Finding your oasis in the high country starts with one conversation—with Paffrath & Thomas. Working Remotely? Looking for a year-round vacation escape? Retiring where the air is clean and the views are breathtaking? Paffrath & Thomas can help you find your new home or your new home-away-from-home. 

If you’re selling a property, Paffrath & Thomas connects you with qualified buyers looking for that just-right property—your property. We’ll help every step of the way, from discovering what your home is worth to finding buyers across the globe. 

For over 40 years we’ve helped buyers and sellers in Breckenridge, Frisco, Copper Mountain, Keystone, Fairplay, and many more Colorado towns own their own mountain retreats, and find new places to spend a lifetime.. And we’ll help you too.

Buying / selling a home is as much about the location as it is the house. People looking for a home want to be sold on the experience, the environment, and the activities available in that area. Summer is an amazing season in Summit County, and when you look for things to do, we do not disappoint!

Breckenridge: Things to do in summer

Let’s start with the Paffrath & Thomas hometown of Breckenridge. 

You gotta love our historic main street. Breck has preserved over 200 buildings from the mining era, making a summer stroll down Main Street an event single-handedly. 

On Main Street, you can find boutiques, shops, restaurants, and bars all surrounded by the majestic Rocky Mountains. Warm summer days, cool summer nights, and plenty of festivals and events make Breck a summer destination.

The Breckenridge to-do list for Summit County in summer, includes:

Hiking

How does 5 nearby peaks in the Ten Mile Range sound for notching your tundra belt? Or how about knocking down a 14’er at Quandary Peak? Choose from hundreds of miles of trails for hiking, biking, and just plain enjoying await you during the summer, and year-round.

With Breck itself as the trail head, here are a few choices for fun hikes:

• The Wellington Trail (2.7 miles)
• Center Park to Moonstone to Barney Ford Trail (4.2 miles)
• Warriors Mark Trail (1.7 miles)
• Trollstigen, Southside, and Illinois Creek Low Trail (1 mile)
• Southside Trail to Illinois Creek High Trail (1.9 miles)
• Blue River Rec Path (2.4 miles)

These are just a few starting basically in-town. Drive a little and you’ll access flowering fields, more soaring views, and waterfalls!

• McCullough Gulch Trail (6.4 miles)
• Sawmill Creek Trail (1.5 miles)
• Wheeler Lakes Trail (6.9 miles)
• Upper Straight Creek Trail (4.9 miles)

There are so many fantastic places to see, to walk, to breathe in the clean air and enjoy the panorama. Talk to a Colorado park ranger for info, or map out Breckenridge trails online. 

Family fun

Make memories that will last for the rest of their lives. Breckenridge and Summit County offer adventure and more.

• Whitewater rafting. Let a guide take you on the splashiest roller coaster ever!
• Summer dog sledding. You read that right! Join a dogsled team exercise for “mush” fun!
• Breckconnect Gondola Ride. Go up, up, and away- for free! Great views at zero cost.
• Country Boy Mine. Tour 1000 feet down in a real gold mine. Pan for gold & keep what you find!
• Playgrounds abound. Kid fave: High Line Railroad Park & Playground, with a real train engine!
• Boreas Pass Road. Drive to the top of the Continental Divide, where east really does meet west. 
• The Washington Gold and Silver Mine. Take a tour for gold rush history. 
• Lomax Gulch. Try panning for gold in a running creek. It might just be your lucky day…
• The National Repertory Orchestra calls Breck home, performing several times a week starting in June. They also dazzle audiences at the Breckenridge International Festival of Arts, which usually takes place in August. 

Festivals and Fairs

Breck offers the perfect elevations for celebrations. Here are just a few of the annual events for festive fun!

• Breckenridge Summer Beer Festival
• Breckenridge Food and Wine Festival
• Breckenridge Hogfest: Bacon and Bourbon
• Breckenridge Art Festival
• Gathering at the Great Divide Art Festival
• Breckenridge hosts a number of arts festivals all year long. 

