Breckenridge to Vail drive: Distance, time & best stops

The best road trip stops on the Breckenridge to Vail drive are Frisco CO, Copper Mountain and the Black Lakes. The distance from Breckenridge to Vail by car is 36 miles, with a 44 minute driving time.

Planning a Breckenridge to Vail road trip itinerary

The Breckenridge to Vail drive connects two of the great Rocky Mountain ski resorts in Colorado.

Breckenridge is famed for its family-friendly skiing, but there’s plenty more to do. Options include taking an underground tour at the Country Boy gold mine, fat bike tours between breweries and distilleries, guided ghost walks and an outdoor, mining-themed escape room.

For other Breckenridge experiences, try e-bike rentals, strange but true walking tours and a tour of the Continental Divide.

Purpose-built, European-style ski village Vail is the biggest ski resort in Colorado, and arguably gets the best of the conditions. This is particularly the case with the legendary powder in the Back Bowl.

But a major part of the appeal is that you don’t have to strap on the skis at all. Top Vail experiences include Segway tours, snow sledding and downhill mountain bike tours. You can also try fly-fishing trips and escape rooms.

Breckenridge to Vail distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Breckenridge to Vail is 36 miles. You can expect a driving time of around 44 minutes. The quickest route is along the CO-9, then the I-70.

The best stops to add to a Breckenridge to Vail road trip itinerary are Frisco CO, Copper Mountain and the Black Lakes.

Best stops between Breckenridge and Vail: Frisco CO

Frisco CO is a mountain town surrounded by some of the world’s best ski resorts. It does, however, have a few attractions in its own right. The Dillon Reservoir is a good spot for kayaking tours, fishing and boating, while the Frisco Historic Park and Museum collects together several handsome old buildings. There’s a museum about local history inside the old schoolhouse.

The Frisco Adventure Park offers tubing, Nordic skiing, hiking and biking.

Breckenridge to Vail road trip attractions: Copper Mountain

Copper Mountain is usually one of the first Colorado ski resorts to open every winter – often in November rather than December. There’s a healthy mix of beginner, intermediate and advanced runs across more than 2,500 acres of skiable terrain.

Activities available at the Copper Mountain Resort include a tubing hill, ice skating, a snow maze, the Rocky Mountain Coaster and a family-friendly play and sledding zone.

Breckenridge to Vail drive: Black Lakes

Perhaps the most attractive stop along the Vail Pass, or the Tenmile Canyon National Recreation Trail, is the Black Lakes Picnic Ground. Neither lake is huge, although Lake Number 1 is easier to access, and you can try your hand at fishing in it.

You don’t really have to do anything here, however. It’s a classic photo stop, with the reflective blue water in the foreground and snow-capped mountain in the background.