Vail
5,317 acres of back bowls, groomers, and reasons to call in sick.
3D Terrain
Download 3D Print Kit (.ZIP)Our Take
Vail is stupid big. 5,317 acres -- seven Back Bowls that are each bigger than some entire ski areas. You could ski here for a week and not hit the same run twice. And you'd probably try. The front side is corduroy heaven, all perfectly groomed ego-boosting cruisers. Then you drop over the back and suddenly it's waist-deep powder and you're questioning all your life choices that didn't involve moving to Colorado. Summit sits at 11,570 feet so the snow stays cold and dry -- that light, blower stuff that makes you giggle in your helmet. Yeah, it's expensive. Like, really expensive. But when you're floating through Blue Sky Basin on a Tuesday morning with nobody around? Worth every penny.
Nerd Stats
Avg Season Snowfall
354"
Longest Run
4 miles
Skiable Acres
5,317
Back Bowl Acres
3,000+
Fun Facts
- The Back Bowls alone are 3,000+ acres. That's bigger than most ski resorts. The whole resort is just showing off at that point.
- Founded by 10th Mountain Division vets in 1962. So yeah, literal soldiers built this place.
- Blue Sky Basin didn't open until 2000 -- they just casually added 645 acres of gladed perfection like it was no big deal.
- 354 inches of snow per year on average. Almost 30 feet. Every year.
Why Vail?
Vail's Back Bowls are the reason people move to Colorado. Over 5,300 acres of skiable terrain spread across a ridgeline that just keeps going -- if you like variety, nothing in North America touches it. This is where you go when you want to ski hard all day and eat well all night.
The Lowdown
Local's Tips
- 1.Skip the front side on powder days -- everyone queues at Chair 5. Head straight to Blue Sky Basin via Chair 36 for untouched lines.
- 2.Park at the free Lionshead garage before 8:30 AM. After that, you're paying $50+.
- 3.The grocery store in West Vail is half the price of anything in the village. Stock up.
- 4.Game Creek Bowl accessed from the top of Chair 7 stays shaded and holds snow way longer than the rest of the front side.
Don't Miss
Dinner at Sweet Basil
Been a Vail institution since 1977. The elk tenderloin is worth the price tag, and the wine list is deep without being pretentious.
Blue Sky Basin on a powder day
Not a restaurant, not an activity -- just the best skiing experience in Colorado. The hike to the far end of Teacup Bowl is 15 minutes that pay off all day.
10th Mountain Division Hut trip
Book months ahead. Ski to a backcountry hut, cook dinner, sleep under the stars. It'll change how you think about skiing.