Golf

If you love golf, you have to swing by Breck for the Breckenridge Golf Club. You’ll discover 3 9-hole golf courses, all of which are Jack Nicklause signature courses. Spend your day on the greens with views of the towering, snow-capped Rockies no matter where you play. 

And don’t be surprised if some of the wildlife stops by to check your drive. During golfers’ rounds it’s fairly common to see foxes, red tail hawks, beavers, elk, and even the occasional moose or bear. 

The Breckenridge Golf Club has a golf shop and practice facilities too, along with a delicious restaurant and bar. Whether you go with a group, or spend the day on your own, there’s nothing like teeing off at over 9000 feet. It’s what you come here “fore!”

Epic Discovery

Breck is one of the few Vail Resorts mountains that has summer activities & operations at the base of the ski area. Spend the day enjoying family-friendly activities like roller coasters, zip lines, mini golf, and more!

Food

Come to Breckenridge when you’re hungry for adventure—or just hungry! Our restaurants offer global selections from practically every culture, plus basic to bistor American cuisine, and even old-timey saloons. Our team has enjoyed these delicacies for years, and would be delighted to help you to do the same, for years. 

Also, for the more mature family members, make a day of it with wine tastings and winery tours, at our local Breckenridge wineries. Uncork adventure today!

Kind of makes you maybe want to live here, doesn’t it? That’s why two generations of the Paffrath & Thomas families call Breck “home.” 

Contact us. We’ll tell you some fun things to do, great places to go, and how you could make Breckenridge your own piece of paradise.

Dillon and Silverthorne: More things to do in Summit County in Summer

Just up the road (or down, depending on your starting elevation!) are Dillon and Silverthorne, two more Colorado gems. 

Lake Dillon borders the south side of both cities. In the summer, the lake becomes a fishing haven and watersport treasure trove. Rent a kayak, pontoon, or even a sailboat! Drop a line and take home some clean, mountain-grown keepers. A single-day fishing license can be as little as $9, with 5-day and annual licenses available as well.

Enjoy fly fishing? Check out the variety of world-class creeks and rivers nearby or within a 1-2 hour drive. Rainbow trout, brown trout, mountain whitefish and more await in the:

• Colorado River
• Gore Creek
• Tenmile Creek
• Blue River
• Eagle River
• Arkansas River
• and more!

Bring your gear, rent it there, or even hire a fishing guide for the ultimate day of throwing lines. From top anglers looking for the best action to first-timers letting the flies fly, fishing in the Rockies is unforgettable in Summit County.

Music/Arts

Summit County offers all manner of music and the arts in a setting hand-carved by nature itself. One of our nearby gems is the Dillon Amphitheater. You’ll find diverse and engaging live entertainment there, all with Dillon Reservoir and the gorgeous Rockies as your backdrop. 

Contemporary arts thrive at the Silverthorne Performing Arts Center. From two black box theaters, to indoor and outdoor gather and exhibition spaces, this arts center offers year-round cultural experiences. 

Let’s go to Frisco!

There are plenty of things to do in Summit County in Summer when you visit Frisco, Colorado. Located on the west side of Dillon Reservoir, you can’t miss the Frisco Bay Marina. Rent all your water sport needs right there, plus sailing, paddle boarding, kayaking, and fishing lessons or tours. 

White water rafting

Looking for water with a little more excitement to it? Take a white water rafting tour for a full day or a half day. Some even come with a hot lunch at the riverside! 

Food and celebrations

Speaking of food, Frisco feasts in the summer time with the Colorado BBQ Challenge, “Frisco’s Fabulous 4th of July,” and all the other restaurants in Frisco. 

Music and arts

Don’t forget the music! There are things to do and hear in Summit County in Summer, including Frisco’s Concerts in the Park every Thursday night in the summer and the 10 Mile Music Hall.

Biking trails

If you like to bike, Frisco offers the Peaks Trail, a challenging mountain bike trail, and the Summit County Recreational Pathway. It’s paved and has all kinds of trails for all kinds of abilities. 

