3 Easy Spring Hikes near Breckenridge worth checking out

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An app I like to use for Hiking Navigation is All Trails, it has trail stats, directions, and reviews making it a great resource

Spring in the mountains is probably one of the best times of the year if you’re a local living in a ski town. Winters are pretty long, days are short, and the workload can be pretty exhausting as most people work 2 jobs to make a living. So when spring rolls around and the snow starts to melt along with trails starting to thaw out, it’s nice to go for an evening hike.

Breckenridge Colorado and Summit County alone have endless hiking trails. Most will be covered in snow and typically can’t be hiked until June. However, there’s three easy hikes you can do, snow or no snow that have great views, not much elevation gain, and are a fun way to spend an afternoon or evening in the Colorado mountains. They are even great trails for families with young children or couples looking for something that isn’t too strenuous. Below I’ll go over trail details, where to park, and how to access these trails. Alight lets do thisss.

Boreas Pass Service Road

How to get there

You’ll drive through downtown Breckenridge, all the way through town ending up on the south end. Take a left on Boreas Pass Road. Take this road all the way until you get to the dirt parking lot at the top.

Parking Coordinates: 39.47438, -106.04199

Best time to go

In the spring the parking at the top won’t be too filled up as most of the trails are covered in snow including the service road that you’ll hike on. However! In the summer and fall months this area gets pretty busy. Which is why spring is a great time to hike this trail as there are not many people around.

Trail Details

You can do the Bakers Tank Trailhead Loop which starts at the parking lot (look for the the trailhead on the left side) and is 2.5 miles. This trail will take you through the woods and pops out back on the road where the water tank is and then you walk back to the parking lot along the service road.

Or you can start walking from the parking lot along the road until you reach the overlook views. Walk along the road as far as you’d like until you feel like turning around. I like to catch a good sunset up here before walking back to my car. The views overlook most of the ten mile range and the town of Breck, which is what makes this such a cool spot.

Are Dogs Allowed

Dogs are allowed, on or off leash. Just make sure the clean up after your dog!

Sapphire Point

How to get there

Take Swan Mountain Road and at the top, about halfway, there will be a paved parking lot. Sometimes it will be filled, which in that case you might have to park along one of the lookout areas along Swan Mountain Road. But again, it is springtime and there are not as many people in Summit County! Parking coordinates below.

Coordinates: 39.58856, -106.04428

Trail Details

This is a pretty simple trail with some of the best views in Summit County overlooking Lake Dillon, Buffalo Mountain, Chief Mountain, and Red Peak. You might even catch a wedding ceremony going down as this is a popular spot for that. But again, in the spring there aren’t many people. Once parked, take the trail to the left, which will end up at a lookout with a stone wall. This is a great place for photos! Continue on the trail and it will loop back to the parking lot.

There will be some picnic tables towards the end of the Loop, making this spot a great place for an afternoon lunch.

Best time to go

Spring through fall, you can go in the winter, but the trail loop will be covered in snow. However, the walk to the main lookout should be ok year round. My favorite time to go is in the late afternoon-evening to catch the sun setting over the mountains.

Lake Dillon Lakeshore Perimeter Trail

How to get there and where to park

There’s a number of different entrances to this trail, as it goes around most of Lake Dillon. However I think the best place to park is near the Frisco Nordic Center. There is a number of parking spots in this area such as at the Frisco Skatepark or Baseball field . You’ll then want to download Alltrails and look for the Perimeter Trail sign, just past the Nordic Center.

Best time to go

Anytime of the day will work, but I like the afternoon/evening time. Spring through Fall is the only time I would go on this trail.

Trail Details

Once you’ve found the Perimeter Trail sign, you’ll walk along a narrow trail until you reach the lake. The trail veers to the right and eventually will take you to a beach area. Or, you can stay on the trail and keep hiking. The trail will go around the entire peninsula that you’re standing on. I like to only go part of the way as it is a 6.5 mile hike. Hike to one of the beaches and hang out. You can bring a blanket to sit on, catch a sunset, pack some food, and just enjoy the lake and mountains surrounding you. It’s one of the easiest hikes with some of the most captivating views.

Keep in mind during the spring, there may still be snow on parts of the trail. Not a problem because you can hike along the beach area until the trail is dry. Which is why I recommend using good hiking footwear to walk around on.

.One of my favorite areas of this trail is right around 2 miles in you’ll notice the Peninsula sticks out, and there’s a rock area where you can sit and hang out for a bit. You get a wide frame of view of the lake area and mountains. Kind of hard to explain so check out the photo below for a better idea. It will be just past the Peak One campground on the right. Please note, this trail is shared with mountain bikers so be aware that of this when hiking this loop. I honestly have never had any issues and bikers are always nice enough to communicate when they are close to you.

Are dogs allowed

Yep, I would leash up your dog on trail due to bikers, but it is ok off leash on the beach areas.

