Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we offer our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems).
As we hurtle toward always-warm weather, Denverites are hopping from snowsports and holiday festivals to outdoor and summer activities. The high country’s resorts — newly bereft of snow, at least come late spring — are only too happy to offer discounted lodging and grassy slopes for off-season visitors.
One of my favorites is at Breckenridge Ski Resort. As with others, well-heeled skiers are replaced with families and tourist couples hunting for a bit of fresh mountain air. The 80-mile, hour-and-a-half drive from Denver (depending on I-70’s sense of humor) is relatively short for kiddos, making single-day visits easy.
Taking the gondola to the top of the mountain nets you access to mini-golf, bungee trampolines, aerial courses and restaurants/bars with unbeatable views. On the way up or down, keep an eye out for moose and bears, which my kids have spotted more than once.
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There’s even lift-served mountain biking — although some trails and activities are limited due to planned upgrades at Peak 8 and its Chair-5 lift, officials have said. In town there are discounted rooms and tourist-friendly shops, parks and playgrounds, a beautiful river area where all can splash, cultural activities and plenty of information on nearby hiking, camping and biking.
Walking up and down the main drag allows views of 200 or so, well-preserved mining-era buildings while you search for upscale outdoor gear, taffy shops, trinket stores and more. (For more history, see the tours at Country Boy Mine and the Washington Gold and Silver Mine, and the town’s modest museums.)
Don’t miss the huge wooden troll just outside of town, which my kids love, officially named Isak Heartstone. The 15-foot sculpture located on the cheekily named Trollstigen Trail is also a great lunch spot, where you can hear a babbling brook and take in those above-treeline peaks.
Don’t get us wrong: the skiing there is fun, too. And certainly, Breck is just one of many Colorado resorts that offer such activities. But compared to the gear, travel and cost required for a family ski trip, summer in Breckenridge is a cool breeze.