Breckenridge is my Rocky Mountain paradise – it has breathtaking views, diverse wildlife, and abundant hiking trails.

And summer hiking in Breckenridge is absolutely NEXT LEVEL.

I’ve spent years hiking in and around Breckenridge. The trails here are AMAZING. And I’ve narrowed it down to the best of the best.

The hikes below range from super easy to extremely difficult (and they’re listed in order of difficulty). That way you can hit the highlights, no matter your experience level.

Plus I’ve added some hikes around Breckenridge – like near Keystone, Silverthorne, etc. Because if you’re willing to drive a little, you have even more options for incredible adventure.

Best Easy Hikes in Breckenridge

These are our favorite easy hiking trails in Breckenridge:

• The Breckenridge Troll
• Aspen Alley
• Minnie Mine Loop
• Blue Lakes Waterfall
• Sapphire Point Overlook

The Breckenridge Troll

• Distance: <1.0 mile
• Elevation Gain: basically zero

Finding the Breckenridge Troll is the most family-friendly outdoor activity in Breckenridge. It’s a super short, easy hike in the woods – making it perfect for almost any ability level.

Imagine walking around the corner and seeing this AMAZING 15-foot wooden sculpture sitting between the trees (see photo below). This is Isak Heartstone.

He was originally an art installation (by Thomas Dambo) for the Breckenridge International Festival of the Arts.

Now his new home is near the ice skating rink downtown (which has ample parking).

We highly recommend taking a stroll in the woods to see Isak.

Sapphire Point Overlook

• Distance: 0.6 miles
• Elevation Gain: 76 Ft

Sapphire Point Overlook is a super easy and short trail that leads to one of the most popular and easily accessible overlooks in the area.

The lake you see in the photo below is Dillon Reservoir – its bright blue waters are the perfect foreground for unbeatable views of the 10 Mile Range in the distance.

It’s less than 100 yards from the parking area to the overlook, making it a great option for families and non-hikers.

Complete the 1-mile loop trail for even more incredible views. Or just go to the overlook and back for an easy walk.

It can get quite busy, so avoid high traffic times like Saturday mid-day. But it is open year-round!

Blue Lakes Waterfall

• Distance: 1.1 miles
• Elevation Gain: 78 Ft

Blue Lakes is one of the places we ALWAYS take visitors to when they come to see us. It’s easily accessible and the views are stunning.

There are two Blue Lakes (Upper and Lower), both at a high elevation near tree line. You can park near either lake, and there are several trails you can use to explore the area.

Our favorite is the Blue Lakes Waterfall trail, which is a short, flat trail that takes you to the cascading waterfall between the two lakes.

This area is extremely heavily trafficked so make sure to visit during off times such as the evening, early morning, or weekdays. While you’re there, keep your eye out for the resident mountain goats that regularly roam the parking lots (but please don’t get close to them).

Aspen Alley

• Distance: 2.6 miles
• Elevation Gain: 528 Ft

Aspen Alley is a personal favorite of ours, especially during the fall.

At only 2.6 miles roundtrip, this hike is a gradual but very manageable uphill climb.

The hike is a series of switchbacks that slowly climb a hillside that’s completely covered in aspen trees.

Bright green leaves rustle in the summer breeze or visit in the fall to experience one of the best fall hikes in the area.

We recommend starting at the bottom of the trail, or the western terminus located at the Breckenridge Sawmill Museum. Hike uphill until you reach the road or turn around when you’re ready. Retrace your steps back to the trailhead.

Pro tip: if you’re into mountain biking, Aspen Alley is perfect for an intermediate downhill ride. Shuttle to the top and ride down to a second vehicle.

Minnie Mine Loop

• Distance: 1.5 miles
• Elevation Gain: 209 Ft

Minnie Mine Loop is a lightly trafficked trail in Breckenridge, so you’re less likely to fight the crowds here.

Located in the beautiful French Gulch, this trail is close to town and is an easy hike at only 1.5 miles roundtrip.

You can also take a little side trail to one of the last remaining gold dredges, Reiling Dredge, which was originally built in 1908 and sunk in a nearby pond in 1922. This trailhead is directly across the road from the parking area for Minnie Mine Loop.

The entire area is one of our favorite places during the summer and fall months.

Local tip: Visit the nearby Country Boy Mine for a fun tour of an actual mine.

Best Moderate Hikes in Breckenridge

Black Powder Pass

• Distance: 3.4 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1000 Ft

Black Powder Pass trail is on the shorter side at only 3.4 miles roundtrip, but the elevation gain lands it in the ‘moderate’ category.

