Ten Mile Rec Path (East to Center Village)

Copper Mountain is a mountain and ski resort located in Summit County, Colorado, about 75 miles west of Denver on Interstate 70. The resort has 2,465 acres of in-bounds terrain and is under lease from the U.S. Forest Service and the Dillon Ranger District in the White River National Forest.  While skiing and snowboarding are the primary attractions, Copper Mountain also has other winter activities such as snowshoeing, snow tubing, and ice skating. In the summer months, the resort offers hiking, mountain biking, golfing, and scenic chairlift rides.

Our winter hike at Copper Mountain starts near the Alpine parking area and follows the Ten Mile Rec Path from the East Village to the Center Village and back.  The Tenmile Recreation Path at Copper Mountain is a paved, multi-use trail that forms part of Summit County’s extensive rec path system, running from Copper Mountain west through Tenmile Canyon to Frisco.  It’s popular for walking, biking, and running thanks to its smooth surface, scenic mountain and forest views, and gentle grade.  Near the junction of the Alpine parking area and the Tenmile Recreation Path there is a historic cabin owned by the Custer family that is also worth checking out.  It belonged to John and Jennie Custer, who owned much of the valley land in the early 1940s before the resort existed.  The original cabin, along with a barn and shed, was repaired and lived in by neighbors and later family members such as their grandson Michael Brennan – serving as a base in the pre-resort era and helping anchor early settlement and recreation in the area.