Are you looking to spend some time in the mountains of Colorado? Have you been scrolling through Pinterest or Google trying to figure out what to do in Breckenridge? Look no further and read this very blog post.
Breckenridge is literal joy packed in a mountain town. Friendly people, dogs everywhere, crisp mountain air, what else could you ask for?
This mountain town is about 1 hour and a half drive from the city of Denver. As you drive away from the city of Denver, you will embark on some incredible views. The mountains are astounding, and the drive was pretty doable. Mountain driving is a whimsical ride, so make sure who is driving is confident and excited to steer! We packed some fun snacks and enjoyed the vast pine trees and cascading mountains piercing the blue skies.
Now, here is the fun part! I am going to list out the things that we did in Breckenridge! We went in early September over Labor Day weekend. Not going to sugarcoat it, Labor Day was chaotic and lots of crowds. If I were to do it over, I would skip Labor Day weekend and go the following weekends for shorter lines & smaller crowds. But regardless of the busyness of a holiday weekend, we did some FUN things that I cannot wait to share more about! 🙂
This was spectacular. FREE?? Free. Yes, the Gondola was absolutely free. Not a dime was paid. All you have to do is show up and stand in a super short line. No reservations are needed nor any tickets! Just show up. There are two additional stops on this Gondola ride along the mountainside. The stops are called Peak 7 and Peak 8. Both peaks have restaurants and activities!
We sat in the Gondola and waited till we got to the very top of Peak 8. Some people stop at both peaks, and some people never get off the Gondola & take it solely for the ride. It is totally up to what you want to do!
When you ride on the Gondola, talk about the views. The colors of the trees were about to change to their golden/orange hues. It was stunning to observe, and felt like a fall wonderland!
A lot of people take the Gondola to mountain bike. We didn’t bring our bikes or rent any, but next time we would definitely want to try as it was a hot activity on the mountain! Additionally, I recommend researching a little bit before you get on the Gondola to see if there is something specific you want to do on the mountain. We were very spontaneous with this, so we had no idea all the things you could do on the slope of Breckenridge in the summer/fall months.
When you take the Gondola all the way to the top of Peak 8, the final stop, you will see an adventure park! We were so surprised to see that there was an additional chair lift ride, alpine slides, trampolines, a mountain roller coaster, restaurants, and even a mini putt-putt course!
Since it was Labor Day Weekend, it was madness with kiddos and families. Unfortunately, the lines were too long for us. You have to purchase wristbands upfront before participating in these activities as they are not free. Next time, we would definitely make plans to wait for the Alpine Slide! It looked like SO much fun. We stopped at Grand Colorado (a hotel) Coffee shop and I ordered an Iced Spicy Chai. We sat down and people-watched until it was time to go back down the mountain to check out the downtown!
One of my favorite things about Breckenridge is the downtown portion. It is small and quaint, filled with lots of shops. The weather is absolutely perfect during the day, and a little chilly at night ( I would bring a sweatshirt). There is a stunning river that runs downtown adjacent to the street. Lots of areas to sit and enjoy the views. Lots of wonderful places to shop and eat!
Shops to stop at:
Food & Drinks to try:
We were only in town for a minimal time. I would love to go back and try more foods & drinks in Breckenridge. Please let me know if there was something you tried and absolutely LOVED!
There are quite a few hikes around Lake Dillon which is about 10 minutes away from Downtown Breckenridge! Lake Dillion was busy and so much fun to explore. You can fish, paddleboard, kayak, canoe, bike, and even rent a boat at the Marina. WEAR SUNSCREEN! We forgot sunscreen, and forgot how close we were to the sun! It feels chillier, however, the sun is a lot closer than sea level! So lather up the sunscreen and thank me later 😀
Something to note is that there are a lot of prime camping spots up here. September would be a beautiful time to camp as far as weather goes & fall colors emerging from the mountainscapes! Additionally, there is a fun farmers market every Friday right next to the Dillon Reservoir during the summer months! Check this place out & spend a few hours in divine nature!
I mentioned stopping here as one of our food recommendations earlier in this post. On your way home back down the mountain, I highly recommend first eating breakfast here and then getting a bag to go. I was craving doughnuts from this little place the whole ride down in mountain traffic. We got stuck on I70 for a hot minute, so I also recommend leaving early when you do plan to head home. I also recommend dipping a maple doughnut in a hazelnut latte 🙂 as it is a little slice of heaven.
I would recommend ordering some maple doughnuts, toast coconut, pumpkin glazed doughnuts, pinecones, and baked cinnamon rolls as well as a fried cinnamon roll!
I hope you find some of these tips and must-haves helpful! Prayers for your Breckenridge trip to be fun & full of adventure! Stay tuned for more travel trips and blog posts! I enjoy sharing our adventures with others!
Keep your eyes peeled for more travel lifestyle tips and adventure ideas!Wear the sunscreen, so you can let your divine sunshine shine through and not burn 😉
TiLL NEXT TIME!
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