Summit County Series: 6 of the Best Family-Friendly Winter Activities!

When you talk about “going to the mountains” in Summit County Colorado, you automatically assume it is for skiing, but what about people that don’t ski? Or, what about those with small children that want to play indoors or have a day off between skiing? What is there to do??

To help you on your next trip to the mountains, we have partnered with Kate Marrone, a local family-friendly activities expert, to share some of the best non-skiing winter options in Summit County.

This Summit County Series is brought to you by Kate Marrone, real estate broker on The Barr Team at RE/MAX in Summit County. Visit their website here!

1. Get Lost (or Found) in a Snow Maze!

Copper Mountain has a great FREE option for families in town during the winter… a Snow Maze! It is located in the East Village, near the Super Bee lift, and just requires a waiver be signed before entering. It is designed for families with ages 3+ and does not allow skis, snowboards or other sliding devices.

Visit https://www.coppercolorado.com/things-to-do/activities-amenities/snow-maze for all the details. We hope you enjoy this unique amenity in Summit County!

2 – Sled Your Way Down the Hill!

For those days where you’d like to play in the snow, but don’t plan to ski, grab your sleds and winter gear for some sliding adventures! There are so many spots to sled, however, these are the local favorites:

Breckenridge:

• Runway Sledding Hill (1730 Airport Rd, Breckenridge, CO 80424) For more details, visit: https://www.breckenridgerecreation.com/parks-fields/runway-sledding-hill. Park in the free skier parking lot to avoid towing.
• Carter Park (500 S High St, Breckenridge, CO 80424) Limited free parking is available at Carter Park, which is also shared with the dog park. Paid parking is available at the Klack Placer Lot at 530 S. French Street. For more details, visit: https://www.breckenridgerecreation.com/parks-fields/carter-park-pavilion

Silverthorne:

• Rainbow Park (430 Rainbow Dr, Silverthorne, CO 80498) This is a great location for family sledding as it mainly has short, gentle slopes. Don’t miss the two amazing playgrounds there as well! https://slidesandsunshine.com/rainbow-park-silverthorne/

Dillon:

• Dillon Nature Preserve Trailhead (location) There is a steep hill for sledding, however, if you like small hills or less crowded areas, take a short walk to the flatter areas along the trail to the northwest.

Frisco:

• Frisco Adventure Park offers free sledding (621 Recreation Way, Frisco, CO 80443) and see below to check out the paid snow tubing hills they also have there. The Sledding Hill is right behind a white trailer and there is a red flag, indicating the Sledding Hill. If you are there to watch the tubing, or need a boost after the snow-filled fun, visit the Frisco Day Lodge for some fireplaces, hot chocolate, snacks, beer or wine.

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3 – Enjoy Some Indoor Bouncing!

Typically “recreation centers” lead you to think of exercise equipment, pool and basketball, but at the Breckenridge Recreation Center, they offer family gym time with giant bounce houses! At the time of publishing (Feb 2024), these inflatables are available Friday – Sunday from 9AM – 6PM with a cost of $5 (local resident) or $10 (visitor) per child. Ages 12 and under allowed and must have adult supervision.

“The Recreation Center is also home to a gymnasium, racquetball court, indoor rock climbing wall, indoor track, aerobic/dance studios and community meeting room with kitchen. The aquatics area features lap and leisure pools, the Summit Plummit water slide, coed sauna, indoor and outdoor hot tubs.” **Note that the pools are currently being renovated and not anticipated to open until March 2024 or later.**

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4 – Lace Up Those Ice Skates!

Indoor or outdoor, ice skating can be a fun activity for the whole family! The Stephen C West Ice Arena offers indoor skating and skate rentals.

If you’d like to skate outside, there are two options, Meadow Creek Park and Dillon Reservoir, but you’ll need to rent (or buy) skates from elsewhere. Please check their respective websites first to find out the status of the ice. Unseasonally warm weather is currently delaying the open date for Dillon ice skating.

5 – Snow Tubing at Frisco Adventure Park

During the winter, the Frisco Adventure Park offers tubing, a beginner ski and ride hill, Nordic skiing and horse drawn sleigh rides. “The Frisco Adventure Park tubing hill has several lanes, each one has a different experience – some are mellower, while others are steeper with more rolling terrain. The hill is accessed by a surface lift, making it the ideal activity for the whole family.” Online reservations are now available for the entire 2023/2024 winter season.

6 – Hiking/Walking on Frozen Lake Dillon

**Currently not open because of recent high temperatures so bookmark this article or link for future reference**

Talk about an incredible way to exercise outdoors with the most beautiful scenery around! The Town of Dillon has created “Lake Loops” a winter multi-use track located on the Dillon Reservoir. “Whether you are walking, cross country skiing, skate skiing, snowshoeing or fat biking the Lake Loops offers a groomed course with stunning views of Peak One and Buffalo Mountain.”  

Disclaimer: There is a level of risk associated with the activities listed above. Slides and Sunshine does not assume responsibility for any injuries that occur when taking part.

Do you have another favorite activity in Summit County? Add it in the comments below and we’ll check it out!

Thanks for joining us at Slides & Sunshine. Now it’s time to get out there and PLAY!

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