Summertime is one of the best times to visit Keystone and Summit County. I have been enjoying this area for a long time with my family and have some family favorite activities. Here are 5 of our favorite things to do in the summertime on our Keystone Vacation!
Biking around Keystone
Keystone has many biking trails for every level of ability. If you're just looking for something easy and paved, try out the Summit County Bike Path which you can access from most of the vacation rental properties at Keystone. You can ride just around Keystone, go a little further to Dillon, or end up having lunch in Breckenridge or Copper Mountain Resorts. Mountain View Sports has a 'Ride the Pass' bike trip where they drop you off at the top of Vail Pass and it's all downhill from there with incredible scenery the whole way! If the kids are older and you want to get on the dirt, try the mountain biking trails around Summit County. Our favorites include Keystone Gulch, Red Trail, and Ptarmigan. Keystone Resort also has a great downhill bike park with tons of weekly classes and clinics to get you started. The best part about biking in Keystone? SummitCove Vacation Lodging gives you a free 2-hour bike rental with every summer reservation!
Adventure Center at Keystone Lake
A perfect place to enjoy the afternoon with the family is The Adventure Center in Lakeside Village. Rent a standup paddleboard, canoe, kayak, or paddle boat and enjoy the 5 acre Keystone lake. Make sure to buy some fish food from the machines and feed the huge trout that are stocked in the lake. Young children love it! The Adventure Center also has fun family arcade games to play and food selections the kids will love. Go on a Sunday afternoon for their "Sunday Funday" and save some money.
Hike to Lily Pad Lake
While there are some great hiking trails right in Keystone, one of my family's favorite is Lily Pad Lake Trail just outside of Silverthorne. This trail gives your family access into the beautiful Eagles Nest Wilderness area. It's an easy hike so perfect for the family with young children at 3.2 miles roundtrip. The first small lily pad pond you pass is a popular place for wildlife such as deer, elk, and moose. If you do see wild animals, please watch only from afar and do not approach. You then come to the bigger mountain lake which you can continue you walk around. This is a busy trail so try to go on "off" days or early in the day.
Country Boy Mine, Breckenridge
A fun inexpensive place I like to take my family to is Country Boy Mine which is 2 miles outside of Breckenridge. While you can pay for a fascinating tour of the mine, we just rent a couple of gold pans to share and sit along Eureka Creek hoping to find our riches, which is really just enjoying the sun, scenery, and family. The kids are always excited to see the burros which roam around the mine and love to be petted. Another fun free activity here at the mine is their 55 foot ore chute slide. The kids will do the slide over and over again!
Water Taxi from Dillon to Frisco
The Lake Dillon Water Taxi is a great way to get on Lake Dillon and take in the beautiful views surrounding the reservoir. We like to get on at the Dillon Marina (make sure you bring cash - they don't take credit cards), enjoy the ride to Frisco watching the sailboats along the way, walk down to the shops on Frisco's cute Main Street, get a bite to eat at Prost or the Island Grill right at the marina, and then head back on the water taxi to Dillon. You can also take your bike on a one-way trip on the water taxi and bike back on the Summit County bike path.
Written By: Carrie Gustin