There are many winter activities to partake in Summit County. I am mostly addressing the Breckenridge area but will note if something is in Frisco, Dillon, or Silverthorne. This page is a work in progress and I do plan to update with more information and pictures.
- Cross Country Skiing/Snowshoeing/Hiking
Check out a nordic center. We have three on this side of the county. Gold Run, Breckenridge, and Frisco. Here you will have groomed trails for cross country skiing. Gold Run also has fat tire bikes you can rent and take out on some trails.
Or check out some of our local trails not at Nordic Centers.
Boreas Pass Road
I love this spot in the winter. It is also a winter closure so it is used for cross country skiing and snowshoeing. A short 5-10 minute walk takes you out to some amazing views of Breckenridge.
Hoosier Pass
Head to the top of Hoosier Pass. There will be a lot of snow up here, but this area is heavily used. So unless it has recently snowed the trails as pretty packed down. It is uphill but a short 1/4 mile hike will bring you to some really nice views.
Blue Lakes Road
This Road goes up to Blue Lakes in the summer. It is a winter closure so it can be used for snowshoeing or cross country skiing. Even just going a short distance you can get some really nice views. Again this gets used, so as long as you stay on the trail it should be packed down.
Lake Dillon
Did you know that the lake freezes, and the ice gets thick enough that you can ice fish, snowshoe, or cross country ski!!!
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2. Country Boy Mine
This location is open year round. You can tour the mine or partake in extreme sledding! Check their website for various activities.
https://www.countryboymine.com
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3. Sledding/Tubing
Carter Park (Bring Your Own Sled)
https://gobreck.com/trip-ideas/family-friendly/sledding-in-breckenridge
Frisco Adventure Park (tube rentals)
https://www.townoffrisco.com/things-to-do/frisco-adventure-park/
Frisco Sledding Hill (Bring Your own Sled)
https://www.townoffrisco.com/things-to-do/frisco-adventure-park/traditional-sledding-hill/
Copper Mountain Tubing (rent tubes)
https://www.coppercolorado.com/things-to-do/activities-amenities/tubing-hill
Keystone Tubing (rent tubes)
Rainbow Park (bring your own sled)
This is a great place for a smaller hill for little kids. My kids who are older now still love it as people usually build jumps for the sleds. The sledding spot is on the hill right next to the Silverthorne rec center .
Maryland Creek Park (bring your own sled)
This is really good for older kids. The hill is pretty big! Last year it was a bit much for my kids, so they would walk up about 1/2 way.
Look for your own hills. Just make sure they are not on private property.
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4. Snowmobiling
There are several companies nearby in other towns, so if you are willing to drive and Good Times is full there are other options. Check out areas such as Vail Pass and Leadville for other snowmobiling options.
Good Times
https://goodtimesadventures.com
White Mountain in Leadville
https://whitemountainsnowmobiletours.com
Nova Tours (Out near Vail)
https://www.novaguides.com/colorado-winter-activities/snowmobile-tours/
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5. Horse drawn sleighs
- Keystone
- Breckenridge on the mountain or at Gold Run Nordic Center
https://breckstables.com/sleigh-rides/
- Frisco
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6. Fat Tire Bikes
You can rent fat tire bikes in town or at the Gold Run Nordic center.
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7. Snow Cat Tours
Breckenridge Nordic Center offers a SnowCat tour.
https://breckenridgenordic.com/nordic-snowcat-adventures/
In the past Keystone has one at the top of the mountain as well, but I don’t know that they have brought that back since COVID.
Leadville ATV Tours
https://leadvilleatvtours.com/snowcat-tours
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8. Dog Sledding
9. Ice Skating
If you need to rent skates then check out Stephen C West Ice Arena or there is a small rink on peak 8 at Breckenridge. Keystone also has some ice skating rinks. If you have your own skates then you can skate on a pond in Frisco and North Pond in Silverthorne when the ice is thick enough.
https://www.breckenridgerecreation.com/locations/stephen-c-west-ice-arena
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10. Mountain Coasters
Both Breckenridge and Copper have mountain coasters that operate in the winter. My favorite is the one at Copper.
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11. Snow Fort at Keystone
This is a great activity for kids if you are in the Keystone area. I read that this year (2021-2022) there will actually be two forts. One at the base of the Peru lift and one at the top of the gondola.
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12. Hot Springs
There are no hot springs right in Summit County, but there are several within a day trip.
- Glenwood Springs
- Iron Mountain Hot Springs located in Glenwood Springs
- Mount Princeton in between Buena Vista and Salida
- Strawberry Park in Steamboat
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13. Day Trips
If the weather is good and you want to get out of Summit County for a day trip here are some fun ideas:
- Royal Gorge Bridge or Train
- Train Ride in Georgetown (time of year dependent)
- Steamboat Springs
- Salida
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14. Playgrounds
Playgrounds can be a lot of fun for kids in the winter. Just dress appropriately!
- River Park (located off of airport road)
- Train Park (located off of Boreas Pass Rd). This park not only is a playground but has some trains on display as well. It is right by the ice rink .
- Breckenridge Elementary when school is NOT in session.
Playgrounds not directly in Breck
- Rainbow Park (Silverthorne)
- Dillon Marina Park (Dillon)
- Keystone has a couple in the village
- Frisco Elementary (When school is not in session)
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15. Breck Creates
Maybe it is a really cold day and you are looking for something to do indoors. Do you/kids like crafts? Check out Breck Creates they hold all sorts of art classes. From clay-making to glass blowing to painting. Some of the kids classes are free. There is even a toddler art class. Which is a great idea with little ones. I used to take my daughter to toddler art weekly!
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16. The Troll
Go check out the troll. This is more of a walk than a hike. It is very short from the ice rink parking lot. Head to the southeast corner of the parking lot and look for the trail to the troll. After you see the troll, this is a good area to walk/play in the snow.
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17. Spending the day at Keystone with Kids
Unfortunately Keystone is doing away with their kidtopia activities. Trust me this makes me very sad, as we used to these activiteis all the time. Instead here are my ideas for spending a day at keynote with kids. This might be a lot for one day, so pick and choose what interests you.
1. Scenic Gondola trip to the top of the mountain
2. Check out the snow fort at the top.
3. Consider tubing while you are at the top of the mountain
4. Hit up the playgrounds in the villgae
5. Ice skating (In the village or at lakeside village)
6. Consider the horse drawn sleigh ride
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18. Breckenridge Rec Center
Are you looking for an indoor activity with your kids? Check out the Breckenridge Rec Center. There is a pool with a waterslide and rock climbing area. Also they do family gym time at certain times of the week. This is inflatables set up in the gym. There is also an indoor play area.
https://www.breckenridgerecreation.com/youth/family-gym-time
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19. Zip Lining
Did you know that you can zip line in the winter!?!? This sounds like a ton of fun, however one of my kids doesn’t meet the weight yet so we have not tried it.