• Scout Loves & Scout Tips
• Scout Review
• Breckenridge Skiing
• Breckenridge For Families

• Breckenridge Accommodation
• Resort Activities
• Getting There and Around
• When To Go
• Facts & Figures

Scout Review

Breckenridge is one of those resorts that many people love, and a few love to hate. But with 1.6 million skier days a year, there’s clearly enough people that love it to prove this is a great ski resort.

Breckenridge is fantastic for families, in particular those that cringe at the thought of accommodation prices at its pricier sister resorts further down the i70. There are some great value accommodation options, plenty of family restaurants, and the town is laid-back and friendly - a real town with true Colorado locals and lots of character. The historic main street and its surrounding streets are dotted with world-class restaurants and bars (head to Ollie's to rub shoulders with the locals), shops and boutiques, a unique arts district, a town brewery (Breckeridge Brewery is a must-visit), and everything you'll need for a ski holiday. Scout definitely loves Breck's relaxed and down-to-earth atmosphere.

Progress on the mountain is anything but relaxed. The resort has undergone significant improvements since it was bought by Vail Resorts in 1996, and in recent years they've added extra chairlifts to expand its terrain and access some amazing high-alpine intermediate bowl skiing. Many hotels and condo complexes have also undergone refurbishment and upgrades, providing even better facilities for families in the resort.

Along with families who come for the value and family-friendly terrain, Breckenridge is also popular with freestyle skiers and boarders thanks to its world-class terrain parks and 22ft (6.7m) Superpipe. Thanks to the facilities, the resort is home to the Dew Tour which sees world-class freestyle athletes descending on the town for four days of competition every December. With incredible facilities, fantastic skiing and snowboarding and a vibrant nightlife, it's no wonder Breckenridge is popular among local (and international) skiers alike.

Breckenridge Skiing

Sitting at over 2356 acres of skiable terrain, Breckenridge has plenty of options for all skiers and snowboarders. The resort is divided into 5 peaks, each with a varying range of runs for all ability levels. For the beginners, the Peak 7 and Peak 9 have great blue and green groomed trails, a few of which feed back into the main town of Breckenridge. 

Peak 8 and 10 are popular for expert skiers and riders, with the upper peak of No.8 offering challenging alpine terrain (Imperial Bowl is a must ski for experts). Most of Peak 10 is below the treeline meaning some epic black and double black trails and small but fun tree runs, and one of the least crowded parts of the resort. On a powder day, the Horseshoe and Content Bowls are the place to be for advanced skiers. There are plenty of options for those happy to take a hike, especially the Snow White Bowl and Lake Chutes, which are nice and steep, and with exceptional snow quality.

Breckenridge has one of the best terrain parks in all of North America. Multiple parks and pipe cater to all ability levels, and the Freeway Terrain Park & Pipe boasts an epic superpipe (one of the first ever built in the USA!). It's a great spot to take a few minutes and stand in awe at the local talent.

Boasting an incredible 31 lifts, the resort has a vast chairlift infrastructure, however, quite a few are a little slow so lift lines are often the case and it can be rather time-consuming trying to navigate between the 4 peaks. Some of the higher chairlifts (like Falcon & Imperial Chairs) can be close due to high winds, which makes the lift lines across the rest of the resort quite long (especially on weekends). Saying that, Breck has the highest lift accessed terrain in North America, which means once you get to the top the snow quality is impeccable, and the resort is able to offer snow-making that covers almost 24% of the resort (meaning you are guaranteed to ski even on a low-snow year).

Breckenridge is part of the EPIC pass, allowing you to explore more of the resorts in both North America and Canada.

Download the Trail Map

Breckenridge For Families

Breckenridge has a vast range of facilities and services, spread across many zones - the town, the gondola, and at the base of Peak 9 & 8. Plenty of variety when it comes to rentals, and even offers the Ski Butler service, which is a popular option for families so they don't have to leave their hotel room or condo to fit their ski gear.

There are great options for childcare across multiple locations, for ages from 8 weeks to 5 years. The Breckenridge Ski School offers a decent range of lessons for ages 3 and up, and is based across three locations (Beaver Run, Village, & Peak 8). Families with beginners will appreciate the ease of the ski school locations, and the proximity away from the busy slopes. Breckenridge can be crowded at times, however, ski lessons are conducted on incredibly wide and mellow runs, so the more advanced skiers and snowboarders tend to steer clear of these areas (and the beginners feel more confident and safe).

Offering over 60 restaurants, downtown Breckenridge has plenty of options for even the most picky members of the family. From relatively cheap saloon-style fare, to sports bars, breweries, and up-scale restaurants, you're sure to find a different fare every night. Kids love the Crepes A La Cart on Main Street!

For the best accommodation for families, we recommend the Village at the base of the resort. It has the convenience of being right near a chairlift plus easy access to downtown Breckenridge. Ski School and childcare facilities are also located at the base, and you can choose from a good range of lodging (condos, hotels, ski-in/ski-out). The other resort area, like Peak 9, Peak 8, and Peak 7 are super close to the slopes, bit a little further from downtown. Saying that, there are a few shuttle bus services operating both between the base areas and to downtown, so still relatively easy to get around. It's a good idea to decide what facilities you might need and use the most during your family holiday, and base your accommodation options around those to make life a little easier.

Breckenridge Accommodation

Breckenridge has stacks of condo complexes, most of them individually owned and decorated and many still feel as though they haven’t changed much since they were built in the 80s and early 90s. Some call the main base area ugly in contrast to the quaint buildings along historic Main St. Most of the condos are scattered on the west and south of the main street, to be close to the mountain and lifts. Despite all of its laid-back attitude, there are a couple of luxury options in Breckenridge including One Ski Hill Place, and Crystal Peak Lodge. There are countless options to suit any family size and shape and budget, and no matter where you are located, the free town bus can easily get you around town and to the lifts so you're always barely minutes from your first turns.

Find a great map of the Breckenridge Ski Resort area and location of some of our favourite hotels and condos here.

Resort Activities

There are plenty of other activities in Breckenridge other than skiing such as Interpretive Ecology tours when you “Ski with a Forest Ranger”, snowshoeing, dinner sleigh rides to Peak 9, mine tours, snowmobiling and dog sledding, amongst others. There’s also an ice-skating rink and several day spas, or simply take a wander of the historic town and enjoy the many shops, cafes, and boutiques scattered throughout Breckenridge.

Getting There and Around

Denver International Airport  is about a two-hour drive away and has direct flights from most cities in the US. The major interstate that heads west out of Denver, the i70, can be notoriously slow in bad weather and with weekend traffic, so allow plenty of spare time if catching a flight.

Eagle County Regional Airport, just beyond Vail, is about 1 hour, 20 minutes and has direct flights from some major cities.

There are several different shuttle service options from Denver Airport with most operating on hourly schedules until late hours. Most also have private transfer options. Scout can include a transfer as part of your Breckenridge Ski Package.

Breckenridge is easy to get around. Many of the hotels have shuttle services and the town is well serviced by a free bus service breckfreeride and there are several routes, which means a stop is never far away. A lot of hotels and condos are within walking distance to the town, which itself is easy to walk around. In fact, it’s so easy to get around that if you’re planning on skiing Breckenridge for your entire stay, you won’t need to rent a car.

When To Go

Breckenridge usually opens early November until around mid-April. February is usually a reliable month. If you can, try to avoid weekends due to day trippers from Denver crowding the mountain.

Other holiday periods that are busy are:

• Christmas and New Year.
• Martin Luther King long weekend
• President’s Day long weekend