The hike starts around 11,500 feet in elevation at the top of Boreas Pass and goes up to a saddle at 12,5000 feet between Bald Mountain and Boreas Mountain.

This hike offers spectacular views and tons of wildflowers, which is why it made our list of favorites. Plus, you get to drive Boreas Pass Road, which is one of the best scenic drives in the area.

If the elevation gain scares you, know that most of it is at the end of the trail. This means you can turn back early and still have a fun day in the mountains. But it’s worth the effort to reach the end of the trail if you’re able.

McCullough Gulch Trail

• Distance: 6.4 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1607 Ft

McCullough Gulch is one of our top picks for the best moderate hike in Breckenridge and is one of the most popular hikes in the area.

With crazy mountain views, two alpine lakes, one huge cascading waterfall, and tons of wildflowers, McCullough Gulch is the quintessential mountain hike to see it all.

This hike has a pretty significant amount of elevation gain, but the views are worth the effort for sure.

Please note: because of this trail’s popularity, reservations are required for parking – please read our entire write-up (linked above) for more information.

Mohawk Lakes Trail with Continental Falls

• Distance: 3-10 miles
• Elevation Gain: Varies

Mohawk Lakes & Continental Falls are our favorite destinations in the Breckenridge area, and we do this hike multiple times a year.

Because there are seven lakes and one waterfall in this valley, the actual length of the hike depends on where you park and at what point you decide to turn around.

The hardest part of this hike is understanding where to park and hike, so we’ve written a detailed guide (linked above).

We highly recommend at least hiking to Upper Mohawk Lake, which is the third of seven lakes. No matter how far you go, it’s going to be at least a moderate hike. The farther you go, the closer you get to a difficult rating. One time we hiked all the way to the seventh lake, and I would consider that to be a difficult hike.

This trail is also heavily trafficked, so it’s best to avoid weekends and holidays.

Best Difficult Hikes in Breckenridge

Quandary Peak

• Distance: 6.6 miles
• Elevation Gain: 3326 Ft

Quandary Peak is known for being one of the ‘easier’ 14ers in Colorado, but make no mistake, this hike is a doozy. There’s no such thing as an easy 14er, so do NOT expect this trail to be easy.

With all that seriousness out of the way, Quandary Peak is a spectacular hike and has amazing views throughout the entire hike.

Because of its popularity, reservations are required for parking at the Quandary Peak Trailhead. To avoid the crowds and inconvenient reservation system, try the nearby Decalibron Loop instead.

Wise Mountain via North Fork

• Distance: 7.6 miles
• Elevation Gain: 2273 Ft

Wise Mountain via North Fork is a difficult hike through pine forest that ends at a super cool old mining cabin perched on top of Wise Mountain peak. The expansive views of the 10 Mile Range and Breckenridge ski resort are incredible!

You cannot enter the cabin because the floor is collapsed, but this hike is well worth the uphill effort to see such an amazing place! And it’s a lightly trafficked hike so you’re less likely to battle crowds – in fact, I saw one other hiker the entire day!

Please note that off-roading rigs can drive to the top, but the average vehicle will stop much closer to the trailhead. The more clearance you have, the farther you can get up the trail to save you some mileage.

Best Hikes near Breckenridge

Breckenridge is known for its outstanding hiking, but there are tons of other opportunities in the surrounding areas that are worth the visit.

Some of our favorite hikes are ones in surrounding towns like Keystone and Frisco. If you’re willing to branch out a bit, these other hikes are great options!

Best Hikes Near Hoosier Pass

Hoosier Pass is a high mountain pass near Breckenridge. It’s part of the Continental Divide, meaning the water on either side of the pass eventually runs into two different oceans – the south runs into the Atlantic Ocean and the north goes to the Pacific Ocean.

There are many wonderful hikes near the pass, all of which vary greatly in difficulty and features. Read more about our favorite Hoosier Pass hikes like Lake Emma.

Best Hikes near Frisco & Copper Mountain

Both Frisco and Copper Mountain are only 10-15 minutes away from Breckenridge, so these hikes are not a far drive at all.

Frisco has a great main street that’s worth the visit and their restaurants tend to be less busy than those in Breckenridge.

Plus, these hikes are at a lower elevation, so they are snow-free for a longer period than the higher elevation options in Breck. 

