There’s something to be said about summering in the Hamptons and wintering in Aspen. After all, different places connect in different ways, depending on the setting—and, of course, the season. But what happens when you find that perfect getaway spot that makes you want to spend all of your vacation time in the same venue?
That was the idea behind The Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch’s new acquisition of Green Mountain, a 620-acre private retreat ensconced in National Forest lands. The Lodge & Spa’s newly expanded portfolio gives the Wyoming resort, recently named the No. 2 Hotel in the World and the No. 1 Resort in the U.S. in the 2019 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards, four-season visibility, with the addition of a full slate of winter activities that are planned to commence in December 2019.
“We have long wanted to provide skiing opportunities for guests closer in proximity than Steamboat Springs as well as more robust winter amenities,” Matt Anderson, director of activities and outfitting for Brush Creek Ranch, told us. “The acquisition of Green Mountain allows us to do this.”
At Green Mountain, guests of The Lodge & Spa will be able to ski on six different runs, “some just over a mile long and 1,200 vertical feet with a good mix of beginner to advanced terrain,” Anderson tell us. “Cross Country trails are on a corner of the property that will have a Nordic yurt with all equipment at the hub of the trails. There are over five miles of trails dedicated to snowshoeing/cross country skiing. The tubing will be about a 600-foot run with about a 25% slope so it will be fast and thrilling!”
In all, there are more than 20 miles of cross-country skiing, with a total of four luxury yurts scattered throughout the terrain for dining and après ski. Guests can also avail themselves of The Farm at Brush Creek, “an immersive culinary experience focused on seed-to-table dining,” and offering tours and interactive experiences. Also new at the resort this winter is an outdoor ice-skating rink and specially curated Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve packages.
Future development plans include four ski lifts, as well as further developed runs, depending on demand, says Anderson; for now, Snowcats and snowmobiles will take guests to the runs.
Brush Creek Ranch dabbled in winter enjoyment last year, opening for the season so guests could enjoy a “magical experience of a snow-covered ranch,” Michael Williams, EVP and COO of The Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch, said in a release. “We are thrilled to provide our guests private access to Green Mountain for winter sports and to be opening our doors and our hearth for the holidays. This will be a winter like no other for guests of Brush Creek Ranch.”
A luxury guest ranch set on a 30,000-acre working cattle ranch outside of Saratoga in south central Wyoming’s North Platte River Valley, The Lodge & Spa spans 30,000 acres of ranch land adjacent to Medicine Bow National Forest, and has long been a favorite summer spot for luxury travel.