Winter never passes Wyoming by. Locals and visitors treasure crisp, cold air, sparkling snow, abundant scenic beauty, real Western authenticity and an astonishing absence of crowds. Excellent places for a winter getaway are not necessarily the cities, the highly developed ski resorts or the carefully managed national parks but smaller towns offering a rare combination of outdoor adventure, tranquility and off-season bargain prices.

The Snowy Range Ski Area, a laid-back, family-friendly ski and snowboard area, is open Thursday through Monday, plus daily during holiday weeks, until early April. With four chairlifts, 27 trails and a 1,000-foot vertical, it is large enough for variety but compact enough so that it's not intimidating. Centennial is also the gateway to 325 miles of fabulous snowmobile trails in the Medicine Bow National Forest. Roughly half are groomed regularly and the other half are marked and signed but not groomed. The Old Corral and the Snowy Mountain Lodge can arrange for snowmobile rentals or tours, or you can book directly with Snowy Range Snowmobile Tours. Other comfortable lodging and snowmobile rental options on the Centennial side of the forest include the Albany Lodge and Mountain Meadows Cabins. You can also drive to snowmobiling galore via Highway 230 west of Laramie. In Fox Park, contact Snowy Mountain Adventures or a little farther along the highway, WyColo Lodge.