PURE GOLD

It all began with the discovery of gold in 1859 along Colorado’s Blue River, west of the Continental Divide. The following spring, gold fever brought a flood of prospectors into a makeshift mining camp called Breckenridge.

By 1863, all the easy-to-find pan treasure was gone and prospectors moved on, replaced by hydraulic placer mining operations. In the 1880s, Breckenridge was the reigning “Queen of Summit County,” a prosperous gold and silver mining hub with a rollicking Main Street, lined with hotels, saloons and dance halls.

At the turn of the century, mining companies were dredging the river bed for the last traces of precious metal and after World War II, Breckenridge lapsed into a sleepy little town.  And that might have been the end of the story if 20th century prospectors hadn’t tapped the town’s rich vein of “white gold”.

In 1961, Breckenridge Ski Resort opened with seven runs, a double chairlift, and a beginner T-bar on 12,998-foot Peak 8. Half a century later, “Breck” has been established as a four-season outdoor playground encompassing five peaks of the Colorado Rocky Mountains’ Tenmile Range.

Today our Victorian Main Street once again buzzes with activity, day and night. Miles of mountain bike trails follow historic mine flumes and Gold Medal fly–fishing rivers never run dry. Millions of vacationers return year after year for our 350 average inches of powder, our majestic alpine setting and our quirky local spirit.  

Join us.