Around 25 years after purchasing a 128-acre parcel of land, Breckenridge is now eyeing ways to vitalize designated open space on the property that was bought from a private landowner. 

Following a site analysis, the town began public and stakeholder engagement in the spring regarding a plan for what is known as the McCain Parcel, which is between Coyne Valley Road and Stan Miller Drive, west of Colorado Highway 9. The town has hopes of producing a final plan by Dec. 31. 

Breckenridge Town Council received progress updates from consultants at a Sept. 9 meeting regarding a plan that currently puts focus on natural aesthetics and “lower intensity” programming since some officials were wary of making the parcel a “Disneyland.” The site also houses workforce housing, public works faculties, a water treated plan, a nonprofit hub and, likely, the relocated free skier parking lot from Airport Road, which was moved to make room for the Runway Neighborhood. A staff memo from the Sept. 9 meeting details an estimated $550,000 for plan implementation costs in 2026. 

The current plan could introduce a concept called “discovery play” to the parcel, which consultants said has been a proven success in well known parks like Central Park in New York City. Discovery play structures can include log or rock stepping stones, climbing ropes tied to things like tree trunks to create an obstacle of sorts and large hollow logs to climb through. Public engagement events demonstrated residents were also interested in seeing potential nordic ski trails throughout the property in the winter.

Landscape architect firm THK Associates identified various areas to feature across the open space on the space that play into the nature that surrounds the location, like the nearby Blue River, while also keeping sensitive areas preserved. 

Sam Spicer with THK said his team formulated a “high intensity” concept and a “low intensity concept” for McCain’s open space consisting of 50 acres, not all of which will be open for recreation. The Breckenridge Open Space Advisory Committee favored the low intensity concept.

One theme remains in both concepts, Spicer said. 

“We do not want people having access to or at least we want to severely restrict access (to the Blue River) to the best of our ability,” he said. 

The town seeks to protect the Blue River running through the north portion of the McCain Parcel’s open space because it’s considered environmentally sensitive. ERO Resource Corporation natural resource planner Carrie Tanner, who was brought on with the company to be consultants for the plan, said the river is crucial to the wildlife coming down from the mountainside on the north end of McCain. She said the concept for recreation in the area calls for opportunities that would be detrimental to the river. Also, planned restoration efforts could open up future recreational opportunities like fishing. 

Another focus of the plan is to create designated recreation areas to avoid the social trails. Consultants said they are already seeing social trails pop up on the parcel and that is not conducive with protecting the natural area and surrounding wildlife.

Consultants’ concepts contemplate an overlook on the east side of the property that would give panoramic views of the Tenmile Range. Near the overlook, closer to the Blue River on the north end of the property, there could be a wildlife blind and a discovery play area.

Spicer said both concepts for “feature area 1,” the entrance to the open space right off the corner of Coin Valley Road and the McCain Road running adjacent to Colorado Highway 9, contemplated it as an entrance and picnic area.  He “feature area 4,” dubbed the “urban edge” by consultants, will be alongside McCain Road. Both concepts picture a similar layout for it. While consultants were looking into adding a potential “discovery play” structure to the area, community feedback demonstrated residents would rather see the vegetation live in that area. So, it is currently expected to spotlight wildflowers and to house a portion of the planned paved multi-use trail slated to replace the bike path. Additionally, a wildflower meadow along the Blue River could be a part of the final plan.

A 2-foot-wide soft trail is contemplated near the river toward the northwest side of property, and an 8-foot-wide trail is contemplated to the left of where skier parking could go, which is on a stretch of land in the middle of the parcel. Trail connections are also proposed to go out to the Vista Verde housing complex on the far east side of the property alongside public art installations on the open space.

In prior meetings, Craig Karn with THK Associates said the McCain property offers a recreation experience not found in many other popular recreation areas in town because it offers views similar to the backcountry while not actually being in the backcountry. He said the town has an opportunity to provide accessible recreation for people of varying abilities. 

Thinking about the accessible recreation potential the parcel presents, council member Carol Saade wanted to see the consultant loop in the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center — a local nonprofit geared toward boosting opportunities for people with disabilities — as stakeholders. Consultants said they would. Spicer said many of the discovery play structures will be accessible as well. 

Council member Steve Gerard wondered if consultants planned for any winter recreation in the area.

Spicer said residents at the public engagement meetings this summer recommended trying to incorporate nordic skiing trails.

“I love that idea because I don’t see why not,” Spicer said. “There’s no reason any of this stuff out here couldn’t just get groomed as a nordic trail.”

Staff members noted in their Sept. 9 memo they and the Breckenridge Open Advisory Committee had concerns regarding the irrigation and maintenance needs and costs of proposed vegetation. Both groups also had concern concerns regarding the width of proposed paths, parallel parking on McCain Road, and the durability and maintenance needs of the proposed discovery play installations. The staff memo noted THK has plans to address these concerns.