The county that boasts “300 days of sunshine a year”, is located in the center of the Rocky Mountain Region of Colorado. Summit County’s claim to fame as a popular recreation destination for winter and summer activities is due to their adjacency to Denver’s metropolitan area. This county is divided into six communities; The Lower Blue River Basin, Frisco, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Silverthorne/ Dillon.
Lower Blue River Basin is a prominent location for outdoor activities such as boating, jet skiing, fishing, camping, bird watching featuring several eagles’ nests, big game hunting, hiking the falls near Cataract Lake, and 4×4 off road trails all along the Green Mountain Reservoir.
Frisco is a year round functional recreation town as it offers a multitude of activities, such as the year-round Frisco Adventure Park& Peninsula Recreation Area, Frisco Bay Marina, Frisco Historic Park and Museum, Frisco Nordic Center, Frisco Gold Rush the longest running Nordic event in the state, and The Frisco Bike and Skate Park. For those looking to enjoy a more leisurely vacation, be sure to check out Downtown Frisco for community festivals like The Frisco Concerts in the Park Series, Fall Fest, Wassail Days, Colorado BBQ Challenge.
Copper Mountain provides year round exciting recreation entertainment and activities on the mountain and in the town. The most obvious is the Copper Mountain Ski Resort, which is well known for its terrain which has been divided naturally into clear cut sections of beginner, intermediate, and advanced trails. It also houses an indoor freestyle training facility, called Woodward at Copper and is open to the public. Summer Activities abound here, at Copper Mountain featuring:
Free round-trip rides on the American Eagle chairlift, the only resort currently offering free rides on the chairlifts which are available daily from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. daily.
Bungee Jumping- Mini golf
- Cross Country Downhill Mountain Biking, they haul you and your mountain bike up the chair lift,
- then you ride down.
- Diggler Rentals, which are rugged scooters for use between East and Center Village for cruising, they are not permitted on mountain trails.
- Go-Kart track, the only one in Summit County.
- Wall climbing, on the largest outdoor climbing wall in Colorado.
- Zip lining
- Paddle Boat and Bumper Boat Rentals for exploring Copper’s West Lake
- Tumble Bubbles, also known as human hamster balls for a multi terrain tumbling experience
Breckenridge is the largest historic district in Colorado boasting a rich Victorian heritage and lead by the non-profit Breckenridge Heritage Alliance. The Alliance features guided tours of historical sites, museums, and events throughout the area. Their ski resort is known for its terrain being divided into four parks, which feature two half-pipes, and legendary steeps to accommodate skiers of all ability levels. For those seeking a wholly organic experience, head to Cultivating Spirits, a Cannabis Tourism company that provides responsible, educational, and a spirited Cannabis experience. Their goal is to immerse people properly into the Cannabis culture whether their customers choose to imbibe cannabis or not, including cooking demonstrations, grow tours, and Cannabis Education Classes, just to name a few.
Summer activities in Breckenridge are quite plentiful they include:
- The Gold Runner Roller Coaster- which goes down the mountain on 2,500 feet of lifted track.
- Alpine Super Slide, goes down the mountain spanning three separate 2,600 foot long tracks.
- Ten Mile Flyer Zip line, leading you 50 feet up in the air at speeds capable of 45 miles an hour.
- Breck 4×4 Tours, 90 minute ride to the top of the Ten Mile Range with up to 7 passengers in a safari-style 4×4 vehicle that is open-air
- BreckTreks Guided Hiking Tours
- SuperPutt Mini Golf
- Mountain Biking
- Scenic Chairlift Rides
- Breck Off Road Segway Tours
- Gemstone Panning
- Mineshaft Maze
- Rockpile Climbing Wall
- SuperBungee Trampoline
- Ripperoo’s Bounce Corral
- Breck Duck Races
Keystone is the largest ski resort in summit county, with 3,148 skiable acres including three mountain peaks, five mountain bowls, night skiing, access to cat skiing options for snowboarders and skiers. Winter activities in Keystone include horse drawn sleigh ride dinners, snowmobiling, ice skating, cross- country skiing, alpine skiing, and tubing.
Summer activities are plentiful on both land and water, such as:
- Golf on their two championship courses
- Fly fishing and paddle boating on Keystone Lake
- Trail running, mountain biking, and hiking
- Mountain Top Yoga
- Adventure Point Tubing
- White water rafting
- Wagon Rides and Wagon Dinner
