Winter Park is a small town of about 700 residents located in Colorado. It is the home of Winter Park Resort, a very popular ski resort. It is the highest town in the United States, sitting at an altitude of about 9,000 feet above sea level. While most of the town's business comes from snow skiing, it is also a popular destination during the warmer months for hiking, biking and fishing.
Winter Park is located 66 miles north of Denver on highway 40, in the central Rocky Mountains. The town is growing steadily, even though it is covered with snow for six months out of the year. It is classified as an alpine climate, and parts of the town and resort are as high as 12,060 feet above sea level.
Winter Park first arose as two separate settlements, Old Town and Hideaway Park, which later merged. The settlements served the railroad workers, primarily those working on the Moffatt railroad tunnel and adjoining water tunnel. The town was not formally recognized and founded until 1978, when it was renamed Winter Park.
The economy of Winter Park struggled until the arrival of the Winter Park Ski Resort, which opened in 1940. Many skiers took a train to the resort, and that train still runs on weekends during the winter. The area quickly became a popular winter getaway with residents and tourists alike. Today the resort is run by Intrawest, which runs a great number of destination resorts across the country.
The town of Winter Park is centered around Hideaway Park, which hosts several concert events, festivals and parades, mostly during late spring, summer and early fall. The summer jazz festival is a particular favorite and draws visitors from all over the central portion of the state.
Although Winter Park is near Denver, it is still generally seen as only a tourist destination rather than a place to live year-round. In an effort to attract more residents, the city is currently developing an affordable housing community called Highway Junction. The houses, which will include single family homes and attached condos, will be sold below market value to people who meet certain criteria, including the fact that it must be the owner's primary residence.
