19 of the Coolest Winter Activities in the US
Getting out and about during winter can seem like something of a lost cause. Who really wants to brave the cold and go on an adventure? Well, if that's how you feel about exploring over winter, then let these top winter tours and activities across the US change your mind. From dogsledding to hot springs, there's something for all ages, tastes, and abilities. (Yes, even if who don't relish the thought of leaving the comfort of the couch.)
1. Track wolves in Yellowstone, Wyoming with a naturalist guide
Spend a day in Yellowstone searching for the national park’s wildlife, including wolves, bald eagles, bison, and bighorn sheep on this wintry tour.
2. See the Dyker Heights Christmas lights in New York
Picture Whoville but in Brooklyn. That’s Dyker Heights. Here, you can tour the blocks of houses brimming with over-the-top lights and decorations which are par for the course in America’s most Christmassy neighborhood.
3. Take a New Orleans, Louisiana–style holiday tour
Pair Yuletide festivities with ghost hunting, voodoo, and vampires on this holiday tour with a twist (it’s New Orleans after all).
4. Hit the slopes in Vail, Colorado
Go skiing or snowboarding at the most visited, and largest, ski resort in the country.
5. Hike the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska
Paddle through the Alaskan wilderness to a remote beach near Mendenhall Glacier, where you can see its ice caves, crevasses, and streams up close.
6. Go dogsledding in Alaska
Explore Fairbanks’ snowy trails by dogsled on a private guided mushing experience. For more, choose a tour that includes a helicopter flight or even a glacier landing and walk.
7. Cruise Boston Harbor with hot cocoa and carols
Get cozy with hot cocoa and jazz-inflected carols on this Boston Harbor cruise by 1920s-style yacht.
8. Go snowshoeing in Sequoia National Park, California
Sequoia National Park’s giants are a sight to behold no matter the season, but seeing them covered in snow is something else. And a hot chocolate on Bear Hill is a nice added bonus.
9. Soak in the Chena Hot Springs, Alaska
An hour outside of Fairbanks, the waters of Chena Hot Springs have been soothing weary travelers for more than a hundred years. The thermal resort also happens to be one of the best places to see the northern lights.
10. See ice formations at Niagara Falls, New York
Take a winter day trip to the American side of Niagara Falls for a chance to see the "frozen" falls—when it's particularly cold, the mist and spray can form an ice crust, which makes it appear as though the falls have frozen over.
11. Ride a snowmobile in the North Pole, Alaska
Remote mountain trails and frozen lakes are your playground on this snowmobile adventure in the Chena River State Recreation Area.
12. Go cross-country skiing in Lake Tahoe, California
Cross-country skiing dates back thousands of years as a means of transportation across Europe. Get kitted out and traverse the mountain trails of the Sierra Nevada in Lake Tahoe.
13. Shop the Christmas markets in Chicago, Illinois
Check off Chicago’s festive must-do’s, from Millennium Park’s Christmas tree and ice rink to State Street’s holiday windows, and pick up gifts from Christkindlmarket, Chicago’s German-style Christmas market on this holiday tour.
14. Go whale watching off the coast of Monterey, California
Head to northern California's premier whale-watching destination, where humpback and blue whales can be seen as late as December, and gray whales are commonly spotted through April.
15. Attend the St. Augustine, Florida Nights of Lights celebration
Take the Holly Jolly Holiday Trolley around St. Augustine, whose famous Nights of Lights celebration sees the city lit up by millions (literally) of bright-white lights.
16. Go ice-fishing under the aurora borealis in Alaska
Catch fish through the ice, which you can later grill and eat in a cozy heated cabin, while you look for the northern lights. It doesn’t get much more “I’m in Alaska” than that.
17. Cycle through the snow in Colorado
Ride a fat bike through the snow with stops at some of Breckenridge’s best craft breweries.
18. Go sledding in the Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Sled down the slopes at Hidden Valley, an old ski resort in Rocky Mountain National Park that’s since been turned into a designated sledding area.
19. Spot wildlife on a Grand Teton, Wyoming winter safari
Elk, bison, and bighorn sheep are some of the winter wildlife you can spot on this naturalist-led tour of Grand Teton National Park.
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