Fodor's Expert Review Devil's Thumb Ranch

Many visitors come to this 6,500-acre ranch outside Winter Park for unrivaled cross-country skiing, with 75 miles of groomed trails, but they wind up staying for the resort's comfort and privacy. Choose from a room or suite in the lodge built in 2008, the former lodge that's now a reasonably priced bunkhouse, or a cabin in the woods. The pet-friendly cabins range in size from 675 to 2,200 square feet, but all have wood-burning fireplaces and furnishings that reflect the resort's ranching history. In the loft cabins the beds are upstairs and bathrooms downstairs. In the lodge, upscale, Western-style rooms have some paneled walls (from lumber harvested at the ranch), pine furniture, and beds covered with colorful quilts. Some rooms have stone fireplaces. From tapping the power of geothermal springs to using trees cleared on the property to build part of the new lodge to the on-site Ranch House restaurant ($$$) that uses sustainable and organic ingredients, this resort lives green. Take in a yoga class at the full-service spa or work with cattle on a horseback ride, fly-fish, mountain-bike, and hike in the surrounding area. Hallowed Grounds coffee shop offers pastries and other quick breakfast items, and the rustic Heck's Tavern features three meals a day as well.