Breckenridge: the back story

About Breckenridge: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Ski Resorts Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Breckenridge was a bustling town long before it was a ski resort. Founded in 1859 by a small group of prospectors, it boomed with the gold rush, and its historic district, one of the largest in Colorado, still lines Main Street below the five peaks of the ski area.

Gold

A small group of prospectors founded Breckenridge in 1859, and the gold rush brought settlers in droves. Its history is full of gold finds and mining, exploration and adventure, saloons, booms and busts; up in the Golden Horseshoe you can still see mine ruins and the gold-gobbling Reiling Dredge boat, and the Country Boy Mine takes visitors underground.

The Kingdom of Breck

As the resort tells it, the story of Breckenridge begins with being left off the map, a tale of independence and unconventional spirit that the town still celebrates as the Kingdom of Breck.

Breckenridge was a town long before it was a ski resort.

Two remarkable lives

Born into slavery in 1822, Barney Ford overcame racism, claim jumping, fires and financial hardship to become one of Colorado’s most prominent businessmen; his 1882 house downtown has been restored in its original Victorian style. Edwin Carter came in 1868 looking for gold, but seeing the damage mining did to the land and its wildlife, he became a taxidermist; his collection of almost 3,300 specimens became the nucleus of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

The ski resort

Breckenridge Ski Resort was founded in 1961. Today it spreads across five peaks, 2,908 acres and 187 trails, with the Imperial lift reaching 12,840 feet, the highest in North America, and the Four O’Clock run carrying you from the high alpine all the way back to town. The BreckConnect Gondola links town with Peaks 7 and 8.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Breckenridge: the back story before you go.