Summit Peaks South and North Lodges

My name is Nichole Foreman, I am currently a tenth grader in Iowa but my whole life I’ve been going on trips to Colorado. My dad has owned property and lodges located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, Summit County, since 1990. Since we have between ten and twenty thousand guests a year, we thought we’d share our favorite Rocky Mountain adventures. My dad got the lodges so we could vacation in this paradise many times a year. We go to Colorado about two to four times each year, visiting more frequently. One of the best parts about going to Colorado is that we discover new places and new things to do every time. Even after fifteen years of traveling to the mountains, there is always more to see and experience.

Lodge History:

Summit Peaks South was our first lodge. It was built in 1984 but we bought it in 1990, four years before I was born. In 1998, the lodge burnt down in an accident but we took advantage of it and my dad spent the next four years building it to perfection. Two hundred and fifty thousand pounds of Douglas Fur were hand picked from the forests of Northern Oregon to use for the lodge. Steve Wilson, one of the most detailed craftsmen and builders at the time, finished the project in 2002. Some logs spanning over 80 feet and over 20 inches in diameter, create an atmosphere that’s one of a kind. The South Lodge address is 231 North Side Circle at the end of a horseshoe shaped road where the lodge’s back yard is the National Forest. It sits on the side of Buffalo Mountain in the Wilderness Subdivision. It’s hard to believe your only 1.3 miles from I70 exit 204 when you’re nestled into this mountain. The six bedrooms and 3,900 square feet make the lodge feel very spacious. My favorite feature of the South Lodge is the heated floors, which keeps things toasty in the winter and doesn’t pass germs like a forced air heating system does. I also love the potbelly stove on the main level because it heats the entire house. Sometimes my dad puts a kettle of water on top of it to humidify the extremely dry air, which is probably why we never get sore throats. Just remember to not put your skit boots too close to it or they will melt just like my sisters did! The covered porch provides a very good BBQ all four seasons. We’ve had our whole family of ten out there watching the wildlife as our burgers cook. The atmosphere is just spectacular. As this being the first lodge, it is also my favorite to stay in when we visit.

Summit Peaks North was our second lodge. Even thought you can’t walk between them, it is located on the backside of the same property as the South Lodge and it has the best views of the National Forest behind our property. After the success of the South Lodge, we acquired the North Lodge so we could double the occupancy to satisfy the needs of the larger groups. The first upgrade was the private breakfast deck off of the upper level. When we have our morning coffee up there, we spot a lot of big game and wild life. It was built by the same builder and with the same meticulous eye for detail as the South. The warmth of the log construction provides a perfect environment for entertaining and a beautiful gas fireplace heats the wide-open main level. The North Lodge is better suited for couples because it has more queen and king size beds. The two covered decks on the front and back of the lodge provide even more area to enjoy the outdoors.