Stop #19: Tiger Run Resort, Breckenridge, CO

Having completed all our errands in the Denver area we were ready for adventure and started to make our way west towards Utah. We were in no rush though and did want to see a little bit more of Colorado in the fall, so we booked a one week stay at Tiger Run Resort which is at 9,200’ elevation, fifteen minutes from the scenic town of Breckenridge.

We had heard the fall foliage was at its peak and started to see some of this beautiful, mostly golden (not a lot of red as we’ve seen in the North East), display on our way to the campground. The campground itself has mountain views, lies between trees, and has the Swan and Blue River running through the grounds. It’s our favorite type of campground, the ones where you feel immersed in nature.

Our site was very spacious, with a fire pit, a picnic table, and a small gazebo with seating. The scenery was beautiful and the park was large enough for us to bike around. The amenities are not updated but well kept nonetheless. They have a kids playground, tennis courts, a small gym, an arcade room, and an indoor heated pool with two hot tubs. We enjoyed all of these at least once during our week long stay but what the kids enjoyed the most was playing in the river and biking all around.

The town of Breckenridge was bustling with people during the weekend, most likely what they call 'leaf peepers'. During one of our first few nights we visited Breckenridge Distillery for dinner. They have a creative menu, inspired by fresh ingredients, and great craft cocktails. The food was delicious, as were the drinks. Make sure to make reservations though, we didn’t make any so we ended up sitting at the bar.. which while not ideal, ended up being fine.

Since Breckenridge was so crowded that weekend, we ventured off to Vail on Sunday. Vail is 40 mins from Tiger Run and since we were staring out at the mountains along the way, it didn’t seem long at all. We parked at the Lionshead parking lot which was perfect for walking over to the Eagle Bahn gondola. We purchased Epic passes towards the end of summer since we have plans to ski during the winter and were able to use them to take the gondola. The season for these passes run from fall to summer, so pass holders can enjoy the mountains during different seasons. It’s a great deal (in comparison to regular ski lift prices) if you are planning to ski more than three times during the season… with the advantage of also being able to access the mountains during the fall and summer. Also FYI, if you are not a pass holder kids under 12 ride free with an adult purchasing a gondola ticket… which are $50pp. Yep, pricey... I'm afraid that was the theme for this outing.

There were tons of mountain bikers taking the gondola in order to tackle the trails down the mountain, so there was a a bit of a wait. There are tons of trails ranging from easy to expert… similar to when it’s ski season. Something to keep in mind if heading to this mountain in the summer or fall and you’re into that type of adventure. While we did not have our bikes, nor were we truly up for any of those trails, we were excited to find out that they had a ton of adventure rides/activities at their Mountaintop Adventure Center at the top of the Gondola. They call it Epic Discovery and to our dismay it was not covered by the Epic Pass. They offer a menu from which you can choose to pay for the activities individually, as well as an unlimited pass option. The activities include the Marmot Mini Kids Tubing, Paramount Peak Climbing Wall, Bungee Trampoline, Little Eagle Kids Zipline (which was closed due to high winds), and our favorite (except our daughter’s… she chose to skip that one)… the Forest Flying Mountain Coaster. Note: you will also see a ropes course but don't get too excited as this activity has been closed for a few years.

Our son wanted to do it all so it made most sense to get him the unlimited pass (which pays itself off after about three activities - we can't remember the exact amount but it was around $90). Our daughter initially only wanted to do the Trampoline so we bought only that one activity only to later have to upgrade her as well because she ended up loving it and also developed the courage to take on the kids tubing and the climbing wall. Paul and I only did the Forest Flying Mountain Coaster, so we only got tickets for that.. which while super fun, we didn’t think it was $35 dollars worth of it. I’m not gonna sugar coat it, it’s a very pricey outing. And that’s not even adding the extremely overpriced food you need to get once you’re up there ($100 for 2 hot dogs, nuggets, a salad and some drinks)… unless you’re smart enough to pack your own lunch. The views are spectacular though, from both the gondola and the top of the mountain. Probably also beautiful during the summer but I imagine it's even more so during the fall with all the beautiful golden colors peeping throughout. So is it worth it? Hmm, the kids said it was the best day ever, so maybe for that reason it was? I’ve read reviews where people call it an Epic Scam… lol

We did eventually make it to Breckenridge during the week and was indeed less crowded but the gondolas were no longer working and it was a cold day, so we only ended up driving around. A bit uneventful, really. We did see from the car that the town had lots to offer, with plenty of restaurant options, as well as shops. At least it turned out to be a cheap outing as we recovered from Vail. Ha!

We woke up to snow towards the end of our stay - our kid’s wish made true. While it was not cold enough in our campground for it to accumulate, the mountains did get a nice coating on them. Snow in early October! That’s Colorado weather for you.

The one other outing we did was towards Mount Evans to check out the highest paved road in the US. You’ll need a timed entry to drive up, which you can get on Recreation.gov. There’s also a $15 entrance fee but we were able to use our America the Beautiful pass to get in. They even had Junior Ranger booklets, badges, and little gifts for the kids which made their day. The summit was closed for the season but we still were able to go up to Summit Lake Park which has an elevation of 12,830’. From there we got out of the car to take pictures by the lake and did a short hike to catch the views on the opposite side.

There a few trails you can choose from but it was pretty cold that day so we weren’t up for spending a ton of time outside. The views are beautiful from this location as well as from the road while you’re making your way up, but beware the drive does have steep drop-offs and a lack of guardrails. A bit nerve wracking at points for a few of us in the vehicle and I even ended up having to drive a bit so Paul could fly the drone which I wasn’t excited about but still managed just fine. On the way down we even saw mountain goats on the side of the road which was pretty neat and stopped at the Dos Chappell Nature Center for a bathroom break and to check out the impressive 1,000 year old non-living trunk of a Rocky Mountain bristelcone pine tree at the center of this small building.

With that, our time in Breckenridge was up. On to another travel day!

Stop #19: Tiger Run Resort, Breckenridge, CO

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