breckenridge nordic center

The new Breck Nordic Lodge is beautiful, filled with skies and snowshoes for rent, and enough good stuff to eat you don't have to bring in your own. The XC trails are extensive but two problems are apparent: first, is the likelihood that an inexperienced skier could end up are two very difficult downhill sections. If that is you - get off and walk down. That brings up the second problem, the map is cute but not very helpful. If there was more attention to an accurate, readable map instead of cute graphics of evergreen trees it would be much better - and related is the confusing marking of the trails as you ski them. Having said that - it is still a beautiful location to ski and the grooming for classic and skate skiing is excellent.

The new lodge opened a couple of years ago, vastly improving the size and comfort of the restaurant & rental experience. The staff is very friendly and helpful - the one downside is that there is usually a wait for all services. Get more people to visit & I'm sure they'll hire accordingly. The trails are fantastic. Well marked & groomed. My wife & I enjoy the long, difficult trail; and our family enjoys the easier loops together. My mother & step father enjoy the snowshoe trails as well. Moose live here & can be seen regularly! A great, often overlooked experience that you should try.

After a day of beginner downhill skiing, I decided to come here for calmer snowshoeing. I found a Denver Groupon for $40 for 2 people to get rentals & day pass, usually $80. I convinced another visitor to join me for the deal & enjoyed some solo snowshoeing on the Willow Trail (easy) in the woods & along a mostly frozen brook. It began snowing & it was very idyllic & peaceful.Typically you're allowed to switch to cross country skiing at the center & I did (even though the Groupon said snowshoeing only). I met 3 ladies also trying it for the first time & joined them to follow easy trails on established tracks- much easier for beginners! There are many trails for snowshoeing & cross country skiing.The lodge was very cozy with a fireplace, food, cheap beer & wine, & live accordion music for ambiance for some of the afternoon. It was very busy on President's Day weekend. The staff seemed a little stressed with the busy crowds coming & going for rentals but a very nice experience all around!

Since I don't ski, but like to get outdoors for walks, we decided to visit the nordic center to do some snowshoeing. My husband and I did the blue trail on the first day - it was fine even though I'm not in the greatest shape, we took our time and thoroughly enjoyed the scenery and being outdoors.The trails are very well marked and the views were very picturesque. The trails were nicely groomed, if you wanted to go off trail a bit into the deeper snow (as my husband did quite often) you can, or you can stick with the harder packed trails which were easy enough. The altitude was enough of a workout for me, but not horribly hard. I felt better when two young girls said the altitude was kicking their butt and we were keeping at about the same pace. The rentals were $40 pp/pday, but we bought a 3 day pass with rentals for like $100. My husband and I snowshoed one day then I came back solo and did the red trail on my own the second day. So we saved $20 - it was well worth it, the equipment was great. Waters were $1.50 and they also had cheep yet decent beers which we enjoyed outside on the deck after our first viist. They have soups, chili and other snacks and baked goods for very reasonable prices, too. I was very glad we tried the Nordic center - they also have cross country skiing and apparently you can come back and swap out the equipment to try something else and do more trails. One trail was enough for us, so we just enjoyed having some beers and enjoying Breck's 45 degree sunny day.

Had never been snowshoeing before and found a Groupon for gear and trail pass. Decided to give it a try. Showed up on a Friday morning and found a great staff who were most helpful to a couple of newbies. They explained everything, made sure our gear was the right size and on correctly. They went over maps, trails, rules, and advice on what to look for once we got out there. The trails (and the scenery) were great: clearly marked, easy to follow (in person and on the map). The route they had recommended was great, plenty of scenery and just challenging enough to get in a good workout. The facilities, equipment and staff are all top notch. They have a wine bar with food to relax afterwards. Highly recommend on your next visit to Breck. Plenty of parking and bus stop right in front of the center.

