UW Ranks Among Best Colleges for Skiing, Snowboarding

Add skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing to the list of outdoor activities for which the University of Wyoming has achieved a national ranking.

The website College Consensus lists UW as No. 18 on its list of the “Best Colleges for Winter Life,” noting that “the terrain of Wyoming offers more winter activities than many other schools” as well as UW’s Outdoor Program.

“Whether skiing or backpacking through snowy mountains, students are guaranteed an adventure on their college winter break trips. When wondering what to do over winter break, college students often dream of a more rugged winter experience. UW can provide that,” the website says. “However, students also have access to the outdoor activities and mountains close by. If a student finds the Outdoor Program too tame, they can embark on an adventure of their own. Close by, students can find resorts, winter lodges, ice climbing, hot springs and all the other winter activities they can think of.”

Other Rocky Mountain schools on the College Consensus list include Colorado College (No. 3), the University of Denver (No. 10), the University of Colorado-Boulder (No. 11), the University of Utah (No. 16), Utah’s Westminster College (No. 17), Montana State University (No. 21) and Colorado Mesa University (No. 22). Making up the rest of the top 25 primarily are schools in the Northeast, the Pacific Northwest and the Upper Midwest.

“With the length and severity of the Wyoming winter, it is so important to still be able to get outside and recreate. Thankfully, there are endless opportunities surrounding Laramie,” says Garrett Genereux, coordinator of UW’s Outdoor Program. “Whether it’s snowshoeing, Nordic skiing, downhill skiing or getting out on a fat bike, there is always something to do outside even when it’s cold.”

UW’s Outdoor Program has a busy schedule of winter activities for students in the spring 2019 semester, and it rents skis, snowshoes and other winter gear for students and UW employees.

The College Consensus ranking is just the latest recognition of UW as one of the nation’s top universities for outdoor recreation. Backpacker magazine ranked UW No. 3 on a list of the nation’s best colleges for hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts, and Outside magazine ranked UW as one of the top 15 schools in the country for students interested in the outdoors.