Breckenridge is an authentic ski town. A real town that is steeped in history and retains plenty of old world charm with authentic wooden Victorian style clapboard buildings that line the Main Street. The Main Street area is like taking a step back in time, and is one of the most charming ski towns in the USA.
The ski mountain sits just above the Main Street and has plenty to offer too. With 187 trails, accessible by 34 lifts, it offers a well balanced mountain with five impressive peaks and some of the most impressive snowfall statistics in the USA.
Breckenridge has some of the best skiing in Colorado and is one of our favourite resorts in the USA. Here are just some of the things we love about ‘Breck’.
Ski-in/Ski-out
Breckenridge has plenty of accommodation options that offer slopeside convenience. There are clusters of accommodation at the base of Peak 9 in the slopeside Village. The Ski School and access to the learner and improver slopes are here too. The Village sits at the top of Main Street and offers great access to both the ski slopes and the shops, bars and restaurants on Main Street. A little higher up, sitting on the edge of the village bunny slopes is Beaver Run Resort located right by the base of the Beaver Run Superchair. This complex offers true ski-in/ski-out convenience.
The base of Peak 8 has its own stop on the Gondola and is home to the 5 star apartment complex called One Ski Hill Place which is located on the slopes. You can literally walk out the door of the hotel and you’re on the snow. The Ski School is also located here – so super convenient if you’re looking for an easy commute to the chairlift in the morning.
Breckenridge also has a number of runs that lead back into town and there are a number of accommodation options that sit in a quiet wooded area at the base of the Four O’clock run. If you’re looking for a townhouse to rent this is a great area with plenty of ski-in properties. Our favourite accommodation here is Mountain Thunder Lodge which offers a fantastic ski-in location at the base of Peak 8 on the Skyway ski trail.
Historic Mountain Town
If you’re looking for a traditional resort that is full of charm and history, Breckenridge is one of the most picturesque in North America. It offers the best of both worlds – a quaint historic mountain town that sits just below an impressive snow-sure ski area.
Breckenridge is a real town, where people live year round, as opposed to a purpose-built base area used just for skiing. As a result, many of the business are independently owned which creates a unique vibe in the resort. The Main Street area is steeped in history with some of the original buildings dating over 100 years old. There’s an eclectic mix of boutique shops, galleries, independent gift shops and coffee houses. There’s also a lively nightlife scene with thriving bars & restaurants ranging from affordable pub style to fine dining options, including the ‘The Dredge’ – the world’s highest floating restaurant! The Victorian style of the Main Street area makes Breckenridge a fascinating place to wander round and explore off the slopes.
Everything is well connected
In Breckenridge everything is interconnected and close together. On the slopes you can easily ski from Peak 10 across to Peak 6 on the same day. This is a big ski area, but the super efficient lift system makes it easy to ski across the 5 mountain faces. The slopes come down into the town and Peak 9 base area is literally steps from the historic Main Street. The Breck Interconnect Gondola provides great access from the middle of town to the bases of Peak 7 and Peak 8.
Off the slopes, it’s easy to get around. The Main Street is a fabulous place to stroll around and explore. There’s also a fantastic free bus system, which means it’s easy to go anywhere in Breckenridge in under 15 minutes, including the local supermarket to stock up on supplies!
An Intermediates Playground
Breckenridge is world renowned ski resort for a reason – the snow! It’s snowsure, has a long season from mid November to late April and offers fantastic skiing for all abilities. It’s also home to the highest chairlift in North America – The Imperial Superchair, which takes skiers up to an elevation of 12,980 feet.
Breckenridge is an intermediates paradise, with plenty of immaculately groomed trails on each peak. There are 10 blue runs on the lower slopes of Peak 6, Peak 7 is perfect for intermediate cruising. Peak 8 has a good mix of intermediate and some more advanced runs for those who want to push themselves a bit. The higher slopes of Peak 9 have some great intermediate trails and Peak 10 has a number of blue/black trails that are perfect for confident intermediates to improve their technique on slightly steeper terrain. With plenty of mountain restaurants and a high-speed lift system it’s a great place to explore the whole mountain, finding long tree lined cruisers that naturally lead you back to your next chairlift back up the mountain.
One Epic Ski Pass, Multiple Resorts
One of the great things about skiing in Breckenridge is that the Epic lift pass also gives you access to the world renowned ski resort of Vail. There are regular buses that leave Breckenridge that take only 45 minutes to drive over to Vail Village. Vail is the largest interconnected resort in Colorado with 195 trails accessed by 31 lifts. This is a great day trip and you can explore the famous back bowls and Blue Sky Basin while at Vail.
Also included in the Epic lift pass is the neighbouring resort of Keystone. This is a great family orientated resort. One of the signature experiences here is the night skiing. During peak season, the whole of the front face of the mountain is floodlight. This is a great fun experience exploring the various intermediates trails under the lights and using the heated Gondola to do laps after the sun sets.
Another resort that makes for a great day trip is the neighbouring resort of Copper Mountain. Whilst it’s not covered on the same lift pass as Breckenridge, Vail or Keystone, this is a local gem of a resort. Located halfway between Vail and Breckenridge it’s easy to reach on the Summit County buses.
Copper Mountain has three mountains which offer naturally divided terrain. With 140 trails and 23 chairlifts, you’ll find plenty of terrain to explore. There’s some great intermediate cruising accessed by the American Eagle chairlift that takes you onto the the middle of three mountain faces and the small pedestrian friendly ski base village has everything you’ll need close at hand.
Breckenridge is one of our favourite resorts and has an enviable snow record and one of the longest ski seasons in North America. To keep up to date with snow updates and resort news Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter