This blog article is for you to help plan a few Breckenridge Summer Activities and Adventures! Breckenridge is the hub of choice for all the fun Colorado stuff you’ve heard about. That’s right, there are so many articles and blogs with ideas, but this year is different. You see, we’ve had an epic winter, and it continues to snow this spring and now on the first day of summer too!
So, if you’re a diehard winter skier and are out here soon, you could still get some turns in at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area. They just announced an extended ski season, and rumors are saying there could be potential for skiing and riding on the 4th of July!
Mud and Snowy Hikes Due to Heavy Snow
Longtime locals are noticing the snowmelt-filled creeks and rivers are peaking about 3 weeks later than normal and with the late season snow, a lot of the shadier and higher elevation trails are still holding lots of snow. It will be late July for those to be enjoyable. If you go early, the snow could be hard, icy and slippery. If you go later in the day, you could end up post-holing, or sinking in the melting snow all the way up to your knees. That’s very tiring and not much fun either.
Instead, I’ve put together a few resources for you to check trail conditions and plan a fun day. If you’re on Facebook, there’s a public group called Summit County Trail Conditions that is a good place to cruise posts and see what trails are melted out and which ones are not. What that means is that in the early hours of the morning, you can walk on top of the snow and travel far. However, once the temps rise and snow softens, you will sink up to your knees. You’ll want to avoid that.
Summer Hikes in Breckenridge
The trick is to get a map, talk to locals in the shops, and find south-facing trails that are sunny and dry. On sunny days you’ll want a shady hike, so choose a lower elevation for now. Do a few searches on the following hikes and you’ll find beta on sites like All Trails and MTB Project. A must-have is a topographic map that shows you where you are, so pull it out often and know where you’re at as you travel through the mountains.
- River Trail - Park by the police station and walk on the paved path or wander along the willows on singletrack.
- Flume Trails - A nice short loop that can be done in about an hour.
- Minne Mine / Side Door - A longer climb that takes you to a myriad of trails in the Golden Horseshoe.
- Wire Patch - A new trail up in French Gulch, on the approach to Humbug Hill.
- X10U8 - A short, lower connector route that can be part of a short loop, or add it to a longer ride. You choose!
- Oro Grande - This ride/hike is in the Town of Dillon on the other side of the lake.
- Ptarmigan - The big mountain on the north side of I-70, by Silverthorne and Dillon.
- Peninsula Recreation Area - Lots of opportunities for early season rides and hikes here.
- Mt. Royal - Best bang for your buck hike. Short and steep, but oh so worth it.
- Mt. Quandary - Saving the best for last, this mountain is the local 14er or 14,000-foot peak. Not a beginner hike and winter conditions may exist.
If you have any questions about any of these hikes, please come by or call the office and ask for Stacy. He’s the Operations Support Manager and has lived in the Breckenridge area since 1995. A great place to start is the Town of Breckenridge online map. Click here to check it out and plan an adventure that goes beyond the shops of Main Street. Which is a lot of fun the next day when your legs are tired and need a rest. In that case, grab a crepe, and after that, a coffee at The Crown.
Check out our Paragon Lodging rentals and find the perfect home for your Breckenridge Summer adventures. If your already heading to Breckenridge peruse our website and find the other houses in town that you might want to stay in next year!
We are happy to answer any questions you have please feel free to contact us!