You could bike from Frisco to Breckenridge (and visit us there at Paffrath & Thomas!), tour around Lake Dillon, or even go to Copper Mountain! 

Elevation ranges from 8700+ feet to 10,500+. However you travel on the trails, it has to be 100% powered by you. No motorized vehicles on these paths!

Keystone: your key to things to do in Summit County in summer

When was the last time you rode in a horse-drawn carriage and had dinner out on the trail in the mountains? We’re betting…never. Time to mark that off your bucket list in Keystone, with Keystone Stables horseback riding tours and wagon rides! 

When you stay in Summit County, you’ll enjoy one of the most beautiful counties in Colorado with activities that match. 

Hiking

Hiking is huge here. Check out the Grizzly Peak Trailhead, four miles of aaaah-mazing views along the continental divide at Loveland Pass. This high-altitude trail in the tundra above the tree line provides open vistas that thrill you to your core.

Golfing

Looking for another great way to spend the day outside? Let’s go golfing in the mountains! Keystone Resort’s golf course has 36 holes on two different courses. They offer lessons and clinics too, from duffers to a-game players. 

Festivals

Summit County in summer offers so many festivals, and Keystone has things to do fest-wise all season. Do you bacon, bro? Try the annual Blue Ribbon Bacon Tour with vendors, live music, beer, and of course- plenty of bacon! And there so many more festivals and fairs:

• River Run Village Art Festival
• Keystone Bluegrass and Beer Festival
• Mountain Town Music Fest
• Wine and Jazz Festival

Seriously, Keystone celebrates Summer in all the best ways.

Exercise

This might be a stretch, but why not try Mountain Top Yoga? Take the gondola from River Run to the top of Dercum Mountain, where you’ll get breathtaking views of the 10-Mile Mountain range. 

Copper Mountain: pure gold for things to do in Summit County in summer

Have we got thrills for you! Copper Mountain, Colorado, is family-approved for summer activities. 

Theme park

Check out the Rocky Mountain Roller Coaster, one of North America’s longest alpine coasters. Powered by gravity (and your squeals of delight), you hit speeds up to 25 miles per hour while you wind down a mountain side. Zoom through the trees, enjoy scenic views, and thrill on over 5,800 feet of track.

White water rafting

Wet adventures await with white water rafting near Copper Mountain. You’ll have several rivers to choose from, including the Arkansas Rivers, Colorado River, and Clear Creek. The days get warm, and the rivers are an awesome and inspiring way to cool down. 

Outdoors & wildlife

From mild to wild, you’ll have granite walls of stone, rapids, a natural hot spring, and wildlife to see like beavers, deer, bighorn sheep, and even the occasional bear. It is Colorado, after all!

Hiking

Put on your long-haul shoes for world-class hiking at Copper Mountain. Choose from trails that accommodate everyone from beginners to hardcore hikers. 

You can also ride the Woodward Express scenic chairlift to the top of Copper Mountain. It’s not cheating; it’s getting views of the woodlands and wildflower meadows that only birds get to enjoy. 

Summit County has more things to do in summer!

We won’t kid you; we’ve barely scratched the surface of things to do in Summit County in summer. Visiting here is wonderful. Living here is more on the “am I dreaming?” side of life. Not only do you get summer, but you have all the other seasons to enjoy that come with their own unique activities. 

Local Market Leadership, World Class Connections

Paffrath & Thomas Real Estate company in Breckenridge has served our community since 1979. We are the longest local and family-owned real estate company in town. And we have maintained a reputation for being one of the most successful & well-respected brokerages in our mountain community. 

Come spend the day, the season, or a lifetime 

From Green Mountain Reservoir to Quandary Peak, from Vail Pass Bike Path to the 14,271 foot Quandary Peak, Summit County makes summer spectacular. 

Whether you’re buying or selling, contact us today. Paffrath & Thomas can help make heaven your home. Come explore with us, make memories with us, live your purpose with us. Allow our family to guide your family home