The late 1800’s mining town of Dillion had to be moved in 1963 when the area of convergence of three rivers was damned to form Lake Dillion to provide a stable water supply for the area. Modern day towns of Dillion, Silverthorne and Frisco emerged in the area surrounding Lake Dillion.
Just down the road, Max and Edna Dercum founded the Keystone Resort in 1970. It was a family ski area with simple amenities. Families would pack-up the kids in the station wagon and head to Keystone for a day’s worth of skiing.
The opening of the Eisenhower Interstate-70 Tunnel in 1973 fueled expansion of the fledgling Colorado ski industry. In 1974, Ralston Purina acquired Keystone and began a series of improvements. Over the years, ski resort giant Intrawest became involved and developed the River Run base area. Today, Vail Resorts owns and manages the ski resort.
In the early days of Keystone, a collection of motels, convenience stores and restaurants developed along the highway leading to the resort. While they still exist today, the ski resort itself has become more of a self-contained destination with lodging, housing, restaurants, entertainment, ski outfitters, etc, all on-site. It is well-designed and well-run.
For those seeking more nightlife and choices, it is a short-drive to Dillion, Silverthorne and Frisco. Breckenridge is less than thirty-minutes away as well. Then as now, the skiing is great!