726 Discovery Hill Dr, Breckenridge
Highlands at Breckenridge Homes for Sale
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Highlands at Breckenridge Real Estate
The Highlands is where Breckenridge keeps its serious houses. Custom homes on real acreage, lots running from half an acre to nearly ten, a good number of them sitting on the only municipally owned Jack Nicklaus Signature course in the country, and all of it inside Town of Breckenridge limits. It's the part of town people buy when they've decided they want land and a house built to their own standard rather than a unit in a building. It is also large and genuinely varied, somewhere around 630 to 690 lots across more than a dozen filings under mostly one property owners' association. The filings are not interchangeable, and which one you are in matters more than almost anything else, so the right move is to understand the sections before you fall for a specific house.
Quick Take
If you want a custom single-family home on real acreage, genuine proximity to golf, and the stability of being inside Town of Breckenridge limits, the Highlands is usually the strongest answer in town. It is not the place for a simple condo purchase or for walking to Main Street, and I would rather tell you that up front.
What surprises people is how thin the top of this market is. There are somewhere around 630 to 690 lots across more than a dozen filings, but some filings hold fewer than ten homes and a couple of them trade about once a decade. Individual homes here have included things that are rare anywhere in Summit County: Scandinavian log construction with imported soapstone masonry heaters, in-house oxygenation, elevators, multiple primary suites, wine rooms. None of that is standard across the community, which is exactly why the specific filing and the specific house matter so much. Two of the filings do not appear in the MLS at all, so if one of those is what you want, waiting for it to show up in a search will not work.
Overview
The Highlands sits directly east of Highway 9, roughly between Highlands Drive and Tiger Road, just north of downtown Breckenridge and south of the Breckenridge Golf Club. Formal, design-controlled development began in the mid-1990s on land once owned by the Rounds family, who helped start Breckenridge Ski Resort in 1961. That's continued steadily since, which is part of why home vintages within the community range from 1990s originals to brand-new construction.
Paved roads, underground utilities, natural gas, and connection to town water and sewer put the Highlands a step above many unincorporated hillside neighborhoods in terms of infrastructure. Some homes here are genuinely high-end custom builds, with the finish level and lot size to justify it. Others are simpler. The subdivision spans a real range, so it's worth evaluating each property and filing on its own rather than assuming uniform quality throughout.
Filings and Sub-Neighborhoods
"The Highlands" is not one subdivision, it's an umbrella name for more than a dozen individual filings, most sharing the same Property Owners' Association:
- Braddock Hill – the northernmost filing, established in 2000, roughly 34 lots between 1 and just under 2 acres, along Swan River creek beds close to the Colorado Trail.
- Discovery Hill – part of the main Highlands POA, with its own design review layered underneath, wooded terrain south of Highlands Park.
- Gold Run – established in 2005, one of the newer filings, along Gold Run Gulch Road, some lots bordering Gold Run Creek and beaver ponds.
- Highlands Park – established in 2001, one of the largest sections, set in open meadow rather than woods, so views aren't blocked by trees or ridgelines. Roughly 108 lots from 0.5 to 2.4 acres.
- Highlands Golf Course – sits immediately south of the Breckenridge Golf Club, its own HOA that requires separate STR registration on top of town rules.
- Willow Run – a small enclave near Highlands Park and the golf course, only a handful of lots.
- Fox Crossing – eleven four-bedroom homes on Silver Circle, on one to two acre lots, the large-lot option among filings that see regular inventory.
- Highlands Glen – seven homes on Glenwood Circle, with the largest lots and the largest typical home in the community.
- Discovery Ridge – about 12 parcels off Gold Run Road and Lake Edge Drive, the filing where custom home sites have remained available.
- The Crescent – about 12 parcels on Fairways Drive and Highlands Drive, the smallest and most uniform homes in the Highlands.
Several smaller filings round out the community, including Silver View, Fox Crossing, Highlands Glen, and Crescent. Each has its own elevation, tree cover, and view corridor, which is exactly why treating the Highlands as one monolithic neighborhood leads buyers astray.
Homes, Lots & HOA Dues
Counts vary slightly by source and shift as remaining vacant lots build out, but the Highlands totals somewhere in the range of 630 to 690 lots overall, the large majority developed with single-family homes and a meaningful share still vacant and available to build on. Homes generally run from about 2,100 to over 8,000 square feet, most with 4 to 6 bedrooms, though some run as small as 2 or as large as 7. Lot sizes range from about half an acre to nearly 10 acres, considerably larger than most in-town Breckenridge parcels, with a small number of exceptions on lots under a quarter acre in specific filings.
HOA dues are genuinely modest for a community of this caliber, that are modest relative to the caliber of the community for filings under the main Highlands POA, which is managed by Alpine Edge Property Management. That covers common area maintenance like cul-de-sac landscaping and entrance beautification, not amenities, since the Highlands doesn't have a shared clubhouse or pool. All homes must follow the POA's design guidelines and be approved by the Town of Breckenridge, a dual review process that keeps a consistent mountain-modern character across most of the community.
