Pond Skating at Evergreen Lake

This Colorado adventure is epic when the weather is right, but the ice skating season has changed as the winters are warmer. Once Evergreen Lake freezes, there are acres and acres of skating and a number of small hockey rinks for low-key pickup games.

The log-cabin style lakehouse serves as the skate rental shop and warming center, and it’s one of the quickest winter day trips you can take into the foothills west of Denver. Best to check before you venture out to make sure the ice conditions are good. (And it’s not a bad place to check out in the summer for the low-key boating rentals and paddle boarding.)