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The Odometer: Roughly 80 miles, one way from Denver (1 hour, 26 minutes)
Breckenridge is popular—some may say insufferably so—for a reason. As Colorado’s busiest ski resort, the former gold-mining town attracts roughly 1.5 million skiers annually, tantalizing travelers with its 100-plus restaurants and bars, more than 200 boutiques, and one of the state’s largest historic districts, all tucked into 5.5 carefully preserved square miles.
The 9,600-foot-high destination was built on an unwavering allegiance to a 10-mile stretch of snow-loaded peaks (the Tenmile Range, get it?). Locals savor (and occasionally grapple with) seven months of winter, pay exorbitantly high mortgages, and make peace with the fact that there will be no eggs or milk at the ransacked grocery stores between Christmas and New Year’s for mountain town life in Breck.
Want in on the fun? Here’s how to dip your toes into Breckenridge’s shoot-’em-up saloon lore, mining roots, and ski bum soul—from a true local.
Jump Ahead:
Tip: You don’t really need a car in Breckenridge. The free BreckConnect Gondola zips you from the middle of town to the base of Peak 7 and Peak 8 on the resort. Plus, free countywide buses and hotel shuttles run to pretty much anywhere you’d want to be.
What To Do Outside in Breckenridge
Spend some time exploring Breckenridge Ski Resort’s five peaks and nearly 3,000 acres. Ride smooth morning corduroy rollers on Peak 7, challenge yourself with softened afternoon hike-to terrain and wide-open bowls on Peak 6, and rip lightning-fast advanced terrain on Peak 10.
Hit public skate times at the indoor/outdoor Stephen C. West Ice Arena (skate rentals are available), or try cross-country skiing at the gorgeously groomed Gold Run Nordic Center. Beefy fat bike tires also cruise the area’s snow-packed trails with ease; or, spare your quads and go dog sledding with Good Times Adventures for a thrilling ride through the Swan River Valley behind an eager team of Siberian huskies.
While the riding at Breck is legitimately epic, the weekend and holiday throngs often send locals into the backcountry, onto the Ten Mile Recreational Pathway’s groomed (and free!) Nordic ski trail, and packing up the littles for free sledding hill laps. Grab a saucer from the give-and-take sled shed at Carter Park and take a turn flying down the popular knoll.
What to Do Inside in Breckenridge
Find the most adorable children’s wear at locally owned Breck Kidz; antique housewares at Marigolds Farmhouse Funk & Junk; handmade jewelry and custom boho hats at SpicyHeart; and Colorado-made art and gifts celebrating live music at Mountainkind.
Then, head underground and try your hand at gold-panning with Country Boy Mine. For homegrown entertainment, nab seats at the Backstage Theatre to watch local actors in the limelight, or see touring bands like Rising Appalachia and Graham Nash at the 750-seat Riverwalk Center. If taking in all that talent ignites an artistic spark in you, enroll in a Bob Ross painting class or get behind the pottery wheel in the Breck Create Arts District ceramics studio.
Read More: 5 Ways to Experience Silverthorne’s Creative District
Where To Eat in Breckenridge
Breckenridge’s restaurant scene has steadily transcended from family burger and pizza joints to elevated chef-driven menus at every price point. Epicurean après fun happens over Korean fried chicken at Aurum Food & Wine; prime beef tartare at Rootstalk; wood-fired oysters at the Carlin; and crispy pork belly alongside barrel-aged Manhattans inside the richly decorated 19th century home turned restaurant Hearthstone.
For more laid-back grub, grab a creative cream-cheese-mustard-honey burger and smoked wings from the Canteen Tap House or the famous roast beef sandwich at legendary sports pub Fatty’s. (This is also a great place to post up for Sunday football thanks to the bar’s 21 TVs.)
For pre-ski fare, hit up Danielle’s Delights coffee cart near the satellite free skier parking lot on Airport Road, pop into James Beard Award–winner Matt Vawter’s latest concept Threefold for French pastries, or make everyone on the gondola jealous with your Daylight Donuts bag of bear claws and warm sausage rolls.
Read More: Where to Eat and Drink in Breckenridge
Where to Drink in Breckenridge
Follow Instagram influencers to Rocky Mountain Underground, known as RMU, for year-round beer garden buzz with a side of ski and bike retail. Or pony up to the Gold Pan Saloon, which has survived gunfights, Prohibition, and the Gold Rush to maintain the longest continuous liquor license this side of the Mississippi. Mainstay Breckenridge Brewery has been serving ski crowds its beloved Avalanche Ale and Vanilla Porter since the ’90s, while Broken Compass Brewing draws beer lovers and their pups with live music and trivia nights.
Those who prefer a glass of pinot over a pint should book a wine blending experience at Continental Divide Winery, the world’s highest altitude winery. Cocktail connoisseurs ought to let the mixologists at Ember shake up the perfect martini.
Where to Stay in Breckenridge
Sleep and play slopeside at swanky One Ski Hill Place, or lounge in terraced hot tubs at the Grand Colorado on Peak 8. For an option that’s easier on the wallet, the Bivvi Hostel is a former mountain lodge offering traditional hotel rooms and bunk-style spaces.
At the base of Peak 9, across from the Beaver Run chair lift, the new Hotel Alpenrock brings fire, stone and wood together in a chic mountain crash pad complete with a hidden speakeasy bar. For a room with a 10,200-foot view, settle into the Lodge at Breckenridge and savor your cliffside perch on Boreas Pass just above town.
If You Do One Thing in Breckenridge…
Grab a hot cocoa or coffee at the Crown, a cozy, locally owned hangout decked in community art and serving Breckenridge Coffee Roasters joe, then stroll Main Street and revel in its Victorian-era charm. Window shop and pause for selfies in front of Blue River Plaza’s glimmering light display set against the skyscraping Tenmile Range.
