Breckenridge, Colorado offers some of the best recreation around. With sweeping views and gorgeous photo opportunities, there is a little bit for everyone. That said, with the variety of activities available there are a few things to keep in mind. It is super important to do what is within your skill level.
On every trip, bring sun protection, at least two water bottles per person, and a map. Not only that but always leave your plans with someone who is staying behind to help people find you if you get lost. And don’t forget, Breckenridge sits at 9,600 feet—not a whole lot of air up there! Just a quick warning, it takes a few days to adjust so be careful not to exert yourself too soon or you could end up with altitude sickness. Not a good way to start your holiday. Now let's get to the fun stuff!
The Best of Hiking in Breckenridge
1. Best Easy Hike, Sawmill Reservoir: 1.3 miles, 236 ft elevation gain, loop trail.
This is a gorgeous trail which is easily well marked during the summer and winter seasons. Bring your family or just get outside! It will probably take you about an hour. It’s worth it because of the beautiful lake, surrounded by rolling hills. Try going clockwise because it’s probably best to save the hill for the end. Be careful about ice during the winter near the end and bring extra layers to stay toasty. It’s also a good idea to bring good hiking boots, otherwise your feet will get cold and it’ll be a pain. The only downside of this hike is it can be hard to find parking, especially during the winter.
2. Best Moderate Hike, Spruce Creek Loop: 5.3 miles, 986 ft elevation gain, loop trail, dogs allowed.
Sometimes you just need a break from the crowds. The Spruce Creek Loop has an awesome forest. Most people hike it clockwise because it’s more scenic that way. Bring snowshoes during the winter so you can conserve energy while enjoying the views.
3. Best Difficult Hike, McCullough Gulch Trail: 6.2 miles, 1,578 ft elevation gain, out and back trail.
An amazing trip! Views are ridiculous. The terrain switches around a lot so it will stay interesting and provide some challenge. There’s nothing like beautiful waterfalls and lakes. As soon as you get about a mile into the hike you can take those in. To save you some time, during the winter the parking is actually at Quandary Peak Lower Trailhead (the rest of the road gets closed). It isn’t worth it without snowshoes because there's usually around three feet of snow on the ground. Most people only go 4 miles after it snows because the trail is pretty poorly marked after the first lake. They also bring spikes if they can’t bring snowshoes. It’s a good idea to bring someone with you so you can figure out the terrain together.
Biking, Skiing, Dining and More
4. The Summit County Rec Path
It’s great when you can just find one place that has a variety of things to do, like a park. The Rec Path is good for jogging, biking, dog walking, strollers, anything you want basically. It goes right through Breckenridge too so you can find the closest spot online. Avid cyclists do the whole thing. It’s 38 miles so you can go all the way to the Dillon Reservoir or even Vail Pass. You might want to check the weather first though!
5. Bike Around Lake Dillon
Depending on where you start this could be a short or long ride. If you start in Breckenridge and go all the way around Lake Dillon, it’s about 31 miles long. If you start at the lake itself it’s only 18 miles. You will gain around 1,100 feet of elevation in total over the whole trip so just pace yourself.
6. Skiing at Breckenridge Ski Resort
You will probably run into folks from a bunch of different skill levels at the Breckenridge Ski Resort. Favorite green trails are “Trygve’s” and “Frontier”, starting at Peak 8. Plus there are family zones if you need them. Your best blue trails will be anything on Peak 6 and 7. As for shredding, favorite black diamond trails are “Shock” on Peak 9 and “Ore Bucket” on Peak 7.
7. Cross Country Skiing and Snowshoeing at the Sallie Barber Mine Trail
Plenty of people love this trail because it’s wide and there’s an abandoned mine at the end. It's roughly 3 miles long and an out and back trail. You can go cross country skiing or snowshoeing no problem.
Dining and Eating Recommendations
Aurum Food & Wine is Vegetarian friendly with Vegan and Gluten Free options. They have safe curbside pickup in addition to their “yurt” dining.
Hearthstone Restaurant has local American cuisine with a contemporary vibe. They too are Vegetarian friendly with Vegan options, open for carry out with curbside pickup available.
Giampietro Pasta & Pizzeria is open for carry out and delivery! If all you want is to hunker down with some comfort food, this is your restaurant.
Wrapping up, be safe during your excursions and have a blast! There’s a ton to do around Breckenridge. Sadly, not everything could make it into this list alone. We hope you enjoy your stay and see some of the gorgeous sights around town.