Internationally
known for its incomparable world-class skiing and riding, the Vail Valley
additionally offers an exciting nightlife, unique shops, gourmet dining and
nonstop outdoor adventure, summer or winter.
Vail
Mountain, 100 miles west of Denver, is larger than nearly every other North
American ski area, and is linked by a well-placed network of lifts and
trails. There are 1,220 acres of varied runs on the front side, and the
existence of the Back Bowls make Vail a skier’s heaven. Those same slopes
provide the perfect trails for mountain bike devotees in summer. The village
hosts a wide variety of festivals year round.
Consistently
ranked the country's most popular ski resort by skiers and ski magazines
almost since its inception, Vail has the look of a Tyrolean village and is
visited regularly by almost as many Europeans as Americans. This gives its
restaurants, hotels, and shops a continental air.
Two
people with a vision planned what has become Vail. They were Pete Seibert,
10th Mountain Division veteran and Earl Eaton, a uranium prospector who had
grown up in area’s wild ranges. In 1957 they climbed to the summit of the
mountain now known as Vail and discovered a skier’s dream: the Back Bowls;
4,000 acres of open glades. (The Bowls had been formed unintentionally,
centuries earlier, when the Ute Indians set "spite fires" to the
timberland in retaliation for being driven out by ranchers and miners).
Through the efforts of Seibert and Eaton, the fabulous Vail resort was
created.
Vail
is an excellent example of integrated mountain and village design. The
development is divided into the residential East Vail, upscale Vail Village,
and the more modest Lionshead.
The
satellite ski area of Beaver Creek, developed in the 1980’s, has become a
substantial resort in its own right. Beaver Creek’s strength is that it is
one of the best ski areas in America for lower intermediates. The linking of
Beaver Creek's trail system with that of neighboring Arrowhead Resort and
with Bachelor Gulch, a new area between the two, has added 30% more novice
and intermediate terrain to the area and created a European-style
"village-to-village" ski experience.
Spring
and summer at Vail bring a wealth of new opportunities. The mountain streams
and lakes provide superb fishing, canoeing, rafting, and the ski trails open
for mountain biking. Horseback riding in the rugged backcountry is another
seasonal favorite, as are hiking, golf, balloon rides and tennis. These
activities unfold against the spectacular backdrop of the Rocky Mountains,
which are so striking in their beauty and grandeur that the first glimpse of
them at each visit to Vail literally takes one’s breath away.
The
Rockies, Vail, the surrounding White River National Forest, all provide peak
esthetic and recreational experiences. All are ready and waiting to welcome
you and your family year round.
|