The Top 12 Things to Do in Breckenridge, Colorado

The very name of Breckenridge, Colorado conjures up images of skiing and snow. Although this breathtaking Rocky Mountain treasure has an abundance of winter sports activities, Breck, as the locals call it, is a four-season resort town with a plethora of fun and fantastic things to do in Breckenridge all year.

We’re not skiers, yet no matter how many times my husband and I visit Breckenridge, we always plan a repeat trip. That really is incredible!

Breckenridge was not always a ski town. During the huge Colorado Gold Rush of 1859, it was established. This mountain village, situated 80 miles west of Denver at a height of 9,600 feet, has all the ingredients of a wonderful vacation resort. It’s an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. History seeps into its pores. And Mother Nature has bestowed awe-inspiring riches on this wonderful location one after the other.

In addition to skiing and winter sports, here are our favorite ways to stay and play in Breckenridge to enjoy its unique ambience.

Visiting other places in Colorado? Check out our other tasty guide:

• 13 Most Iconic Denver Restaurants
• 7 Must-Try Breckenridge Restaurants
• 7 Best Grand Lake Colorado Restaurants
• 10 Best Restaurants In Colorado Springs

Breckenridge’s Top 12 Attractions

Gravity House is a great place to stay.

Park Ave., (970) 453-5125605 Park Ave.

We adore Breckenridge’s vacation rentals, but on our most recent visit, we tried something new and stayed at Gravity Haus. This charmingly unique boutique inn, nestled at the foot of Peak 9 only steps from downtown Main Street, is a great home base from which to explore Breckenridge.

Our 60-room dog-friendly hotel is beautifully decorated, eco-friendly, and highly comfy; the ideal spot to unwind after a day of exploring and activities. Warm fur-covered vintage ski lift chairs and other comfortable seats may be found in the lobby. We fell in love with the local-farm-inspired food and artisan drinks at Cabin Juice, their namesake restaurant and bar.

Take a Trolley Tour Through History

South Main Street, 203

One of the many things we like about Breckenridge is the free trolley that runs from the Breckenridge Welcome Center at Blue River Plaza and circles Main Street before returning to the same trolley station in thirty minutes. It’s an excellent chance to learn about the area and view several historic landmarks along the route.

Several of Breckenridge’s most renowned historic houses and structures, including original log homes, will be on display. When visiting the Visitors Center, make sure to look at the intriguing exhibits that trace the town’s history from the first Native American settlement through the gold-mining days and Victorian period, all the way up to the present.

Country Boy Mine Tour

970-453-445050542 French Gulch Road

The valuable commodity that helped put Breckenridge on the map is gold! Despite the fact that Country Boy Mine closed almost a century ago, tourists may still descend 1,000 feet and explore one of Colorado’s most renowned holes.

We were treated to an underground trip through time while wearing hard helmets and torches and being escorted by a guide. We followed in the footsteps of the miners, marveling at the gigantic machinery and dynamite holes dispersed throughout the tunnels. If walls could speak, the tales they’d tell would ring through our brains as we descended farther down the mine shaft.

Panning for gold is an optional activity included in the mining tour. A guide is available to people who have never done it before. I can honestly say that it wasn’t only the tiny kids that enjoyed being in that stream expecting to strike it rich!

Ride a Fat Bike in Breckenridge

970-453-2055529 S. Main St.

By taking a fat bike tour, visitors may quickly learn some of Breckenridge’s unique areas of interest. Or, hire a bike for the day and ride around the lovely streams and other stunning features of this wonderful Rocky Mountain town.

Ridden’s Breckenridge Bike Tours rents wide-tired bicycles all year. And they can, since this bike with bigger tires is built primarily for off-road usage, particularly in soft terrains like snow or sand. They can, however, handle the unsteady and uneven pathways of mountains and gravel highways. They are safe and give a comfortable ride. They’re also a lot of fun!

Take a Gondola ride.

970-453-00017 Watson Avenue

The Breck-Connect Gondola is a popular among skiers who need to go to the ski resort from town. Off-season, however, they provide riders with a bird’s-eye perspective of the breathtaking mountains, valleys, woods, and streams that surround Breckenridge.

In under 10 minutes, the gondolas travel approximately 400 feet of vertical ascent and 7,600 feet of distance. Each of its covered cabins can carry up to eight people, and riding the gondola from town to the ski base area is free.

On our most recent trip, we joined professional photographer Liam Duran in the Cucumber Gulch Wildlife Sanctuary for an incredible picture experience in the great outdoors.

Hiking around Sawmill Reservoir.

Breckenridge embodies Rocky Mountain Mother Nature at its best. Hiking is one of the finest ways to appreciate its majesty.

