With Colorado's most
concentrated skiing activity, Summit County is the
getaway region of choice for many Denverites. Situated
just 70 miles west of Denver, Summit County has the Front
Range with the Continental Divide to the east while the
Tenmile and Gore ranges are to the west. Dillon Reservoir
is a capturing of the Blue River: a water supply for
Denver and a prime recreation site.
With four full-fledged ski resorts,
historic old towns and forests all around, it's a great
place to visit. The old mining town of Breckenridge is
the soul of the area, having been established during the
gold rush of 1859. Some silver was found and extracted at
Montezuma and then the boom became bust but Breckenridge
and several other small towns survived. Today, they're
the object of interest by visitors who go to enjoy the
resort ambiance which is more relaxed than in the more
snooty social whirl of Aspen and Vail.
What to See and Do
Summer activity in the county includes
golf, fishing, cycling (even helicopter mountain biking)
and back road touring. During the gold rush days, a
network of roads was built across the mountains to
service the remote mining camps.
Two of these routes are suited for 4WD
vehicles. Georgia Pass lies at 11,600 feet and the
summit provides fine views of the Tenmile Range and the
South Park Valley. To reach this road, drive north on
Hwy. 9 from Breckenridge for four miles and turn right
onto Tiger Road. Webster Pass is reached by
driving southeast from Keystone on Montezuma Road.
Webster Pass Road leads off the highway, about 2.5 miles
beyond the community of Montezuma. The road is best
driven during mid summer into the fall months and it is
best to turn around at the pass to return to Keystone.
The Boreas Pass and Hoosier Pass
roads can be driven by any vehicle and provide a loop
tour with great views and historical reminders. Boreas
Pass Road begins near Breckenridge (Forest Rd. 223) and
travels over an old rail bed. If you drive to Como and
then Fairplay (in South Park), you can return via Hoosier
Pass which is 10 miles south of Breckenridge.
Fishing in the Dillon Reservoir is
good, either from a boat or from the shore. There are
marinas which rent boats and the lake is stocked with
rainbow, kokanee, cutthroat and brook trout. Green
Mountain Reservoir, 25 miles north of Silverthorne, is
noted for its large kokanee. Other parts of the Blue
River system are favored by anglers, including the
area downstream from Breckenridge (for rainbow trout).
The lower Blue River stretches have convenient fishing
access parking and this area is designated Gold Medal
water (catch & release).
The four ski resorts in Summit County have
terrain for every taste and skiing level. You may
purchase ski tickets for the individual hills or buy "Ski
The Summit" passes which are good for four or six days.
Breckenridge Ski Area is the largest
ski area on three interconnected peaks (#s 8, 9 &
10). There are high speed quad chairs as well as a slower
lift. At the top of peaks 8 and 9 there are expert runs
with back bowls. Of the two main bases, the Peak 9 base
is right in Breckenridge. A shuttle bus runs to the Peak
8 base. There is food on the peaks and snowboarding is a
growing sport here.
Copper Mountain Resort, located on
Interstate 70 ten miles west of Frisco, is an extremely
well laid out mountain (natural and man made resources)
with more than 20 lifts attracting skiers of all levels
to separated areas. A shuttle bus runs from the east
parking lot to the mountain base; otherwise you have a
fair distance to walk. Night skiing is a popular activity
at Keystone Resort which is situated about ten
miles east of Dillon on Highway 6. The runs here are not
for the more adventurous expert skier but Keystone
attracts many beginner and intermediate skiers who enjoy
the early snow (from snow making machines) and the gentle
runs. Almost half of the runs are bathed in light on
winter nights. The Keystone ski school operation is very
popular.
While Keystone is a novice hill, Arapaho
Basin is just the opposite, popular with expert and
intermediate skiers. Now owned by the Keystone folks,
Arapahoe is the oldest operating ski hill in the county
and is blessed with the state's highest ski summit, at
12,450 feet. The operation here is enhanced with frequent
shuttle bus service to nearby Keystone. Thus families
with expert and novice skiers may come here and enjoy
both ski operations. Lift tickets are good at both hills.
The basin is located on Highway 6, east of Keystone.
There are four Nordic skiing centers
in the county in addition to backcountry skiing in
Arapahoe National Forest (ranger station in
Silverthorne). There are groomed trails and Nordic
centers at Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Frisco and
Keystone. The Copper Mtn. trails system has more than 25
kilometers (15.5 miles) of groomed trails operated by the
ski resort. A lift takes skiers up the mountain for heart
racing Nordic thrills. The Keystone Nordic Center has 27
kilometers (17 miles) of groomed trails and a respected
cross country ski school. It's located 2 miles east of
the resort on Montezuma Road.
