Some people love the snow and other people love the sun. I am definitely a fan of summer time but if you live somewhere with all 4 seasons you have to make the best of all months of the year. So I ventured out into the snow and found some winter activities that are just plain fun for everyone! And if you are a snow lover then find an awesome winter destination and try out a new mountain before all the snow is gone!

1. Snowboarding/Skiing

This one is pretty obvious and probably one of the first things people think of when they think of winter. However, a lot of people who aren’t obsessed with winter don’t think about how great it is to travel to a new mountain!

Probably the only winter sport I enjoy is snowboarding. But this is the first year that I actually spent time going out of state just to board in new places! I’ve been boarding the same mountain for most of my life. So this year I took the chance to explore!

I spent one week in Park City, UT. Which if you’ve ever been there you know they have the best snow on earth. And it’s true! The mountain was covered in fresh powder that was like nothing that I ever see at home in Idaho. It was beautiful and so worth the drive to be able to board this mountain.

I also tried out Mt. Bachelor in Bend, OR. It was recently ranked the 3rd best mountain to snowboard on in the USA by the World Snowboard Guide! And I can definitely see why it earned that ranking! It is the only mountain I’ve been to that has slopes 360 degrees around the mountain! There is a half-pipe and three terrain parks that amp up the experience. Seriously of the most fun boarding trips I’ve ever had!

So even if you don’t love snow but you enjoy snowboarding or skiing, plan a winter destination vacation! It will be so worth it. This will make the winter seem so much less miserable if you get out and enjoy the snow!

2. Snowshoeing

Snowshoeing definitely isn’t the first thing that I think of when I think of winter activities that I will enjoy. I always pictured it as a hard workout wearing tennis rackets on my feet! But then I went snowshoeing for the first time since I was a kid and it is nothing like what I remember!

They reinvented the snowshoe a few years back and they are a thousand times better than the old ones! They even move with your foot when you step and have these claws on them that help you go up hill.

Snowshoeing is supposed to be a way to explore the outdoors and hike through terrain even when there isn’t a cleared pathway these new snowshoes are perfect for any adventurous terrain! And the best thing is that they are so easy even for beginners!

For an easier path for adventures I suggest finding a river and following the water because chances are it won’t be steep or rocky but the view will be amazing! We spend part of the time by a river and after we felt comfortable we ventured into the woods and it was perfect!

I love hiking in the summer so being able to trek up some of my favorite mountains even with snow on the ground is the perfect winter activity for me! I was so happy that my friends talked me into trying this again because it was so much fun!

3. Tubing/Sledding

So the best thing about this winter activity is that it is usually free or super cheap ifyou already have tubes and sleds! The only thing I’ve ever had to pay for is parking at some hills but it’s usually only $5-10 per car!

In order to make the most of this activity it’s all about the tubes and sleds. You have to initially invest in (or rent) good tubes and sleds! There are great two person tubes, sleds for kids, handles or no handles, you have to get what you’re looking for and pick the best ones! A quality tube will make all the difference.

Once you have your tubes the next step is to find an awesome tubing hill! There are a lot more than you might think. Sometimes they are just hidden away from the main part of the mountain because they are usually a free activity. Some of the nicer ones have a fee to use but the perk of them is that they have either a tow rope or magic carpet to take you to the top of the hill so you’re not hiking up and down all day!

But once you have picked a hill the fun begins! Tubing can be made however you want it to be. If you want to go slow, go down in the powder. Want to go fast? Pick a lane that has been packed down. Need a thrill? Build yourself some bumps and jumps to hit on the way down!

Tubing and sledding can be as tame or as wild as you want it to be. It is a great activity for all ages! For more great activities to do with kids in the winter check out our post ____________.

4. Fishing

Fishing probably isn’t something that you think of when you think of winter. Turns out that the fish bite like crazy in the cold of late winter! February and March are great months for fishing because the water is still cold and the fish are active!

Although we didn’t get the chance to go fishing this year it was something that everyone kept recommending we do when we were on vacation in Oregon! And everyone we talked to while we were there that did go fishing said they caught some of the biggest fish of the season.

So I did a little research and found some great places for you guys to fish in the winter! These places include Washington, Colorado, New York, California, and many more! Check it out in the Field and Stream magazine publication!

5. Ice Skating

Okay time for the cutest winter activity ever. There is just something about ice skating that I think makes everyone look beautiful! It is difficult at first but once you get the hang of it there is nothing more freeing than gliding across the ice with people you love!

Ice skating is something that is becoming more popular and can be done at many malls or outdoor events centers in the winter time! When I was living in Salt Lake City, UT the Gallivan Center had an ice skating rink that was amazing. There are usually rinks in ski resorts, or near by. And if you’re there anyways then you have to stop and skate!

Ice skating is another activity that can be fun for all ages and most rinks even have these pushers to skate around with that help you learn. Once you learn how to ice skate it doesn’t take long to start learning tricks! That’s probably one of my favorite things about it. Learning something new and feeling so accomplished when you finally do something cool! And I swear it doesn’t hurt as bad as you think when you fall! 😉