Like ski resorts in Lake Tahoe, Breckenridge ski resort attracted many gold prospectors in the Wild Wild West days of the past. However, unlike in Lake Tahoe, real gold was found in the Breckenridge, Summit County. Today, instead of gold prospectors, these ski resorts are attracting skiers on vacation holidays from all over North America and even some Europe and Asia too.

Breckenridge ski resort made skiing history as the first resort in Colorado to permit snowboarders and was the first ski resort in the world to install a high-speed detachable quad chair lift.

Breckenridge ski resort is located in the north central of the Colorado range in the heart of the Rocky Mountains some 80 miles west of Denver on Colorado State Highway 9. It is less than 20 miles from Summit County's other ski resorts such as the Beaver Creek, Keystone and the Arapahoe Basin and is about 35 miles from Vail to the west. All the 'Vail Ski Resorts' are linked by an interchangeable lift ticket which can make your skiing holidays there so much more convenient.

There are ample lodgings and accommodations in Breckenridge ski resort. Skiers can choose from bed and breakfast lodgings to hotels, condos, service apartments, private homes and even chalet homes.

Nearly one third of the accommodations there are ski-in, ski-out type. The best way to enquire or book an accommodation is with the Breckenridge Resort Chambers or the BRC. The BRC system holds more than 90 percent of the lodging beds there. Do your bookings early especially during peak skiing season to assure you of a lodging.

For the upscale high end accommodations, try The Village at Breckenridge with its health club facilities, indoor/outdoor pools, hot tubs, steam/sauna and exercise gyms. The village surrounds the Peak 9 base area and is located next to the Quicksilver Super-Six chair.

Another excellent top end accommodation is the Great Divide Lodge. The Great Divide Lodge's owners, Vail Resorts sunk in $4million into remodeling guests rooms, lobby and pool area. The best part of staying here is that it is only 50 yards from the skiing slopes. So much for convenience isn't it?

For the budget conscious skiers, the Breckenridge Mountain Lodge offers a log cabin exterior with warm hospitality for under $100 a night. The Breckenridge Mountain Lodge is located at the south end of Main Street and it is just a couple of minutes from the ski lifts and rentals.

There are also other budget accommodations such as Ski Village Lodging can squeeze six people into a two room condo thus expenses can be shared with your skiing buddies.

We will discuss the ski trails and skiing terrain in Breckenridge ski resort in the next article.