If you’ve never heard of extreme sledding, you’re not alone. For those looking for an activity to do in Breckenridge besides skiing or snowboarding, or something to do for your rest days off the slopes, be prepared to add extreme sledding your bucket list. Located only 10 minutes from Main Street in Breckenridge, extreme sledding is only one of many attractions offered by Country Boy Mine. Keep reading to learn more about extreme sledding, the mine, and their other attractions.
A Brief History of Country Boy Mine
Founded in 1887, Country Boy Mine is one of the oldest and most famous mines in Colorado with fascinating history. It’s known for its gold and silver production and gained national recognition for producing large quantities of high-grade lead and zinc for use in World War I and World War II. Learn more here.
What is Extreme Sledding?
Extreme Sledding is defined by Country Boy Mine as a high-speed downhill track of an adrenaline-pumping twists and turns. Nearly 1 km (or over half a mile) long, it is Summit County’s longest operation served by sleigh or snowcat. It’s a fun alternative to tubing and more affordable option than snowmobiling.
Sounds Fun, Tell Me More
At the start of the hour, a tour guide will take you and your group to pick up sleds and helmets, store any personal belongings (see note below), and describe how to do it and what to expect. There is a short practice run to get a feel for the sled before going down the twist and turns of the mountain. You can go down this mini track as many times as you want, but I felt good to go after only one ride.
Once the group is ready, the tour guide will drive you up the mountain. The views are gorgeous, like a winter wonderland! Then, it’s time to SLED! “Be one with the board,” he said. By gripping the sled with my legs, I was able to feel comfortable and in control of my sled, turning with my hands at the front of the sled as well as leaning in the direction I wanted to turn. To control speed, you can drag your feet to slow down or lift them up completely to go faster. That’s it! Once the group makes it down the mountain, he drives you up again, and repeat.
Extreme Sledding Planning & Booking Details
- Cost: $38.50* for 3 rides (Pro tip: if you spend less time on the practice run, you might be able to squeeze in a fourth ride like we did!) *Price subject to change; noted as of February 2023.
- Tipping: Guides accept cash or Venmo
- Time/duration: 1 hour (arrive 15 minutes prior to your ticket time)
- How far in advance do you need to book?: They have plenty of time options so you don’t need to book far in advance unless you only allotted a specific day or time to the activity. Personally, I’m a pre-planner and since we went with a larger group, we did book it before our trip.
- Getting there: Drive or take an Uber or Lyft; the free Breckenridge shuttle and hotel shuttles won’t take you here, from our experience.
- What to wear: The same as what you’d wear skiing/snowboarding but your own waterproof snow boots. This includes: Helmet (or rent there), beanie/headband/gaiter (optional), gloves, ski goggles, ski jacket, base layers, ski pants, warm socks, snow boots. To carry your belongings, I’d recommend a backpack or belt bag. We tucked our belt bags under our zipped ski jacket to avoid them moving around. It’s important to note that they do not sell or rent any attire/gear except the helmet for rent. If you need to store any belongings, they have a shed but it is not supervised so leave your valuables at the hotel. For more on this topic, check out my guide: How To Pack For Your First Ski or Snowboard Trip
I’m Not Sure Extreme Sledding is For Me
I’m totally with you, I felt the same way at first. I’m not an adrenaline-loving or adrenaline-seeking individual either, and the idea of sliding down a mountain head first? No thanks. But, hear me out: it’s really easy, totally controllable, and super fun! I’ll walk you through it to ease any anxiety or feelings of uncertainty.
First of all, Country Boy Mine has stellar ratings – currently 4.9 stars/361 Google reviews, 4.5/775 TripAdvisor reviews (and rated #1 outdoor activity), 4.5/88 Yelp reviews, etc. After reading through some, I realized that anyone, of any age and experience, can do it. For kids, they have a smaller fun park too. Who would I not recommend it for? Anyone who would have trouble laying on their stomach, i.e. pregnant women.
If safety is your concern, they offer helmets to rent, have a waiver you can review closely before signing up, a short practice track to feel comfortable before going up the mountain, and have both sides of the main track blocked. For the record, I never crashed. In our group of 7 people, I think two of them crashed once but they were totally fine, got back on the sled, and kept going. From my experience, you’re not actually going as fast as it feels.
To better visualize the experience, check out my reel below, Country Boy Mine’s extreme sledding trailer, or search it on YouTube for individual’s GoPro videos of their experience going down the mountain.
What Else Country Boy Mine Offers
In addition to extreme sledding, Country Boy Mine also offers the following attractions:
- Gold Mine Tour
- Treasure Hunts
- Pan for Gold
- Meet the Burros
- Monster Truck Sleigh Tour
- Self-Guided Snowshoe Tour
In Case You Missed It
- How To Pack For Your First Ski or Snowboard Trip
- How To Plan For Your First Ski Trip in Breckenridge
- The Best Bachelorette Weekend in Scottsdale, AZ (the monster truck ride up the mountain reminded me of the desert jeep tour!)
- 40+ City Travel Guides