Vail is one of the largest and most famous ski resorts in North America, a Colorado icon whose legendary Back Bowls and Bavarian-styled pedestrian village have set the benchmark for big-mountain luxury skiing.
- 2,452 m Base
- 3,517 m Top lift
- 1,065 m Vertical
- 212 Pistes mapped
- 32 Lifts
Best known for
Après & vibe
Vail Village and Lionshead offer some of the most refined après in American skiing, with elegant slopeside terraces, upscale restaurants, wine bars and boutiques threaded through cobbled, Bavarian-inspired streets.
The resort
Vail is a resort of grand scale and reputation, its terrain divided between an immaculately groomed front side and the wide open expanse of its famous Back Bowls beyond the ridge. The front face is a cruiser's dream of long, perfectly manicured runs and tree-lined trails, while cresting the ridge reveals bowl after treeless bowl stretching toward Blue Sky Basin. At its base sits a pedestrian village styled after alpine Europe, polished and cosmopolitan, with a dining and shopping scene to match. Few resorts blend this much terrain with this level of refinement.
Go for the sheer variety and the sense of skiing an American classic. Vail suits intermediates who want endless flawless groomers, powder hunters drawn to the vast Back Bowls, and travellers who appreciate a sophisticated village with excellent food and lodging. It is a resort that rewards a longer stay, because covering the front side and the bowls in a single trip is an ambition in itself.
High in the Colorado Rockies, Vail enjoys the dry, cold continental snow the state is known for. Storms deliver light powder that transforms the Back Bowls, which are at their glorious best on a clear day after a dump. The front side grooms up beautifully between storms, and the high elevation keeps conditions cold and the snowpack reliable through the heart of winter.
Snow & weather
Live conditions from the mountain, plus the average snow you can expect month by month.
- Feels like
- —
- Conditions
- —
- Wind
- —
- Fresh snow (3-day)
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Live data © Open-Meteo.com
Dependable, dry, high-altitude Rocky Mountain snow; the elevation and grooming keep the front side in great shape while storms periodically transform the bowls.
Average monthly snowfall
Snowfall climatology unavailable.
Terrain & aspect
- Novice
- Easy
- Intermediate
- Advanced
- Freeride
Slopes mostly face N — 64% on snow-holding, poleward-facing slopes.
Aspect derived from run bearings · OpenSkiStats / © OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Skiing & terrain
Beginners have dedicated learning areas and gentle green terrain, including options up at mid-mountain so they share the views rather than being stuck at the base.
Intermediates are spoiled by the immaculately groomed front side, a seemingly endless supply of long, flattering blue cruisers.
Advanced skiers head over the ridge into the Back Bowls for wide open powder fields and gladed terrain that goes on for miles.
Experts find steep bowl lines, tight trees and the more challenging aspects of Blue Sky Basin, best after fresh snow.
The Back Bowls
Cresting the ridge behind the front side reveals Vail's legendary Back Bowls, a vast succession of treeless powder fields with no true equivalent in North America. On a clear day after a storm they deliver the resort's defining experience of open, untracked space.
Blue Sky Basin
Beyond the Back Bowls lies Blue Sky Basin, a more sheltered, gladed frontier of tree skiing and powder stashes. It adds a wilder, more intimate counterpoint to the open bowls and holds fresh snow well.
Vail Village après
The pedestrian village, styled after alpine Europe, is a signature experience in itself. Ski to a slopeside terrace, then wander cobbled streets past elegant restaurants, wine bars and boutiques as the lights come on.
On the map
Legend
Run difficulty
- Novice
- Easy
- Intermediate
- Advanced / Expert
- Freeride / Extreme
- Unknown
Run types
- Downhill — groomed
- Downhill — ungroomed
- Downhill — gladed
- Nordic (groomed)
- Ski tour
- ☾Lit (night)
- △Not patrolled
- →One-way
- ❄Snowmaking
Lifts
- Operating
- Operating (private)
- Non-operating
- Lift station
Slope-gradient grading
Downhill / ski tour
- Flat<3°
- Easy3–14°
- Intermediate14–22°
- Advanced / Expert22–45°
- Freeride / Extreme>45°
Nordic
- Easy<6°
- Intermediate6–9°
- Advanced>9°
Aspect (sun exposure)
- N — least sun
- E — morning
- S — most sun
- W — afternoon
Legend after OpenSkiMap
Stay in Vail
Vail Village and Lionshead are pedestrian bases packed with slopeside hotels, lodges and condos alongside the resort's celebrated dining and shopping; both put the lifts and the après scene within an easy walk.
Lifts and pistes from the door — the point of a high, purpose-built resort.
Self-catering residences, the bulk of the beds and the flexible-budget option.
Catered and self-catered chalets for groups wanting the whole place.
From simple to high-end, with pools and spas to thaw out in.
How to get there
The nearest airport is Eagle (Vail) (EGE), a short-hop regional gateway close to the resort; many visitors also fly into Denver and drive west over the mountains.
From Eagle the transfer is a quick, easy drive down the valley; those arriving via Denver face a longer but scenic mountain drive, with shuttles and private transfers serving both routes.
Best time: January through March brings the coldest, driest snow and the best conditions in the Back Bowls, with February and March especially rewarding for powder and grooming alike.
Nearby resorts
Other resorts within reach.
Getting to Vail
Book an airport transfer up to the resort, or pick up a car at Eagle (Vail) (EGE) — search and compare without leaving the page.
Ski data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via OpenSkiMap & Skimap.org. Basemap © OpenFreeMap / OpenMapTiles. Editorial: mynext.holiday. Accommodation via Stay22; transfers via Kiwitaxi; car hire via Travelpayouts.