Breckenridge, Colorado Travel Guide – For 20s something
This has been a long time coming, but I figured it was finally time to write my Breckenridge Travel Guide. My Fiancé and I have gone there two times now (November and May) so we have good experience in two very different seasons. We enjoy going to Breck and would go there again in a heartbeat.
About Breckenridge
Breckenridge is a ski town 80 miles from Denver that is great to visit year-round. There are multiple ski resorts in and around Breckenridge that make it a skiing destination. There is also excellent hiking, dining and drinking.
How to Get There
We fly into Denver and rent a car. You could get by without a car, as there are van transport up to Breck, but I really do think it is worth it to rent a car so you can explore the surrounding areas as well. I would also recommend booking an SUV, or something with 4 wheel drive as the roads are steep and in the winter time there is going to be snow and ice. During certain times of the year there are also chain laws, where you need to have chains ready to put on your car’s tires if need be. Make sure to check the state’s website for more info.
What to Do
No matter what time of the year, being outdoors is the name of the game here. Breck gets more than 300 days of sunshine, so definitely plan on being active. In the skiing off-season, hiking, and mountain biking are a great activity. We used all trails to pick out hikes in the surrounding area. Make sure to be prepared on all your hikes (bring water, check trail conditions beforehand, and always remember there could be snow on the ground well into the summer). This is one of the websites we used to look for hikes.
Definitely go to Sapphire point for photos as well. The gondola in downtown Breckenridge is also a great time. Just make sure to check if it is open!
When to Go
High season is definitely ski season, which starts at the end of November and goes through April or longer depending on snow fall. Summer is also a very popular time to visit. Depending on what you want to do, is when I would recommend going. We loved going in early November, because the town was empty and we had all the hikes to ourselves. There was still a lot of snow when we went in May, which can make hiking difficult.
Where to Eat
Breckenridge has all types of foods, with everything from bar food to fine dining. We didn’t go to any fine dining restaurants while we were there, but still enjoyed everywhere we went. In high season, definitely try and make some reservations as the good spots do fill up. Here is a list of some of the restaurants we enjoyed: BreckFast, The Canteen Taphouse, Breckenridge distillery, Breckenridge Tap House, Yo Mammas Tacos Y Burritos, Breckenridge Brewery.
Breakfast and lunch: Cool River Coffee, Coffee depot, Cuppa Joe, Lolo Juice (acai bowls), Blue Moose, Empire Burger, Ollies (wings), Blue River Bistro, Semplice Cafe (breakfast burritos, and paninis)
There are tons of breweries in and around Breck. We really enjoyed the following: Continental Divide Winery, Outerrange Brewery, Broken compass, and Breckenridge Brewing.
Where to Stay
We enjoy staying in Airbnbs when we travel, especially if we are going to be there for more than a few days. We booked one with an in unit washer dryer and a full kitchen so we could do laundry and do some cooking at home. This makes it so you don’t have to eat out for every meal. If you can book a place with a hot tub, I highly recommend. It feels so nice after a day of skiing or hiking.
If you want to go the hotel route here are some that have good reviews: The Lodge, Marriotts Lodge, DoubleTree, Residence Inn, Gravity Haus and the Village at Breckenridge.
