Vail is one of the largest and most famous ski resorts in North America, set in a narrow valley along Gore Creek at 2,500 metres in the Colorado Rockies. The resort opened in 1962 and the town that grew up around it is purpose-built — Tyrolean-style architecture, pedestrian village cores, and a relentless focus on the ski experience.
The mountain is enormous: over 2,000 hectares of skiable terrain spread across three distinct areas. The front side offers groomed cruisers and bump runs above the tree line. The legendary Back Bowls — seven vast open bowls of ungroomed snow — are what set Vail apart from most other North American resorts. Blue Sky Basin, accessed via the Back Bowls, adds gladed tree skiing in a spectacular setting.
In summer, Vail reinvents itself as a hiking and mountain biking destination. The Gore Creek trail, the Berry Picker trail to the top of Vail Mountain, and the more ambitious routes into the Eagles Nest Wilderness are all accessed from town. The village hosts the Bravo! Vail music festival in June and a free summer concert series; the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens and the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Museum add cultural depth. Vail is about two hours west of Denver on Interstate 70, with Eagle County Airport offering direct flights from several US cities in winter.