The Ultimate Guide to Colorado's Best Mountain Towns

Colorado is known for its mountain towns. With a variety of things to do in all seasons, its understandable that people flock to these towns throughout the year. Whether you're into skiing or summer based activities, there is something for everyone.

Frisco

Frisco is located next to Dillion Reservoir making it an ideal town for water sports in the summer. Head down to Frisco Bay Marina where a variety of water sports are available in the summer season. In the winter, Frisco is ideal for skiing and other winter sports. Visit Frisco Adventure Parker tubing and other activities throughout the year. The area around Dillion Reservoir is ideal for hiking and cycling in the warmer months.

The Main Street in Frisco is idyllic with plenty of options for food and places to stay. We noticed that Frisco was cheaper than other mountain towns nearby, such as Vail and Aspen, so this is a good place to use as a base if you want a budget friendly option.

We stayed here for a few days to explore other towns nearby. Frisco Inn on Galena was a wonderful place to stay with comfy rooms and a fresh breakfast every morning. We would recommend this as a good base for the area as prices were reasonable when we stayed.

Ouray

Ouray, known as Switzerland of America is a small town in the San Juan Mountains. The town is surrounded by mountains and sits at nearly 7,800 feet. Although Ouray is a small town, there is plenty to do here. Jeep tours are very popular as well as Ouray Hot Springs.

The town itself has plenty of independent shops and places to eat. Favourites include Gold Belt Bar and Grill and Maggie's Kitchen. Ouray is also a good spot if you want to drive the Million Dollar Highway, known for its spectacular views.

Vail

Next on the list is Vail, home to Vail Ski Resort. Known for skiing and snowboarding, the town is a must when driving through Colorado. Although people may associate Vail as a winter destination, there is an abundance of things to do in the other seasons. The surrounding area is also know for golfing, fishing and biking. Vail Pass National Recreation Trail is 18 miles and welcomes hikers and bikers which includes scenic views of Copper Mountain.

Vail also has a plethora of places to eat and luxury lodging. We visited in fall, parking was free and plentiful, with everything still open. We found restaurants here to be cheaper than Aspen, and there was a good variety. Vail mountain has two villages, Lionshead Village and the renowned Vail Village, which are connected by a footpath that takes around 10-15 minutes.

Breckenridge

Founded during the mid 1800s, Breckenridge is well known for its historic district and old western architecture. Wether you're hitting the slopes or wandering down the Main Street, Breckenridge has plenty to offer. There are plenty of activities to do round the area in all seasons. The obvious being skiing but there are also plenty of hiking trails in the area. There is plenty of parking in the area which we found pretty cheap, few dollars for a couple of hours.

When visiting Breckenridge, don't forget to visit Isak Heartstone. Located on the Trollstigen Trail, Isak is a 15 foot tall wooden troll. Only a short walk from the car park, this troll is a must do when visiting the area.

Telluride

A short drive from Ouray is Telluride, a former victorian mining town, known for its free gondola which takes 13 minutes from Telluride to Mountain Village. At the top there are dining and lodging options. Telluride is full of quaint shops and places to eat and has a charming downtown area.