Staying right at the base of the mountain gives you more time to hit the slopes.
When it comes to a mountain vacation, it's difficult to beat the panoramic views, the gorgeous year-round conditions and the overall quality of accommodations in the mountains of Colorado. When you've finished up a tough day of hiking one of the state's many 14,000 foot-plus mountains or cruising over one of the state's 547 kilometers of cross country trails, one of the most intimate and relaxing ways to rest your head is in your own cabin right on the mountain. With more than four million ski tourists visiting Colorado each year, you won't find any shortage of cabins for rent.
Instructions
1. Determine which types of activities you'd like to do and what time of year you want to visit. Many Colorado cabins are centered around the state's downhill ski resorts, but cross-country skiing, sledding and snowmobiling are also big attractions in the winter. During the late spring and summer, hiking, mountain biking, whitewater rafting and climbing are big attractions.
2. Order the Colorado Vacation Guide from the state's tourism office (see Resource 1) to browse the various offerings around the state. To get an insider's view of the activities and flavor around various Colorado towns, check out Hiking in Colorado's Mountain Towns web page (see Resource 2). Once you've narrowed your focus to a specific mountain or to a certain activity, determine which towns may work best as a home base.
3. Find a rental company in the area in which you're interested by browsing the business listings for the towns surrounding it. You can also find rental companies and lodging opportunities by visiting the tourism board for the town or county you will be visiting. Visit the rental company's website to get a feel for the cabins available, how much they cost, how many people they can sleep and when they are available. Since cabin and condo rentals are so prevalent in the state, you will often find many different listings, often with many pictures and elaborate descriptions.
4. Contact the rental company when you find a cabin in which you are interested. Often, you can make your reservation online by entering your credit card information, mailing address and e-mail address when prompted. Other companies require you to complete your reservation over the phone. Be prepared to pay an upfront deposit along with any rental fees before you can book the cabin. In some cases, rental companies may also run a credit check on you before you can rent the cabin.
5. Check with the rental company to determine what you will need when you get there. While most cabins will be equipped with things like bedding and towels, they may not have basic sundries like laundry and dish soap. Be sure to bring all the necessary items so you don't end up paying premium prices in the resort areas surrounding the cabin.
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