Jurisdiction and STR Rules
The Highlands is genuinely inside Town of Breckenridge limits. That's not true of every neighborhood that carries a Breckenridge mailing address, and it's the single most important jurisdiction fact for this community. Because the Highlands is in town, the Town of Breckenridge's short-term rental rules apply, along with the town's 1% real estate transfer tax on sale. The Highlands falls under the town's STR Zone 3, designated a single-family residential area, which caps the share of properties eligible for licenses. On top of the town rules, some HOAs within the Highlands, like Highlands Golf Course, require STR properties to register directly with the HOA. STR licenses do not transfer to a new owner on sale. See the Breckenridge STR rules for current town-level details.
Golf Course and Outdoor Access
The Highlands borders the Breckenridge Golf Club, a 27-hole municipal course split into three nines, all Jack Nicklaus-designed, and one of the only municipal courses of his design in the country. In winter, the course converts into the Gold Run Nordic Center, with roughly 27 kilometers of groomed classic and skate cross-country trails, 10 kilometers of snowshoe trails, an ice skating pond, sleigh rides, and a clubhouse restaurant.
Hiking and biking trails run throughout the subdivision and connect to the backcountry, including access to the Colorado Trail from the Braddock Hill area, and Swan River fishing access nearby.
Who the Highlands Is Best For
The Highlands tends to appeal to buyers who want a custom single-family home on real acreage, value being inside Town of Breckenridge limits, and are comfortable identifying which specific filing and HOA governs a given property. It works for both golfers and non-golfers, since the acreage, views, and trail access are the bigger draw for most owners, and it works whether you want a full-time residence or a well-built second home.
Compare Nearby Breckenridge Neighborhoods
The Highlands isn't the only option for buyers who want space outside the resort core. A few nearby communities worth comparing:
- Woodmoor at Breckenridge – similar large-lot, custom-home character on Boreas Pass Road, but unincorporated Summit County rather than inside town limits, and no umbrella POA amenity structure.
- Silver Shekel – a lower-HOA-dues alternative closer to downtown, also unincorporated, with strong Tenmile Range views on stepped roads.
Pros and Cons of the Highlands
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Things to Consider
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Highlands at Breckenridge FAQs
Is Highlands at Breckenridge inside town limits?
Yes. The Highlands is within the Town of Breckenridge, unlike several nearby neighborhoods that carry a Breckenridge mailing address but sit in unincorporated Summit County. That means the town's short-term rental rules and 1% real estate transfer tax apply, and home design must be approved by the town in addition to the POA's design review.
How many lots and homes are in the Highlands at Breckenridge?
Counts vary slightly by source and change over time as vacant lots build out, but the Highlands totals somewhere in the range of 630 to 690 lots, the large majority developed with single-family homes and a smaller share still vacant. Homes generally run from about 2,100 to over 8,000 square feet, most with 4 to 6 bedrooms, on lots from about half an acre to nearly 10 acres.
Is Highlands at Breckenridge one HOA or several?
Most single-family filings, including Braddock Hill, Discovery Hill, Gold Run, and Highlands Park, fall under the umbrella Highlands at Breckenridge Property Owners' Association, managed by Alpine Edge Property Management, with shared design guidelines and dues that are modest relative to the caliber of the community.
Can I do a short-term rental in the Highlands at Breckenridge?
The Highlands falls under the Town of Breckenridge's STR Zone 3, designated a single-family residential area, which caps the percentage of properties eligible for licenses. On top of the town rules, individual HOAs within the Highlands, such as Highlands Golf Course, require STR properties to register directly with the HOA. STR licenses do not transfer when a property sells. Confirm current zone status and HOA policy before assuming a specific property qualifies.
What are the sub-neighborhoods within the Highlands at Breckenridge?
The Highlands is made up of numerous individual filings, including Braddock Hill, Discovery Hill, Gold Run, Highlands Park, Highlands Golf Course, Willow Run, Silver View, Fox Crossing, Highlands Glen, and Crescent, among others. Most single-family filings share the main Highlands POA, though each has its own character, elevation, and view corridor.
Considering Buying or Selling in the Highlands?
The Highlands is not a neighborhood where a generic online estimate, or a quick AI summary pulled from scattered listing sites, tells the whole story. Filing, lot position, which HOA governs the property, and STR zone status all matter, and getting them right is the difference between a smooth purchase and an expensive surprise.
If you're evaluating the neighborhood, I can help you understand current inventory, which filing fits your goals, and how a specific property compares.
Tucker Zimmerman
Associate Broker, Slifer Smith & Frampton
Phone: 303-907-9129
Email: TZimmerman@SliferSummit.com
Website: SoldInSummit.com
Related Breckenridge and Summit County Resources
- Breckenridge real estate and homes for sale
- Breckenridge neighborhood guide
- Breckenridge STR rules
- Summit County short-term rental regulations
- Living in Summit County, Colorado
- Highlands at Breckenridge POA (official site)
This page is intended as a local real estate reference. HOA structure, STR rules, lot counts, and dues can change. Confirm current details directly with the POA or Town of Breckenridge before making a purchase decision.