Things to Do in Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Local men Jim Temple and John Fetcher built the resort, which opened in 1963 on what was then called Storm Mountain, now Mount Werner. In winter it’s the big draw. In summer, the gondola carries hikers, bikers and dogs to Thunderhead, and the Steamboat Bike Park runs lift-served downhill trails.

★ Good to know At the base, Burgess Creek Beach is a creekside spot where kids can splash while you sit in an Adirondack chair.

Howelsen Hill has run since 1915, making it Colorado’s oldest continuously operated ski area, and the city still owns it. It has the largest natural ski jumping complex in North America and has trained 100 Olympians. In summer, the Howler Alpine Slide takes a chairlift to the top and slides you back down.

★ Good to know It sits just across the Yampa River from downtown, so you can walk over from Lincoln Avenue.

For more than 100 years, the Heart Spring has fed mineral pools right in downtown Steamboat. Today there are eight mineral pools and a cold plunge, plus a gym and a 37-foot indoor climbing wall. No reservation is needed.

★ Good to know It’s open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas, and a massage includes admission to the pools.

This 283-foot waterfall is about 5 miles east of town in Routt National Forest. A quarter-mile accessible path leads to an overlook of the full falls. A second trail drops to the base and a historic footbridge, then continues about 5 miles to Long Lake.

★ Good to know It’s a $5-per-vehicle day-use fee area, and the footbridge closes each year from April 1 to July 1 for high water; the overlook stays open.

The Pro Rodeo Series runs every Friday and Saturday night in summer at Brent Romick Arena, 401 Howelsen Parkway, with a special show on July 4. Expect roping, bronc riding, barrel racing and bull riding. A Western barbecue dinner is sold before the show.

★ Good to know Rodeo action runs from 7:30 to 10 p.m., so come early for the barbecue and a seat.

The Yampa runs right through town, with a 4-mile Grade II-III whitewater stretch that ends at two surfable waves, D-Hole and Charlie’s Hole near the library. People fish, raft, tube and kayak it all summer. The Yampa River Core Trail follows the river and ties town together for walking and biking.

★ Good to know The Yampa River Festival, with a kayak rodeo and a Crazy River Dog Contest, is held the first weekend of June each year.

This 6-acre garden sits beside the Yampa at 6,800 feet, off U.S. 40 on Pamela Lane. It holds more than 60 themed gardens, from columbines and penstemons to a Japanese reflecting garden and a hummingbird garden. It’s a calm stop on a walk or ride along the river.

★ Good to know It’s open dawn to dusk from spring until the first heavy snow.

F.M. Light & Sons has sold Western wear at 830 Lincoln Ave. since 1905 and is still run by the Light family’s fifth generation, with many original fixtures. Nearby at 807 Lincoln Ave., the Steamboat Art Museum shows rotating exhibits tied to the culture of the West. Admission to the museum is free.

★ Good to know The art museum closes Sundays and Mondays and between exhibits, so check its site before you go.