Breckenridge,
Colorado
Established in 1859, the historic Town of Breckenridge is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat of Summit County, Colorado, United States. As of the U.S. Census 2000, the town had a population of 2,408. Breckenridge is also a popular ski resort during the winter months, servicing multi-difficulty ski slopes on the Rocky Mountains. Summer in Breckenridge attracts outdoor enthusiasts with hiking trails, wildflowers, fly-fishing in the Blue River, mountain biking, nearby Lake Dillon for boating, white water rafting, and several shops up and down Main Street. Every year, Breckenridge hosts the Breckenridge Festival of Film, established in 1981.
Prospectors entered what is now Summit County (then part of Utah Territory) during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush of 1859, soon after the placer gold discoveries farther east at Idaho Springs. Breckinridge was founded to serve the miners working rich placer gold deposits discovered along Georgia Gulch. Placer gold mining was soon joined by hard rock mining, as prospectors followed the gold to its source veins in the hills. Gold in some upper gravel benches north of the Blue River was recovered by hydraulic mining. Gold production decreased in the late 1800s, but revived in 1908 by gold dredging operations along the Blue River and Swan River. The Breckenridge mining district is credited with production of about one million troy ounces (about 31,000 kilograms) of gold.
The gold mines around Breckenridge are all shut down, although some are open to tourist visits. The characteristic gravel ridges left by the gold dredges can still be seen along the Blue River and Snake River, and the remains of a dredge are still afloat in a pond off the Swan River.
It is also noted that Breckenridge was the film location of the 1989 comedy National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation & Some Scenes in Dumb & Dumber (Shots of Aspen in the Movie are actually Breckenridge)
Breckenridge's climate is considered to be high-alpine with the tree line ending at 11,500 ft. The average July high and low are 73 °F and 39 °F respectively. The average January high and low are 31 °F and 0 °F respectively. The record high is 89 °F set in July, 1939; the record low is -46 °F set in December, 1924. The city receives in excess of 300 inches of snowfall per year, causing the valley basin to have only 30 frost-free days each year. The highest average precipitation occurs in July with 1.75 inches; the average low of 0.78 inches occurs in October. from Wikipedia
Today Breckenridge is more than a quaint mining town from the past with exceptional skiing. It's a year-round resort destination with enough Summer and Winter activities to please everyone. Breckenridge is known for an abundance of incomparable shopping, dining, and nightlife. Over 400 boutiques, galleries, bistros, salons, restaurants, and more offer a variety that is sure to please every taste and budget.
When the winter snows melt away Summit County and the Vail Valley come alive with the activities you could imagine. If you're adventurous there are hiking and mountain bike trails that reach the many mountain summits many approaching 14,000 feet in elevation. For less strenuous activity you might paddle a canoe in one of the many lakes, cast your line in one of the gold medal trout streams or ride a horse to an abandoned gold mine.
Other summer activities include:
Bicycle Touring
Golf Courses
Mountain Biking
Hunting
Boating
Hiking
Gold mine Tours
River Rafting & Kayaking
Alpine Slide
Jeep Tours
Horseback riding
Gambling Casinos
Fishing
Camping
ATV Tours
In the winter the slopes are not the only places you can enjoy yourself in Summit County. Some other winter activities we have are: dog sledding, ice skating, cross-country skiing, sleigh riding, snowmobiling, hunting, fishing, horseback riding, gold mine tours, and gambling.
Other winter activities include:
Backcountry Skiing
Ballon Adventures
Skiing
Recreation Centers
Snowmobile Tours
Nordic Skiing
Gambling Casinos
They don't call this Colorado's Playground for nothing!
