Looking for an action-packed, all-ages, family-friendly summer getaway in the Rocky Mountains? Visit Breckenridge and check all the boxes for your next summer mountain town adventure. Wildlife viewing, ziplining, kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, whitewater rafting, brew tastings and more. Check, check, check, check and check!
Located just 80 miles from Denver in Summit County, this ski resort mountain town is called “Breck” by the locals and offers so many summer activities for you and your family.
While Breckenridge may be known for its skiing, summer really is the best time to visit the Rocky Mountains and escape the heat with little to no humidity and temperatures right around 75 degrees.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Don’t let the 70 degree weather fool you! The town of Breckenridge is located at 9,600 feet elevation, and Breckenridge Ski Resort’s summit elevation reaches almost 13,000 feet. Use sunscreen and drink plenty of water. Altitude sickness is real! Also, bring layers as the evenings are delightfully cooler. Use this Colorado packing list to be prepared.
Breckenridge Welcome Center
Start at the visitor’s center and museum, located in the heart of downtown, for inspiration on all the things to do in Breckenridge in the summer. Explore this mountain town with tours, museums, events and more with the Breckenridge Heritage Alliance.
Also located here is an authentic 19th century log cabin, with its original floorboards and hand-hewn beams. This interpretive museum features displays on life in Breckenridge from its gold mine era in the 1880s, ski town beginnings to the present day.
SheBuysTravel Tip: While the adults are checking out the activities in Breckenridge, keep the kids busy with the interactive “tree-hugger” challenge, and learn how to experience Breck responsibly by leaving no trace.
Main Street Breckenridge
Check out historical downtown Breckenridge with its Victorian-era Main Street lined with shops, restaurants and hotels. Originally a mining town, Breck takes pride in its beautiful downtown; it was designated the Breckenridge Historic District in 1980.
Take a stroll on the Blue River Recreation path that parallels Main Street. You can even walk all the way to the nearby towns of Frisco and Dillon on this path!
Take a Historical Tour
Want to know more about Breck and its history? Book one of the town’s historical walking tours at the welcome center. Learn about Breckenridge’s seedier history with a Wild West Tour or take a Ghost Tour.
Riverwalk Center
Find your way to the Riverwalk Center, a 750-seat venue on the banks of the Blue River, where gold was discovered in 1859. This is also where many summer festivals and events take place — and outdoor live music is free to the public.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Snap a photo here with the Ten Mile range as a backdrop.
If you want to explore Colorado’s Summit County, outdoor live music is free to the public at Breck’s neighboring mountain towns at the Dillon Amphitheater and concerts in the park on Main Street in Frisco.
Gold Mine Tours
You can’t visit a historic gold mining town without taking a gold mine tour, right? One of the most popular tours is the Country Boy Mine, 1,000 feet underground into one of the state’s most famous mines. In addition to the tour, pan for real gold (and keep it!).
Go on a treasure hunt and ride the “monster truck” historic hay rides. Pet the miniature donkeys.
Take a Hike or Bring the Bike
There is nothing like summer hiking and biking in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, and Breckenridge does not disappoint with hundreds of miles of biking and hiking trails for all abilities. With plenty of bicycle rentals available in town, hikers and bikers should grab your water bottles and cameras for eye-dropping scenery including waterfalls, wildflowers, alpine lakes and more.
Located in the mountains south of Breckenridge, take the family for a hike in Mohawk Lakes. This 3.3 mile trail is a great start with its mountain views, lakes, waterfall and old gold mining ruins.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Check out these tips for what to wear hiking in the summer.
Epic Discovery Breckenridge
Start your adventure by riding the BreckConnect Gondola, open year round and free. Enjoy your bird’s eye perspective from your gondola cabin and take in the views of the historic downtown.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Be sure to look below you for wildlife sightings, sometimes even a moose!
When arriving at the base of Peak 8, continue up, up and away by taking the Colorado Super Chair to even higher elevations at more than 11,000 feet.
Spend the rest of the day at Epic Discovery with an Adventure Pass, experiencing alpine slides to mountain coasters to ziplines, Try your rock climbing skills at Gold Summit Climbing Wall.
My multigenerational family favorite always is the alpine coaster, and Breck’s Gold Runner Coaster races down the mountain on an elevated roller coaster track! For younger kids, another fav is the bungee trampoline.
Families with toddlers and younger kids should stop in at the Mountain Top Explorium Children’s Museum, an interactive museum with crafts, dress-up and kid construction zone.
Breckenridge Ziplines
And for the more adventurous, next up on the adrenalin agenda: ziplining with Expedition Zipline Tour at the Independence Outpost on Peak 7. The less adventurous can chose Little Flyer; next level up is the Breck Flyer.
Adrenalin junkies should take the Expedition Zipline Tour. You’ll be flying high with eight ziplines, 10 towers and a 200-foot long aerial bridge walk.
More Breckenridge Outdoor Adventures
The best thing about Breckenridge, Colorado, is all the incredible opportunities to get moving and get outside. Other summer activities include fishing, fly fishing, canoeing, stand-up paddleboarding and horseback riding.
And always a favorite activity is white water rafting. Like many other parts of Colorado, all ages and abilities can experience whitewater rafting.
Summer Dog Sledding Tour
No, dog sledding isn’t just for winter in Colorado. Just 10 minutes outside of Breckenridge, more than 150 Siberian huskies at Good Times Adventures are waiting to get to know you — and share their slobbery kisses.
Tour the dog yard, and then get ready for a trail ride with your own dog sledding team.
Dining and Brews in Breck
Breck’s culinary scene will fill you up with dining options to appeal to just about everyone, including more than 70 family-friendly dining options.
Be sure to fill your belly before heading out for the day. Our go-to breakfast is the cash-only Blue Moose Restaurant, a local delicious diner on the south side of Breck. My grandkids LOVE their pancakes!
Lunch is usually grab-and-go for us, but we always search for casual dining to end the day. Choose from kid favorites including pizza, burgers, wings and more.
When the sun goes down in Breckenridge, the summer fun doesn’t end. The perfect end to the perfect day in Breckenridge is finding a patio and drinking a brew at one of the local mountain breweries. Some of the favorites include Broken Compass Brewing, Breckenridge Brewery & Pub, and, for pizza fans, Windy City Pizza and Pub.
