5 Fresh Ideas for Socially Distant Summer Fun

Our favorite Nordic destinations have plenty of warm-weather outdoor activities and adventure.

The outdoors has been our haven for safer activity, and this summer is no exception. Record numbers of tourists are flocking to the mountains in search of cooler days and fewer crowds, but how do you find fun summer activities in the mountains that are not packed with people?

Our favorite Nordic destinations have a summer side, whether that's with bike rentals, fishing, frisbee golf, horseback riding, or hiking trails—and most of them fly below the radar with the general crowd of tourists.

Here are a few of our favorite summer activities and events:

Get lost in the forest.

Tucked in among the trees at Elk Camp on Snowmass hides Lost Forest, one of the best-kept secret mountain adventure destinations. Here you'll find an alpine coaster, biking trails, ropes challenges, and a climbing wall. There are ponds for fishing, creeks to hike along, and places to enjoy nature. Lost Forest offers adventures with safe distances between groups and minimal close interactions with guides, and all equipment is sterilized between uses.

Catch a movie under the stars.

Dying for a movie night but not quite ready to hit a crowded theater? Beaver Creek Resort hosts Dinner and a Movie nights all summer long—pick up dinner and drinks from a restaurant in the Village to enjoy picnic-style while you watch a family-friendly film (think Moana, Ferris Bueller's Day Off) as the sun slips behind the mountains. July through August 30.

Hop a gondola for a hike.

Vail Mountain is a great place to hit the trails, with routes starting from the base areas as well as the top of Gondola One and Eagle Bahn Gondola. To get a head start on the crowds, snag a gondola day ticket ($45 for adults, $29 for kids, or add an on-mountain lunch option for an extra $10) and soar up the mountain to start at your pick of trailheads from the top.

Scream down the mountain on an alpine coaster.

Looking for downhill thrills without a bike? At Breckenridge mountain, their GoldRunner alpine coaster lets you race down 2500 feet of hairpin turns and twists. These gravity-fed coasters feature individual cars where parents can double up with a child and control their speed as they whip down the mountain.

Up your trail-running game.

The Town of Frisco hosts some great summer races, including a series of kids' trail running races throughout the summer at the Frisco Adventure Park. For grownups, the Run the Rockies Trail 10k and Half Marathon will lead runners through the Frisco Peninsula trails with breathtaking views of Lake Dillon and the Ten Mile Range. Locals say the course is friendly enough for a first-time half-marathoner or runner looking for a fun course that offers single track and dirt road trails.

Got the travel bug? It's not too early to start planning for this winter season (trust us). Let us help you find the perfect Nordic destination to fit.