Colorado Adventure Experiences for Groups

By Beth Buehler

When gathering in Colorado, many groups plug into the unmatched variety of adventure experiences during free time on a meeting agenda, as part of an incentive trip or for team-building interaction. However, if a planner isn’t very familiar with the state, it can be nerve-wracking wondering how to find options that will be compatible with attendees’ fitness levels and appetites for adventure and if an outfitter will keep them happy and safe.

Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) like the Aspen Chamber Resort Association, Breckenridge Tourism Office and Visit Colorado Springs can help provide names of highly qualified outfitters in their respective areas. The same is true for destination management companies (DMCs) that can help line up any aspect of a group’s meeting or event program.

Some team-building providers like The TEAMBuilding Company based in Denver weave adventure into some of their offerings.

However, for the purposes of this blog, I’ll provide examples of two businesses that focus on providing Colorado adventure experiences for groups, one located only 30 minutes from Denver and the other a mere 15 minutes from Vail and Beaver Creek. Plus, several properties around the state that offer adventures, lodging and meeting and event space all in one, so a few of these options will be mentioned as well.

Adventure Specialists

Based in Conifer and celebrating its 20th anniversary, Denver Adventures and Zipline Tours provides tailor-made, adrenaline-fueled adventures like ziplining, whitewater rafting and hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing and snowshoeing tours. An extra bonus is having a microbrew pub, Colorado’s Best Beers, located in the same building so groups can share stories, try axe throwing and unwind with snacks, craft beer, whiskey, wine and nonalcoholic options.

Six ziplines that cover a total of 1.5 miles at up to 250 feet above ground are among the company’s star offerings. The ziplines range from 850 feet to more than 1,900 feet long and can reach speeds of up to 60 mph. A Zip & Sip package combines the ziplines with a visit to Colorado’s Best Beers, which holds up to 60 people (40 indoors and 20 on the patio).

Also consider the Lost in the Woods activity featuring a GPS navigation challenge course at Denver Adventures and Zipline Tours’ nature park and Splash-Zilla that includes water-based challenges such as paddle boarding, water balloon games and a raft-building challenge that involves limited supplies and trying the craft on a lake. Active sightseeing tours are slower-paced options that can include visiting the famous Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, exploring a gold mine and old mining town, enjoying the history and views at Lookout Mountain Nature Center and Buffalo Bill’s Grave in Golden.

Founded in 1984, Nova Guides in Red Cliff has the unique distinction of being located at Camp Hale (the former training grounds of the 10th Mountain Division) and serves groups meeting in Vail, Beaver Creek, Avon, Copper Mountain, Frisco, Keystone, Breckenridge and Leadville. Summer Colorado adventure experiences for groups include guided fishing, archery, and Jeep, ATV and side-by-side tours, while snowmobile and snowcoach tours are among winter options. Operating under special permits in and around the White River National Forest, Nova Guides has access to over 55,000 remote and scenic acres, giving the company versatility and flexibility to customize trips to attendees’ abilities and personal preferences.

The Camp Hale location includes a 6,000-square-foot lodge and a restaurant that makes it possible for Nova Guides to serve lunch with morning Jeep and ATV tours and buffet and plated dinner options for larger groups. Rental cabins and the Eagle River Chalet also are available on-site and have access to trails right out the front doors. In October 2022, Camp Hale became part of the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument.

Events for up to 1,000 guests can be accommodate by Nova Guides, and staff can help customize menus, coordinate bonfire s’mores, and much more.

All-in-One Places

If you are looking to lodge a fairly large number of guests, secure a sizable amount of meeting and event space and have Colorado adventure experiences for groups all in one location, Colorado has several standout options.

High-end ranches like C Lazy U Ranch near Granby and Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa north of Winter Park in Tabernash provide a sweet taste of the West with delicious cuisine, beautiful décor and scenery, and adventure activities galore. Make it truly memorable for attendees by offering a menu of choices like horseback riding, fly-fishing, hatchet throwing, Ranger tours, trap shooting, hiking, biking, Nordic skiing, snow tubing, snowmobiling and skijoring.

YMCA of the Rockies’ Snow Mountain Ranch near Granby and Estes Park Center in Estes Park offer a large selection of accommodations—from lodge rooms, cabins and yurt—and a similar range of amazing adventures as well as axe throwing, archery and new aerial adventure courses.

Many ski resorts also are terrific options for lodging, function space and Colorado adventure experience combinations for groups. While world-class skiing and snowboarding are the source of their fame, Colorado ski resorts have become year-round playgrounds with activity options ranging from mountain biking and hiking trails, adventure parks and climbing walls to aerial courses, golf courses and 4X4 tours. You might even be able to line up “ski with an Olympian” excursions for your team, a timely option with the Summer Olympics recently wrapping up in Paris.

Top Photo: Exploring a ranch on horseback, courtesy C Lazy U Ranch

Colorado native Beth Buehler has been editor of Colorado Meetings + Events magazine for 19 years and helped launch Mountain Meetings magazine that was published for more than a decade as well as Southwest Meetings + Events. She has planned numerous meetings and events and enjoys exploring Colorado.