Dillon Reservoir four ski-resorts. Arapahoe Basin is medium-sized resort that is approximately ten miles from the lake. Keystone Ski Resort is a large tourist destination that is located approximately five miles away. Breckenridge, which is one of the largest ski resorts in Colorado, is located approximately seven miles from Dillon Reservoir. Copper Mountain is located approximately eight miles from Dillon Reservoir. These resorts stay open all year round. The reservoir is also a center of attraction for the area. During the winter months, ice fishing and snowmobiling are common activities. For warmer months, the towns of Dillon and Frisco each have marinas
Dillon Reservoir 1859, nearly 100 miners had camped along the river. By 1880, the human population of Summit county had swelled to 5,459. In 1881, Dillon Mining Company patented a 320-acre parcel and divided it into lots to establish the trade-post town of Dillon along the northeast bank of the Snake River, which is part of what was then called Blue River Valley. The town of Dillon was incorporated in 1883, but soon relocated to the west bank of the Blue River when Denver and Rio Grand Railroad came to Blue River Valley but had bypassed Dillon. Dillon was moved a second