Dillon

Just down I-70 from famed Summit County ski areas Copper Mountain, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin and Breckenridge, snow riders find in Dillon a great pit stop and a close place to stay after a day on the mountain.

There isn't an old-fashioned main street here, but the well-designed, environmentally sensitive town quickly sweeps you into the pines, and several shops and restaurants are easy to come by.

Thanks in part to its pristine reservoir, Lake Dillon, this town has activities galore in the summer. With 26 miles of shoreline surrounded by a breathtaking mountainous backdrop, the reservoir is perfect for boating, sailing, walking and picnicking. There are several boat-launch ramps and two marinas where you can rent rigs, and the Dillon Marina even offers a sailing school and charter cruises. With stocked salmon, cutthroat and brook trout, the fishing is great too, especially just as the ice thaws.