Just note, when traveling back to your car, stay on the Perimeter Loop trail and follow the trail signs. If you get lost, pull up the predownloaded map of the trail that you got on AllTrails for navigation. As long as you stay on the trail it will lead you right back to one of the parking lots near the Frisco Adventure Center.

What to Pack

Rain Jacket- Rain and Snow can pop up at anytime in the mountains during the spring.

Lightweight warm insulated jacket- Great for hiking, a lightweight insulated jacket is just that, lightweight.

Beanie/Ball Cap- Pack these, one for sun and one for colder mountain weather

Hiking footwear- Something with good traction and support. Stop by your local REI store to try different sizes and brands. I personally like LaSportiva.

Hiking Pants- Avoid cotton and I recommend anything lightweight with stretch material. My favorite hiking pants are made by Fjallraven.

Headlamp- If you plan on hiking in the evening, pack this just in case

Looking for other easier hikes to do in Colorado? Check out one of my favorites, Spiral Point in Aspen. It is a really cool place to visit in the Fall, when all the leaves are starting to change.

Snowmass Colorado, Hike Spiral Point for Sunset during the fall

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Aspennn, One of the best places to visit during the fall in Colorado. While a lot of people may be inclined to visit the Maroon Bells, there’s still a number of different hikes in the area if your unable to get a reservation for the Bells. While I was visiting the Maroon Bells, I stayed at the Stonebridge Inn located in Snowmass and after almost just watching TV for the night at the last minute I decided to hop on the All Trails app and look for trails in the area. I found Spiral Point, a shorter hike, perfect for sunset and about a ten minute walk from the hotel. I’ve done a number of hikes in Colorado, but I’d have to say this one had to be one of my favorites. The views, location, and length of the hike made it perfect for an evening fall sunset.

In this post I’ll be going over how to get to Spiral point, trail details, and the best time of year to hike it. Alright lets do thissss!

Where is Spiral Point

The trailhead for Spiral Point is just outside of Snowmass Village in Aspen Colorado. You’ll want to go up Brush Creek Road veer right onto Divide road, then on the right will be a small parking lot and the trailhead. The ski resort will be to your left as well as the Snowmass Mall area.

What is parking like

There is a small lot at the trailhead and if that gets full, in the fall and summer months day parking is free at the Snowmass Mall lots. These are about a ten minute walk to Spiral Point.

Is this a challenging Hike

What I liked about this hike was that it wasn’t too far of a hike to the summit, 2.6 miles out and back with 590 feet of elevation gain. It takes around 1.5 hours depending on speed. Just make sure to watch out for Mountain Bikers as this is a shared trail! If you have kids or a dog, this is also a good easy-moderate trail to do with the whole family. Just make sure your dog is on a leash!

What is the trail like

It’s not very rocky and is going to be mostly switch backs on a dirt path. Look left and you will notice part of the Snowmass Ski resort and the Maroon Bells wilderness as you hike up. This is an awesome trail for shooting photos so whether you have a digital, phone, or film camera there’s a number of spots as you make your way to the top. (including the summit!)

Best time of day and season to hike

Sunset is going to be the best time of day to hike this trail in my opinion and I would have to say in the fall because of all the golden colors that Aspen is known for. If you’ve never been to the Colorado mountains in the fall, I highly recommend making a trip out to Aspen for all of the fall foliage!

Is the trail hard to navigate and why is it called Spiral Point

The trail is easy to navigate as there will be signs at the beginning of the trailhead and at the top. You’re going to want to take the Rim Trail South and then eventually a left onto Spiral Point! You’ve made it to the summit if you see a giant marble floor with a Ying and Yang. I believe the name of the Trail comes from the 360 degree views you have at the top!

Mt Daly, Clark Peak, and Capitol Peak (a 14er that sits at 14,131 feet) will be some of the mountain peaks that you see straight ahead. The views are pretty breathtaking at sunset and definitely worth hiking for in the evening!

Tips for Hiking Spiral Point and what to Pack

Know the Sunset time

Make sure to leave yourself enough time to get up to the top and back down before it gets completely dark. Packing a headlamp with you will be very helpful for the trek back down if needed.

Wear the proper outdoor clothing and footwear

• Hiking shoes/boots- Look for anything with good traction and support. Remember to size up a little bit as your feet do swell up when hiking. I recently started hiking in La Sportiva’s and really like the designs and function of the boots.

• Beanie- Pack one of these for any sunset hike in the mountains

• Lightweight Down Jacket- Burtons AK Baker Down is packable, lightweight, and warm. Once the sun starts to set in the mountains you’ll want to bring this jacket out of your bag for warmth.

• Hiking pants- I like anything made by Fjallraven. Lightweight, moisture wicking, and fabric that stretches for easy movement when hiking.

Pack a camera

The lighting is incredible, use a phone, digital, or film camera!

Looking for other fall adventures in Aspen? Check out Maroon Bells and Crater Lake, not far from Spiral Point! Thanks for checking out the blog, and if you have any questions or comments to add, please leave a comment below.