We chose a new trek each time we visit Breckenridge. This isn’t tough considering the hundreds of nearby trails ranging from moderate to severe.

Sawmill Reservoir, a 1.3-mile loop path near town, is one of our favorites for beginners. Its appropriate for hikers of all experience levels, particularly those who have never trekked in Colorado’s thin mountain air.

The scenery is breathtaking, with spectacular mountain panoramas, shaded pines, and seasonal wildflowers. It’s breathtaking and a perfect place to start your Breckenridge hiking journey before progressing to more difficult hikes.

Ascend to Boreas Pass

At a height of 11,482 feet, the panorama of Boreas Pass is virtually impossible to describe. This 22-mile crossing, located on the high Continental Divide at the confluence of two renowned Colorado Rivers, provides several honey, stop the vehicle moments.

Hiking, riding, and camping are all included in the pass. Yet no matter how you spend your time here, the experience will leave you speechless. And it’s tough to stop shooting shots in the autumn, when the aspens shake and other trees begin to show off their hues.

Breckenridge Distillery is a must-see.

Main St. (970) 547-9759137 Main St.

This unusual distillery is known as the world’s tallest distillery, but it’s not only the height that makes it stand out. The purity of the Rocky Mountain snowmelt absorbed into the distillery’s spirits sets it apart from the competition. This site is incredible, believe me.

You can’t visit Breckenridge without taking a tour and sampling of these incredible drinks. You’ll learn about the history of bourbon, as well as intriguing facts about the goods, and you’ll get to see where these enticing libations are manufactured, stored, and bottled.

Of course, the tasting is a lot of fun. The experience includes not just straight samples of bourbon, vodka, and gin, but also some interesting mixes such as pear, chile chili, and espresso vodkas, as well as spiced whiskey and rum.

Stay for a fantastic lunch at Breckenridge Distillery Restaurant for an upmarket but relaxing mountain dining experience. You’ll be so happy you did.

Broken Compass Brewing Co.

Continental Ct Unit 12B (970)-368-277268

Colorado is famed for its artisan beer, and Breckenridge is no exception. While we’ve gone to a few, we’re going with Broken Compass Brewery as our fave.

Who isn’t intrigued by their slogan, Where Lost Beer Souls are Found? The staff is pleasant, knowledgable, and treats customers as if they are family. The beer selection rotates periodically with various influences, but their tap beers are consistently inventive.

The Ginger Pale Ale, Strawberry Blonde, Mango Passionfruit Sour, and Coconut Porter are among our favorites. Beer purists will like their Kolsch, Czech Pilsner, Irish Red, and IPAs.

Incredible Discoveries

+18007897669170 Watson Ave

Epic Discovery is an adrenaline-pumping adventure park located inside the Breckenridge Ski Resort. Although the park is closed during the winter ski season, from mid-June to mid-September, it is transformed into a whole other level of outdoor entertainment.

Zip lines, canopy tours, coasters, miniature golf, gold panning, and guided 4X4 Jeep trips are all available at the Discovery Park. It’s a lot of fun for the whole family, with experiences on the slopes, mountains, and valleys of Breckenridge.

Explore the Breckenridge Arts District.

Breckenridge’s art scene is alive, dynamic, and expanding at a rapid pace. There are more venues to sample local arts and crafts and admire the town’s artistic riches every time we come.

Just walking along Main Street and its side lanes will reveal artists in residence hard at work in their studios and art galleries. Paintings, metalsmithing, jewelry, ceramics, glassworks, textiles, and other media are among their creations.

The district’s main draw is a vibrant art campus with workshops housed in old refurbished houses. For those who want to do more than just browse and appreciate the wonderful craftsmen of Breckenridge, the neighborhood also offers hands-on art and craft lessons.

For additional information on discovering these creative locations, pick up a map at the Visitors Center on Main Street.

Pay a visit to the High Line Railroad Park and Museum.

189 Boreas Pass Road (970) 453-9767

The arrival of the first railway in Breckenridge in 1882 changed the trajectory of the town’s development. Until its collapse in 1937, the railroad provided supplies and facilities to this western Victorian town.

Railroad aficionados will enjoy seeing Engine No. 9, a genuine original engine built for narrow-gauge mountain train operations. The engine and rail carriages are part of a modest curated museum that tells the railway’s history via images and relics. The greatest thing is that admission to the museum is free.

The photo possibilities are fantastic here, particularly in the autumn when the forest background is blazing with color.

The mountains are calling, and I must go, declared renowned conservationist and naturalist John Muir.

It’s how we feel every time we visit Breckenridge. And we joyfully respond to her invitation.

Which of these Breckenridge activities will you attempt first? Please share your thoughts in the comments box below!