Rainbow Lake

• Distance: 1.5 miles
• Elevation Gain: 150 Ft
• Difficulty: Easy

Rainbow Lake is a short and popular trail right near Frisco downtown. It’s 1.5 miles roundtrip and goes to Rainbow Lake.

This is a great fall hike – and because it’s on the easier side, we would recommend this hike for families or those who aren’t able to hike as far. 

Mayflower Gulch Grand Traverse

• Distance: 0-6 miles
• Elevation Gain: 0-1,548 Ft
• Difficulty: Easy-Moderate

Mayflower Gulch is a popular trailhead past Cooper Mountain near Freemont Pass. You can either park at the trailhead or continue along the old mining road in a 4×4 vehicle to the gate.

The hiking distance ranges depending on where you park and where you hike. If you park in the 4×4 area, you’re right at a series of old mining cabin ruins. If you want to hike further, you can explore the trails by summiting nearby ridges or going up to more mine and cabin ruins.

This area is set in a beautiful mountain basin and is a fun exploration day packed full of mining history. 

Local tip: another great nearby hike is Clinton Gulch Dam Reservoir.

Shrine Ridge

• Distance: 4.3 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1030 Ft
• Difficulty: Moderate

Shrine Ridge is one of the best wildflower hikes in the state and is an AMAZING hike in late July during peak wildflower season. This hike also offers great views and is well worth the moderately difficult effort.

The best wildflowers are at the end of the trail, so give yourself extra time to explore and take pictures in that area.

Remember to Leave No Trace by staying on the trail and don’t walk through the wildflowers for pictures, no matter how tempting it may be. 

Wheeler Lakes

• Distance: 6.6 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1496 Ft
• Difficulty: Moderate

Wheeler Lakes (not to be confused with Wheeler Lake or the Wheeler Trail) is a great day hike right outside of Copper Mountain near Frisco.

We just recently hiked this trail for the first time and were pleasantly surprised with how much we enjoyed it.

The beginning of the hike is near the highway, but the rest winds through beautiful aspen groves and pine forests before reaching two alpine lakes.

Instead of finding fish in these waters, we were overjoyed to find them full of tiger salamanders, which is the Colorado state amphibian! Now that’s something you don’t see every day!

Lakeshore Perimeter Trail

• Distance: 5.4 miles
• Elevation Gain: 246 Ft
• Difficulty: Easy

The Lakeshore Perimeter Trail is a 5.4-mile loop that’s relatively flat and is on the easier side.

We do this hike several times each season and love how most of the trail hugs the shoreline of Dillon Reservoir.

You’ll walk through new new-growth pine forest and have endless views of the sapphire water of the lake. Because it’s on the easier side, this is a great option for families and an easier hike to help acclimate to the altitude.

It’s also at a lower elevation than most others on this list, so it’s a great option for early-season hiking.

Best Hikes near Silverthorne & Dillon

Silverthorne and Dillon are the other two main towns in Summit County, and both have more city-like amenities such as a movie theater and Super Target.

Hikes in this area go up into the Gore Range, which is just north of the 10 Mile Range where Breckenridge and Frisco are.

The Gore Range is more known for its difficult hikes with jagged, steep mountains as compared to other areas of the Rocky Mountains. There are some easier hikes in this area, but you’ll find most others to be more difficult but still well worth the effort. 

Lower Cataract Lake

• Distance: 2.3 miles
• Elevation Gain: 223 Ft
• Difficulty: Easy

Lower Cataract Lake is a 45-minute drive from Breckenridge. Even though it’s farther away, it’s still a great option for an easy, flatter hike to get you outside in a beautiful place.

The hike goes around the shoreline of Lower Cataract Lake, and from the trailhead, you can see a huge waterfall that flows into the far side of the lake. At only 2.3 miles roundtrip and minimal elevation change, this is a great option for an easier adventure. 

Lily Pad Lake

• Distance: 3.3 miles
• Elevation Gain: 396 Ft
• Difficulty: Easy

Lily Pad Lake has two main trails to get there and we recommend taking Salt Lick to Lily Pad Lake instead of the traditional Lily Pad Lake route.

If you want something shorter, the traditional route is still worth it, there’s just less to see since most of the hike goes through a burn scar from a couple of years ago. The forest is growing back, but that takes a lot of time.

If you go from the Salt Lick trailhead, it’s a little bit longer, but the views are great and there’s more to see.

Either way, you’ll know when you reach the aptly named Lily Pad Lake. It’s completely covered in beautiful lily pads that bloom in late spring.

