Keystone: Skiing, Mountain Trails, and Unique Experiences

Keystone combines the landscape of the White River National Forest with a diverse range of options for winter and summer trips. The Keystone Resort ski area extends across three peaks: Dercum Mountain, North Peak, and the Outback. At the same time, Nordic trails, mountain paths, a reservoir, and special excursions all contribute to the character of the town. If you are looking for a vacation rental in Keystone, it is therefore worth first deciding on the preferred pace of your trip: winter sports, nature experiences, summer activities, or a mix of everything.

Winter Sports Between Downhill Runs and Nordic Trails

Dercum Mountain has long, groomed beginner runs, including the Family Ski Trail and Schoolmarm. If you want to accommodate different experience levels within your group, you can take these runs into account when planning, along with the other areas of the ski resort. The Keystone Nordic Center complements the alpine offerings with more than 17 kilometers of groomed trails for classic cross-country skiing and skating.

The Nordic Center also provides access to 40 kilometers of nearby backcountry trails in the White River National Forest. This gives you several ways to stay active during a winter day without having to focus your entire trip exclusively on downhill skiing. Guided snowshoe tours are also offered there throughout the winter season. Two Snow Forts on the mountain are located at the summit of Dercum Mountain and create a distinctive feature at the resort.

Summer Trails and Activities

In summer, Keystone's ski slopes become hiking trails. A chairlift also operates during the warmer months, taking hikers to mountain-top trails. This allows you to plan your accommodation and daily activities around a preferred combination of a mountain lift ride and a hike. If you would rather explore by bike, Keystone Bike Park offers more than 100 trail miles across 55 trails, all accessible by lift.

There are also a variety of activities away from the mountain trails. The Adventure Center offers paddleboard rentals by the half-hour and hour, including life jackets and leashes. In summer, Keystone also offers snow tubing on real snow. The miniature golf course is located in Dercum Square. These different options make it possible to create a stay that combines active days in the mountains with shorter or more varied activities.

Lake, Valley, and Regional Experiences

Keystone Lake is a 5-acre reservoir with the Village located along its shore. The lake thus provides a distinct connection to the landscape within the town. A picturesque sleigh ride travels through Soda Creek Valley and stops at an original Keystone homestead. Keystone Stables also offers hayrides and campfire stories. These activities provide a different experience from ski lifts and Nordic trails and give your trip additional opportunities for shared discoveries.

Public events take place at Warren Station in River Run Village. The Wine & Jazz Festival combines wine tastings with jazz music there. Mountain Top Yoga is also offered in Keystone. If you do not want to focus solely on individual sports activities when choosing a vacation rental, you can include these cultural and more relaxed experiences in your considerations.

The Right Base for Planning Your Trip

When looking for accommodation in Keystone, you can first decide whether downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, summer hiking, biking trails, or the activities around the lake and Village should be the main focus. Summit Stage's free regional bus service is another useful point of reference for planning. For additional travel ideas, you can also visit Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Silverthorne, Frisco, and Dillon.

For the higher-level travel overview: Summit.