Resort: Copper Mountain, Colorado

Copper Mountain, CO is an area that those in mountain biking may not be familiar with. We visited Copper Mountain and experienced what they had to offer. It offers a warm environment for families and a great place to relax and have some fun. Read more about what Copper Mountain has to offer inside.

entrance to Copper Mountain Resort (click to enlarge)

Location: 230 Ten Mile Circle Frisco, CO 80443

Summer Operating Hours:

• Friday - Saturday, 10 am - 7 pm
• Sunday- Thursday, 10 am - 5 pm
• Lifts operate, 10 am - 4 pm

Summer Activities will operate, June 20 - September 14, unless otherwise noted.

History:

panoramic view of the resort (click to enlarge)

“In 1971, Chuck Lewis, Copper’s founding father, took one look at the current site of Copper and told his friends, “I’m gonna build me a killer ski resort.” He negotiated a deal to purchase 280 acres at the base and worked with the Forest Service to establish parameters and guidelines for the ski area. Chuck was both a renegade and a visionary. During the summer of ‘71, initial construction began on the ski trails.

Over the years, new lifts were added and Copper grew to its current size of 2,433 acres. What was once a sleepy little day ski area is now one of Colorado’s premier year-round destination resorts. In 1997, the resort was purchased by Intrawest - a worldwide leader in resort operations and development.” - CopperColorado.com

Where to stay:

a warm greeting (click to enlarge)

Copper Mountain has many options for places to stay during your visit. Lodging at Copper is available in several areas which include the Village at Copper, East Village, Union Creek, and Lewis Ranch. We stayed at Copper One which is a four star accommodation. Copper One is centrally located in the village which makes it very easy to get to shops and restaurants as well as the conference center and lifts.

living room (click to enlarge)

Our room was well appointed with a full kitchen, dining room, living room, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, fireplace, and balcony. Copper One also features a fitness center with hot tub and laundry facilities.

bedroom (click to enlarge)

What to do:

Copper Mountain has a vast array of summer activities. Copper has worked hard to offer something for everyone from kids to adults and those looking for adventure and those looking to do something more relaxing. During our trip we got to check many of the summer activities Copper has to offer.

• Bicycling

As expected this was our first area to check out. Copper offers lift access to mountain bikers looking to check out the terrain at Copper. The trails at Copper are more suited for those looking to ride XC than downhill. They have a nice trail system that goes all over the resort property. Those looking for more downhill friendly resorts can look to nearby Keystone, Winter Park, or Sol Vista. Each of which is a short drive away.

mountain bikers ready to ride (click to enlarge)

Copper is more known for its road biking opportunities. They hold several large road biking events (Courage Classic and Copper Triangle) each year that raise money for various charities. A plethora of routes are available to ride all around the area. A quick trip down to Frisco is an easy option for the whole family to check out the nearby town and some scenery along the way. Wide riding paths all around the area have been laid, so it’s easy and safe to ride around the county.

If you don’t bring your own bikes there are no worries as you can rent road and mountain bikes from the local shop, Gravitee. They also carry a wide array of gear in case you forgot to bring something.

Gravitee (click to enlarge)

• Go Karting

go kart track (click to enlarge)

Copper has it’s own go kart track during the summer for those interested in challenging their friends and family to a race. The karts are pretty evenly matched with a nice wide track for passing opportunities.

Copper has both single and double cars (click to enlarge)

• Bumper and Paddle Boats

bumper boats (click to enlarge)

In the village the lake used for snow making in the winter offers a great auxiliary purpose during the summer as a bumper and paddle boat arena. Watch out when you get close for a bump as each boat is equipped with a water gun to blast your opponent.

• Diggler

kids on some Digglers (click to enlarge)

Copper’s version of the off road scooter. Riders take the lift up to the top of the mountain and then navigate their way back down to the bottom.

• Climbing wall

climbing wall (click to enlarge)

Copper is the home to the largest permanent outdoor climbing wall in all of Colorado. With multiple faces the climbing wall is a challenge each time you try to go for the top.

Other activities:

bungee bounce (click to enlarge)

Copper also offers many other ubiquitous resort activities like hiking, bungee bounce, mini golf, fitness center, 2 golf courses, and scenic chairlift rides. If you’re into something a little more exciting and adventurous they also offer their own horse stables, ATV tours, and rafting.

view from the chair lift (click to enlarge)

mini golf course (click to enlarge)

What to eat:

Incline (click to enlarge)

Copper has many different places to eat. From burgers to sushi and everything in between almost anyone can find a good meal. We ate at several restaurants including Incline, Endo’s, Alpinista, and Chubs. All of the places we ate at were stellar. We highly suggest Alpinista for breakfast to start your day off right. If you’re in to cooking your own food Copper also has it’s own grocery store in the village called McCoy’s. Copper also doesn’t have a shortage of places to catch a drink at either with a good selection of bars and night spots.

McCoy’s grocery store (click to enlarge)

What is there to do off resort:

Frisco marina

All of the fun in the area isn’t just around the resort either. Just down the road is the great little town of Frisco. Frisco has lots of little shops and restaurants as well as some great parks and a marina on the Dillon reservoir. Copper Mountain is also close to a couple of other great mountain biking locations. Keystone, Winter Park, and Sol Vista are all within a short drive of Copper making it easy to get some downhilling in or check out some different trails.

Copper Mountain is a great resort for family and friends with many things to keep everyone entertained. Copper has done a good job at covering all of the bases allowing you to have a enjoyable time while on vacation or just a weekend get away. The service we received during our stay was very good with all of the employees we met having a sense of pride about the resort. We heard that even the owner rolls up his sleeves quite often to make sure the resort runs as smoothly as possible. The village atmosphere echoed these values with tidy streets and walkways with no garbage or trash in sight.

If you’re thinking about checking out the area and want to know more details about Copper Mountain, check out their website.

[Copper Mountain Resort Gallery] [Copper Mountain Website]