montrose, offering 1.5 million acres of fun for intermediate riders on groomed and ungroomed trails and climbs that are not too steep.
With all the terrain around Montrose, adventurists can find any number of areas to enjoy their winter activities, while being immersed in the beautiful outdoors.
