Traded in my skyscraper view for wide open spaces this past weekend in Steamboat Springs, Colorado! Steamboat Springs is a popular ski and vacation town located just about 3 hours outside of Denver, in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. While it is known for having some of the greatest and largest slopes in North America, Steamboat is not just a town for those that love winter sports. I should know! Read below for my city guide on Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Want to see what my favorite part of the trip was? Skip ahead to the end! 😉
How to Get from Denver to Steamboat Springs
Steamboat Springs is about a 3 hour drive from the Denver International Airport. Steamboat Springs does have a private airport you can find flights to, however they are 2x or 3x the price of flying into Denver instead. You can get from Denver to Steamboat Springs by either rental car, Uber, or shuttle service (if your hotel provides it). We decided to rent a car so we could save some money and enjoy the mountain views along the way. We rented through Budget and it was a little over $100 for the whole weekend in a new Volkswagen Jetta, so a pretty nice deal. Taking the scenic route was beautiful and defiantly worth the time!
Avoid Altitude Sickness
Steamboat Springs is about 7,000 above sea level, so for those not use to the altitude (me), there’s the potential of getting altitude sickness. Knowing that I might have trouble adapting on such a short trip, I bought altitude sickness pills a week before and started taking the recommended amount about 24 hours before our trip. I then continued to take the pills while there and drank a ton of water. I felt extremely light headed the first day and a half, but after that I felt more acclimated!
Hotel: The Steamboat Grand
The Steamboat Grand hotel was the perfect lodging option for a Steamboat Springs weekend getaway. Tucked at the bottom of the mountains, lifts up the mountain as well as Gondola Square sit right behind the hotel for easy walking access. This was perfect for both Vince and I: he was able to hit the slopes while I hit the spa and explored the area. Our room had a great view overlooking the mountains with a fireplace for use! If you’re looking for a moderately priced hotel, this is a good one.
Dead Sea Mud Wrap at The Steamboat Grand Spa
While Vince spent the day doing group snowboarding lessons, I decided to check out The Steamboat Grand Spa. I love a little pampering on vacation! I booked my appointment over the phone about two weeks before arrival to make sure I could get the time slot desired. I recommend doing this before your arrival as well. There’s nothing I love more than a heated wrap, so I choose one of the Steamboat Grand Spa’s most popular body treatments, the Dead Sea Mud Wrap.
The Dead Sea Mud Wrap lasted 75 minutes and included not only a wrap, but also time for a basic Swedish massage. I personally am not a fan of full body massages, and did not know that a massage was part of the treatment when booking. You’ll notice that the Dead Sea Mud Wrap description does not say this. I was willing to try the massage portion, but did not want to give half the time to it. For this reason, I asked to have more time in the wrap with only 10 min left for the massage. Next time I would defiantly add a face treatment and spend half a day at the spa!
Read more about my full experience at The Steamboat Grand Spa here!
Gondola Square
Gondola Square is conveniently located behind The Steamboat Grand. This area features a stage for live entertainment, restaurants & bars, shops, lift tickets, information/reservations for ski and snowboarding lessons, and great views of the mountains.
Timber & Torch
One of the more popular Steamboat Springs bars, Timber & Torch, was located within Gondola Square. We ate here for dinner and had one of the best pretzel & beer cheese to date. It was humungous! The place had a really good vibe, we would defiantly go back. We didn’t have a lot of time to check out the dining in Gondola Square, however Truffle Pig, Paramount, and Slopeside Grill also looked like good options for a drink or a bite to eat.
Steamboat Springs Coca-Cola Bear Photo Op
Right at the start of the mountain, behind Gondola Square and the Gondola Building, is a cute Coca-Cola polar bear statue. The bear has a Coca-Cola bottle in one hand and is wearing a Steamboat “Happy Trails” scarf. It was big enough to sit on for a great photo op of the mountain behind you!
We went to Gondola Square during the afternoon and the weather was so nice. Results from a contest earlier that day was being announced on the main stage followed by live music to enjoy. The crowds were all there to party and have a good time! The area did seem to clear out after 7:30pm, however, which we found weird. We think it was because spring break wasn’t in full swing yet. There were also more bars outside of this area that may have been poppin’ at night, we just didn’t venture out too far.
Dog Sledding in Steamboat Springs
Hands down the highlight of the trip! On our last morning we went dog sledding with Grizzle-T Dog & Sled along the shores of the Stagecoach Reservoir, and IT WAS AWESOME. Their tours give you the chance to “drive your own team” and see what it feels like to be behind the sled of six powerful, pure-breed Alaskan Huskies. Driving the sled takes the ability to switch weight between your feet, have good balance, and slight squating when needed. Because of my recent hip injury, I had to sit out the driving portion of the tour (usually they let you switch drivers half way in), however Vince was a trouper and reported that it is indeed a full body activity.
Want to read more about my experience dog sledding? Read the full post HERE! Includes everything from what to wear, to meeting the dogs, to how you drive your own team.