Acorn Creek Loop

• Distance: 5.0 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1000 Ft
• Difficulty: Moderate

Acorn Creek Loop is another one of our favorite hikes and we frequently complete this loop several times each season.

It’s especially good for an early-season hike when some of the higher-elevation hikes aren’t snow-free yet. Flowers peak earlier, and the snow is gone quicker.

We call this hike the quintessential mountain hike because it has meadows, aspen groves, pine forests, amazing mountain views, and fun stream crossings. There’s even a huge field of flowers that we love seeing in the spring!

Ptarmigan Trail

• Distance: 5.0 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1141 Ft
• Difficulty: Moderate

Ptarmigan Trail is the definition of a moderate hike: decent elevation gain, a little more mileage than most people are used to, and a little bit of struggle.

But it’s worth it for the incredible views of the mountains and Dillon Reservoir.

In fact, the view from the Ptarmigan overlook is one of our favorite in the county, offering amazing views of both the 10 Mile and Gore Mountain Ranges. It’s easily one of the most underrated hikes we’ve encountered.

Surprise Lake

• Distance: 6.5 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1489 Ft
• Difficulty: Moderate

Surprise Lake trailhead is right near Lower Cataract Lake (see above), which means it’s a bit farther away from Breckenridge but it is worth the drive.

The lake is a beautiful alpine lake with lily pads and mountain views. It’s lightly trafficked, so you’re less likely to see a bunch of other people, and it makes for a great backpacking spot too.

Along the hike, you’ll pass through pine forests and aspen groves, and the aspen groves here are some of our favorite in the area since they are especially lush and green.

Best Keystone Hikes

Keystone is a much smaller area than Breckenridge or the other surrounding towns, but two of our favorite hikes are over this way.

When people talk about bright blue alpine lakes, the top picks are typically lakes in the San Juan Mountains like Blue Lakes near Ridgeway, but few people know about the bright blue lakes located right here in Summit County.

If you’re looking to see something truly incredible, we highly recommend these hikes near Keystone! 

Chihuahua Lake

• Distance: 7.8 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1879 Ft
• Difficulty: Hard

Chihuahua Lake is our top pick when it comes to alpine lakes, and it stands above the rest because of its bright sapphire blue water.

Although some websites list this hike as difficult, we could call it more moderate. The hardest part is the last push to the lake when you’re already tired and the terrain is quite steep.

You’re well above tree line most of the time, so this hike is a great option for high alpine meadows and mountain views. 

But the best part is the incredible lake that shines brighter than the bluebird sky. We sat there for hours enjoying the view. And Derek caught a few cutthroat trout in the pristine water.

Gray’s Lake

• Distance: 4.6 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1200 Ft
• Difficulty: Moderate

Gray’s Lake is just slightly farther down the road from Chihuahua Lake and we recommend a 4×4 vehicle with decent clearance to make it to the trailhead.

It’s a lighter blue than Chihuahua Lake but shines brilliantly in both clouds and sunlight. The stream running out of the lake is a light grey/blue color, something you won’t see anywhere else.

This hike is a little shorter than Chihuahua but is still moderately difficult and has a hard final push up to the lake. 

Meadow Loop and Ridge Trail

• Distance: 3.2 miles
• Elevation Gain: 475 Ft
• Difficulty: Easy

Meadow Loop and Ridge Trail is a seriously underrated hike between Keystone and Dillon that offers great views of Dillon Reservoir.

It’s considered an easy hike, and the first quarter mile is the most difficult part (hiking clockwise). At only 3.2 miles roundtrip, this is a great option for a simple day hike that still has lots to offer.

Final Thoughts

Peak summer hiking is mid-June to late August, with peak wildflower season being mid-July to early August depending on altitude and snowfall from the previous winter.

These exceptional summer temperatures, hundreds of hiking trails, and 300 days of sunshine each year make Breckenridge and the Colorado mountains the perfect hiking destination.

The trails vary in difficulty and feature various aspects of mountain life, with some trails being better options for waterfalls, wildflowers, alpine lakes, mountain views, and so much more.

So, lace up your socks and shoes, grab your hiking backpack and your day hiking essentials, make sure you have the right outdoorsy apps downloaded, and get ready to explore the beauty of the Rockies.

If you’re stuck inside on a rainy or snowy day, there are lots of indoor activities as well. If you’re visiting in the wintertime, check out our article on the best winter hikes in Breckenridge along with the best winter activities that aren’t skiing/snowboarding.

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