Breckenridge Nordic Center, Breckenridge

The tall evergreens and the rosy-cheeked families on skis or snowshoes—although it happens to be in Colorado, the scene at Breckenridge Nordic Center could have been plucked from an idealized Scandinavia. Maps and trail markers make it easy to explore the groomed ski trails for hours on your own. But if you get lonely, you can always sign up for basic cross-country ski instruction and guided Snowshoe Adventures that open up the wonders of the Rocky Mountain landscape.