Frisco, Colorado, is popular with skiers worldwide, with thousands hitting the slopes for a day of fun or ski lessons. But Frisco offers much more than great skiing. For family fun, Frisco is hard to beat, offering activities for adults and kids alike, such as hiking, water sports, bicycling, fly fishing, boat tours, chuck wagon rides, a bike park, sleigh rides, rafting on the Colorado River, and more than one course for disc golf.
Mountain biking trails offer breathtaking mountain views as you travel over disused dirt-mining roads in this bike-only area. Or hit the Rainbow Lake trailhead and take an easy walk with a beaver pond that will surely be a hit with the kids. Winter or summer, there’s something to do, whether a sleigh ride or a dip in hot springs. Stay in a hotel on Summit Blvd, glamp, or camp. The possibilities are endless for family fun.
Planning a wedding? Frisco Day Lodge offers a rustic, romantic setting among majestic mountains. You’ll notice when traveling to Frisco, Colorado, located in Summit County, that it is surrounded by public lands and an alpine reservoir. This means gorgeous mountain views, hiking trails, water sports, and scenic drives. And there’s no lack of indoor activities that provide further family fun.
Let’s explore Frisco, CO, and everything it has to offer, including where to find the best ice cream in Frisco (hint: it’s on Main Street and is also the best coffee shop in Frisco).
About Frisco CO
Frisco began the same way as many Colorado, as a tiny silver mining town. It thrived until 1918 when the mining boom ended, and during the Great Depression, the population fell to just 18 people. Frisco remained sleepy until the 1960s brought a new boom era with the rise of the ski industry. It is considered one of the best mountain towns in Colorado and is close to Buena Vista, Colorado, another great ski area.
Here’s where to go in Frisco.
Outdoor Recreation in Frisco Colorado
Frisco, CO a small town with a large amount of outdoor recreation. Here are some great places for fun and adventure and where to get some creamy, sumptuous gelato on the go for pickup or delivery. Rainbow Lake is a great place to walk, run, or take a raft trip through the upper reaches of the Colorado River.
Frisco Adventure Park – for year-round fun.
Frisco Adventure Park is set among mountains one mile from Frisco Main Street. It offers activities and amenities year-round, including a snow tubing hill, a ski-and-ride hill for beginners, hiking trails, a bike park with dirt jumps, slopestyle and dual slalom courses, and a pump track. There’s also a disc golf course, skate park, and bike park.
A recently revamped skate park has jumps and bumps that range over 28,000 square feet. Not into skating? You can also enjoy a wild west experience with chuck wagon rides (kids love wagon rides) or hit the disc golf course, which is the 35th-best Colorado disc golf course destination.
Hiking, biking, and skiing
At Frisco Adventure Park, you can also find ball fields and miles of hiking trails and biking trails for summer activities. In winter, have fun on the snow tubing hill, a beginner’s ski and snowboard hill, and next door, the Frisco Nordic Center offers cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. There’s also a cozy lodge at Frisco Nordic Center where you can relax after hitting the ski and snowshoe trails.
Sleigh rides
What’s more fun than a sleigh ride through the snow, especially for kids? Under starry skies, you’ll ride in a mule-team-driven sleigh through the glorious landscape of the Frisco peninsula. Rumor has it that kids loved it, along with the entire family.
Where to stay
While there are a number of hotels to choose from near Frisco Adventure Park, there are also plenty of campgrounds. For those who choose “glamping,” there are campgrounds where you can choose a tiny house or a heated tent. More traditional camping is also plentiful on sites such as Heaton Bay Campground. For plenty of family fun, Frisco Adventure Park is a must-visit when traveling to Frisco, Colorado.
Lake Dillon
The Dillon Reservoir, also known as Lake Dillon, is a big draw for visitors to Summit County and is bordered by Frisco, Dillon, and Silverthorne. Recreational opportunities abound
Biking and hiking trails
There’s a paved trail that runs on the south side of Lake Dillon and across the Dillon Dam. Whether on a bike or on foot, you’ll find incredible views of the Ten Mile Range along with 360-degree views of the entirety of Summit County.
Boating
Boating is permitted starting in early June and runs through mid-September, depending on the weather. Want to rent a boat? You can find a marina on each side of the lake. You can rent pontoon boats and sailboats, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards.
Frisco Bay Marina
You can rent many types of watercraft at this marina – pedal boats, canoes, powerboats, fishing boats, and kayaks, among others – and rent a fishing pole to take along. The Frisco Bay Marina, the highest deep-water marina in the world, also offers boat tours, guided fishing tours, and lessons in sailboating, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding.