We have been visiting Breckenridge for a number of years and have always spent some time at the Nordic Centre as an alternative to alpine skiing. There is a good selection of trails for both Nordic Skiing and Snow-shoeing and there is plenty to keep you going although if you don't have your own transport or are not as technically proficient, some of the trails are not so accessible which does limit your options.The staff are all very friendly, many of which have remained the same for years, although it does feel that since the opening of the new, larger lodge (Christmas 2013) the service is not quite so personal as it once was.The Nordic trails are groomed regularly (although not always every day) and whilst generally kept in good condition, they are perhaps not quite as well maintained as others I have experienced. This is probably more of an issue for those that prefer classic Nordic skiing and like to have well defined tramlines marked out. For snow-shoeing, given the speed is that much slower, you could spend the whole day and not cover the same tracks twice although be warned that some of the trails do include some fairly big climbs and do extend a long way from the main centre so make sure you take fluids and snacks with you! There are some warming huts at various places which are very welcome when the weather is cold.Prices are very reasonable if you intend to spend the day at the centre but if you only want to visit for short periods, say an hour at a time, then it can work out expensive even with the better value multiple "punch passes".Overall though, it's a really nice place with some good trails, some lovely views and a comfortable lodge to relax in at the end of a hard session. There is also food and drink available at reasonable prices, equipment hire should you need it and a friendly atmosphere.Bottom Line: Don't limit yourself to alpine skiing, visit the Nordic Centre!

We were a group of 5 friends arriving in Breckinridge late afternoon and thought we'd missed our chance to have some fun in the snow BUT the staff at the Nordic center were really nice and let us head out onto the trails for an extra half hour. We did the Nordic skiing, really easy heading up slight inclines and just good fun in general. Even when we were the last customers back at the end of the day they got us some coffees, gave us restaurant recommendations and just really really nice folk.

This attraction is located on Ski Run Hill Rd and is accessible on either the green or black bus routes. They offer both snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing. They have rentals and lessons. A 1-day trail pass and equipment rental are $40 with children and senior discounts available. You can spend the whole time snow-shoeing or cross-country skiing or you can switch equipment at any time to try both actvities. There are trails for all skill levels and the trails are well marked. The building has sales shops and a snack bar. Osidering that a lift ticket and ski rental will set you back over $150 a day, this seems like a great buy. Best of all, you won't have to worry about unguided human missles on the trails.

Wanted to snowshoe and try cross-country skiing while in Breckenridge last week and stopped in at the Breckenridge Nordic Center up just off Ski Hill Rd. What a fabulous find! Met the owner Gene Dayton and signed up for lessons. Didn't know that our lessons would end up being with his son, Olympic Nordic Combined Anchor Man for 2002 Matt Dayton! Wow! And not only is he a great athlete, he's a wonderful instructor. He took a middle-aged couple that had never cross-country skied before and had us up and truly enjoying the sport in an hour! Now THAT is really an accomplishment! They were having a 2 for 1 so got to cross-country after our lesson and then rent snowshoes at no additional cost. The trails are groomed and well marked so it makes for a delightful experience! There are lots of opportunities for wildlife viewing along the way. There are trails for all ages and levels of experience!The lodge is beautiful and they have home-made goodies for breakfast, lunch and snacks. There is also a great shop for picking up items that you need or want to enhance your cross country experience.I can't recommend the Nordic Center enough! Take a break from downhill and go try this out. You'll love it and start saving a day or two just for cross-country and snowshoeing!

This is one of the best Nordic parks anywhere. They have a beautiful new lodge to get your gear (if you need it) with a huge fireplace and comfortable seating for drinks and light snacks after your exercise.We rented excellent snowshoes and the 2 mile trail we took was beautiful with wonderful views of Breckenridge mountain, and the town and lake/pastureland/forrest. Too bad skiing was so good we only had 90 minutes to snowshoe

I had the BEST Christmas Eve (day) here! I took my 20 year old daughter here to X-country ski for her first time. She loved it! It had just snowed the previous 3 days straight, so we had 30" of fresh powder, on newly groomed tracks. It was the first sunny day we'd seen, and it couldn't have been more perfect. We skiied, visited Josie's cabin (highly recommend to anyone who likes pioneer stuff), and then had vegetarian soup for lunch at the lodge (and since we're vegetarians, how perfect was that?). Then we traded in the skiis for snowshoes (included once you pay the rental fees) and that was my daughter's first time for that too. We were there from 11am till closing at 4pm. It was the best. The people who work there are really nice and helpful. I don't think you could go wrong going here! By the way, it's convenient if you're taking the local free bus, there's a bus stop right at the entrance to the Center).

3000 acres adjacent to the ski area. Outstanding snow shoeing and cross country skiing. Solitude and views amazing.

We don't ski but our kids do. They were on the slopes and we decided to try snow shoeing. We loved it. The trails were easy, the scenery beautiful and the weather was great. We took a break at the lodge and had some of their homemade soup, delicious!

Great place to have snow fun, came here for sleigh ride & had the nicest time in Mid December. Will go again

A fresh 20 inches of snow made snowshoeing awesome at the Nordic Center. The Chalet is a rustic and beautiful log structure all decorated for Christmas. Very warm and cozy.