Half the fun of a Steamboat winter happens off the ski hill. Drive a snowmobile up to the Continental Divide, ride a horse through fresh snow, take the reins of a dog sled team, and send the kids down a tubing hill until they can't feel their cheeks.
Steamboat Snowmobile Tours runs guided trips up to the Continental Divide. Ask about the moonlight dinner tour.
The lights come on at the base after dark. On arrival night it's the easiest way to get on snow before the big days.
Guided trail rides through snowy forest at Saddleback Ranch, about 15 miles from town, with hot chocolate after. Riders 8 and up.
The Yee-Haw tubing hill is at the same ranch, so nobody has to drive twice.
Horse-drawn through the snow, ending with a four-course dinner.
ActivityHorse-Drawn Sleigh Ride to DinnerSee it in the guide →Family-run tours where you drive the team yourself. About an hour south on Dunkley Pass, so leave early.
Lift-served tubing at the town ski hill, five minutes from downtown.
ActivitySkiing & Nordic at Howelsen HillSee it in the guide →Dancing and the best sound in town on Lincoln Avenue.
ActivityLive Music at Schmiggity’sSee it in the guide →Escape Chalet sits in the mountain district at the base of Mount Werner, a flat ten-minute walk from the gondola, with the free Green Line bus stopping 50 feet from the door.
Four ensuite bedrooms, sleeps 10, ten minutes' walk from the gondola. Two dogs stay free when you book direct, and the Pup Package is included.