Luckily for the modern day hiker, the gold seekers of the
1800s formed mountain trails as they hiked across the high passes of Summit
County. The ghost towns, gold camps
and mining relics of days past can still be seen along the trails. As you hike
through nature, you are also hiking through history. Your senses will be treated
to alpine lakes, waterfalls and wildflower meadows as you climb towards the jagged
peaks that pierce the Colorado
sky.
Breckenridge Hikes
The first cry of “Gold!” was heard along the Continental
Divide on August 10th, 1859.
As a result, Breckenridge, Colorado’s
first Western Slope town was formed. For beautiful scenery and interesting
history, hike the 1.2 mile Blue Lakes Monte Cristo or the 10 mile Wheeler
National Recreation Trail.
Frisco Hikes
In 1879, two narrow gauge railways ran through Frisco to
service the silver mines. If you follow the Denver-South
Park route along the bike path to
the Mount Royal trail, you can see the ghost town,
Masontown. For more of a challenge, take the 4.5 mile Meadow Creek trail where
views of the Gore Range
and fields of alpine wildflowers await you.
Copper Mountain
Hikes
In 1880, Judge John S. Wheeler founded the Town of Copper
Mountain. If you take the 2.8 mile hike to Wheeler
Lake, you can view the glacier
carved Clinton Amphitheater. In late June, you can snack on wild strawberries.
Keystone-Dillon Hikes
Views of Lake Dillon
can be seen throughout this area. Take an easy, 1.25 trek up Tenderfoot
Mountain for a nature trail through
the changing ecosystems.
Summit County Cycling
With close to 200 miles of paved paths as well as 400miles
of backcountry roads, Summit County
is a cyclist’s heaven. Mountain bikers will enjoy our rich topography, which
ranges from smooth dirt roads to rugged single tracks. For those who do not
enjoy the climb. Copper, Keystone and Breckenridge now have chair lifts
equipped to carry bikes.
Horsing Around
At The Kingdom of Breckenridge Stables, you can enjoy a
leisurely ride through the mountains by horseback. The Breckenridge Trail ride
starts at 9:30 am and takes about 90 minutes. The 8:00a.m.
Breakfast Ride features a scrumptious, an all-you-can-eat breakfast.