All of that activity can work up quite an appetite. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, the Island Grill serves up a delicious lunch with open-air dining with menu items such as coconut shrimp, fish tacos, and delicious burgers. They even have a menu just for the kids.
Camping
Kids love camping. At Dillon Reservoir, there are six campgrounds to choose from: Pine Cove, Heaton Bay, Peak One, Lowry, Prospector, and Windy Point.
Fishing
You can fish from the shore or a boat year-round in Frisco, Colorado. Like ice fishing? Just wait for the lake to freeze over. There’s even more area for fishing from the Blue River, which flows into the reservoir. Anglers can fish for Kokanee Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Arctic Char, and Brown Trout.
Swimming
Swimming is not allowed in Dillon Reservoir.
Marina Park
Feel like being outside but don’t want to participate in any outdoor activities? Enjoy the views from Frisco Marina Park, with its views of the lake and mountains. Grab the kids hit the playground, and have lunch at a picnic table. If you’re feeling up for some exercise after your meal, you can walk the Summit County Recreation Path that travels around the lake.
Copper Mountain
When visiting Frisco Co, Copper Mountain is a must-visit. This historic resort is a favorite with ski enthusiasts and athletes, and it’s open year-round. In the winter, Copper Mountain offers world-class skiing, a sledding hill, ice skating, snow bike rentals, ski lessons, tubing, and fat bike rentals. You and the kids can also take a free mountain tour and have fun in the snow maze.
There’s an athletic club with hot tubs, saunas, steam rooms, and all the equipment you need to get a good workout. Traveling to Frisco, CO, in the summer? Copper Mountain just happens to have the Rocky Mountain coaster, which is one of the longest alpine coasters in North America. Kids need to work off some energy? The Woodward Wrecktangle is a nine-section obstacle course with swings, cargo nets, and more.
Or how about a scenic chairlift ride? The whole family will enjoy the crisp mountain air and incredible views. Or rent a bike and hit the bike paths, captain a bumper boat, drive go-karts, or hop on the bungee trampoline. You can take a self-guided tour of the area or take a nature hike with a ranger. The Vail Pass Shuttle offers a ride to the top of the pass with any bike rental, and then you can take a fun 14-mile ride and end up in Frisco.
Indoor Activities in Frisco, CO
While Frisco is known for its outdoor adventures, it offers plenty of fun indoor activities, including history museums that make the past come alive and a 4,000-square-foot arcade in Breckenridge, only 15 minutes away.
Frisco Historic Park Museum
Travel back in time at Frisco Historic Park and Museum with their collection of original historic buildings with exhibits and artifacts that reveal Frisco’s past. It’s conveniently located on Main Street, and admission is free. You’ll find a jailhouse, a saloon, and a number of houses and other buildings, along with an original teepee from Colorado’s original settlers, the Ute tribe. The Frisco Historic Museum also offers a “kids zone” of online resources for Colorado history and culture.
The Schoolhouse Museum
The Schoolhouse Museum is located within the Frisco Historic Park on Main Street. It was built in the 1890s as a saloon, but in 1902 it was converted into a school. It’s now one of Frisco’s history museums, containing original school desks and blackboards, with information about the Ute people, mining, and the clothing of the late 1800s.
Frisco Copper Information Center
Also located on Main St is the Frisco Copper Information Center. Like other visitor centers, it’s the place to go for super helpful information about Frisco and the surrounding area, offering seasonal bucket lists, brochures about local attractions, various maps for hiking and biking, and local business locations.
Frisco Escape Room
If you’ve never visited an escape room, you’re in for a treat. It’s an immersive experience and an interactive puzzle. You’re the main character in a story taking place in a themed room with locks, hidden items and compartments, and mere everyday objects.
Rooms include Finders Keepers, set in 1908, and you’re a Miner. Deuces Wild presents you with a murder mystery, and A Winter Fall, where you’re a covert operative investigating the mysterious disappearance of an MI6 agent.
Fun on Frisco’s Main Street
Main Street isn’t just to historic locations and the visitor center. It’s also home to some tasty treats and live music. Visit 10 Mile Music Hall, the highest all-season music venue in the U.S. And as you’re strolling down Main Street and window-shopping, there’s no better treat than to visit I Scream Gelato Frisco, CO. Gelato is Italian ice cream, smooth, creamy, and dense. And I Scream Gelato is the only gelateria in Frisco where you can get the frozen treat that makes every Frisco adventure better.
