Vail Resort and Ski Area

Like Nothing on Earth

Famous worldwide as North America’s top ski resort, Vail is an extraordinary vacation experience. Spanning seven miles are seven legendary Back Bowls, blanketed last year with 38 feet of powder snow. Under clear blue sky 300 days a year and with more groomed terrain than anywhere on the planet, families reconnect and celebrate at our Vail ski resort from year to year and generation to generation. From the Vail Ski and Snowboard School to activities and festivals, shops and spas, dining, nightlife and accommodations – with many new and luxuriously renovated – your Vail vacation will be a world-class experience.

Skiing Vail

A mountain wall 7 miles long, Vail’s 5,289 acres boasts three distinct areas, each with their own features and fortes: seven china white bowls famous from here to Timbuktu; an expansive Front Side with more groomed snow than anywhere on the planet; and Blue Sky Basin with glades, cruisers and adventures around every turn.



  • Terrain:
    Expert/Advanced: 53%
    Intermediate: 29%
    Beginner: 18%
  • Overview:
    Vertical Rise: 3,450 ft. / 1,052 m
    Total Skiable Acres: 5,289 acres / 2,141 ha
    Average Annual Snowfall: 350 in. / 889 cm
    Number of Lifts: 31
    Number of Trails: 193
    Longest Run: 4 miles / 6.4 km (Riva)
  • Other stats:
    Opening Date: Nov-18-2011
    Closing Date: April-15-2012
    Base Elevation: 8,120 ft. / 2,476 m
    Mid-Mountain Elevation: 10,000 ft. / 3,000 m
    Summit Elevation: 11,570 ft. / 3,528 m
    Snowiest Month: January (65 inches)


trail map of Vail

View the entire mountain, including the Front Side, Back Bowls, Blue Sky Basin and terrain parks. Then, map your route for the day.



The Arrabelle at Vail

New at Vail

The 10th, a New Restaurant at Mid-Vail
As the next major project in an incredible string of improvements, Vail’s “on-mountain renaissance” continues with the highly-anticipated new table-service restaurant, “The 10th.” The opening of the ski-in, ski-out restaurant is scheduled for Dec. 1, 2011. The name, “The 10th,” is a subtle nod to the veterans of the 10th Mountain Division, many of whom, including several of Vail’s founders, became involved in the ski industry upon returning from World War II and dramatically influenced the development of skiing in the United States.
 
Designed by Zehren & Associates, the more than 13,000 square-foot restaurant is centrally located in the Mid-Vail area and will seat approximately 160 people in the main dining area, 40 in the lounge and an additional 40 on the deck. The main dining area will feature spectacular views of the Gore Range while the south-facing deck will capture the afternoon sun and views of the Look Ma and Challenge trails.
 
The restaurant’s design and finishes will befit its mountain location, but with a bit more contemporary flair than any of Vail Mountain’s other facilities. The 10th will offer gourmet cuisine in an upscale setting. The emphasis will be on quality and efficiency of service for those who are eager to get back out on the mountain and will also accommodate those who want to relax and enjoy a longer rest.

Elway’s and Matsuhisa Join the Culinary Scene in Town
After a day of skiing or snowboarding on Vail Mountain and dining at the new mid-mountain restaurant, continue the culinary experience in town at the new Elway’s or Matsuhisa. The restaurants join longtime favorites like Kelly Liken, Larkspur, Sweet Basil and Terra Bistro and recent additions like Tavern on the Square, Flame and Block 16.
 
Named for former Denver Bronco quarterback and NFL Hall of Fame Inductee John Elway, Elway’s will be the company’s first location outside of Denver and will open for the ski season in a fully-renovated space in the heart of Vail Village Elway’s at The Lodge at Vail, a RockResort. Elway’s will combine one of the most popular restaurant concepts in Colorado, established by one of the most successful figures in the history of Colorado sports, with one of the most popular ski resorts in the world. With its wide array of steaks and seafood as well as its terrific atmosphere and nightlife, Elway’s is sure to become a dining and nightlife destination experience for our Vail guests for many years to come.
 
Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, one of the premier chefs of Japanese cuisine, opened his 29th restaurant, Matsuhisa, located in the lobby space of The Solaris Residences in Vail Village in August 2011. Matsuhisa Vail joins dozens of the celebrity chef’s restaurants under the Nobu brand around the world, and only three that carry the Matsuhisa name – Aspen, Beverly Hills and Mykonos, Greece. Matsuhisa has taken traditional Japanese cuisine and infused bold South American and Western flavors to create a style that captivates audiences worldwide. located in the lobby space of The Solaris Residences.
 
Kids Adventure Zones – Two New Zones, Upgrades to Existing Zones
Last season, some of Vail’s youngest guests – and kids at heart – likely found themselves winding through one or even all of the Kids Adventure Zones, marked at the entrances with dramatic new wooden corbels or archways designating their namesakes: Chaos Canyon, Magic Forest, Sherwood Forest, Porcupine Alley, Coyote’s Escape and Buckskin Glade. Carved animals greet passerby around banked corners and behind trees and ski-through features like Coyote’s Den, a 50-foot long tee-pee-like structure located within Coyotes’ Escape ensure smiles and squeals for all ages. Following suit with the theme of elevating the experience at Vail, the upgrades and facelifts on the Kids Adventure Zones are not over yet. Two new zones will be added to the eastern side of the mountain and more upgrades on the existing family-friendly attractions are underway this summer with additional wooden “greeters” to keep an eye out for and a more cohesive animal-themed look and feel throughout that fits right in with Vail’s natural surroundings…not to mention, many of the features are made with reclaimed pine beetle kill wood, an imaginative and appealing use of the material.
 
The Completion of Vail’s Renaissance and What’s on the Horizon
Since 2004, Vail has welcomed an approximately $2 billion renaissance, including the completion of three major projects – The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Vail, Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail and Solaris Vail – in 2010, dramatically improving the base areas while maintaining much of Vail’s cozy European village charm. The redevelopment has
given Vail a competitive edge in providing value to its loyal guests and attracting new guests in a fickle economy.

Play Into the Night at Adventure Ridge and Refuel at Bistro Fourteen
Bike on the snow, catch big air off a trampoline, ride the Adventure Skyway – new last season – to tubing paradise, hear the roar of the kids’ snowmobiles circling the track or take a free guided nature snowshoe tour with an expert naturalist from Walking Mountains. When you’re through, feed that mountain of an appetite at Bistro Fourteen, where kids dine from their own multi-course menu for just $10 and adults can enjoy eclectic cuisine, a full bar of wine, cocktails and seasonal microbrews, and extraordinary desserts that should not be missed.
*Adventure Ridge video
*Bistro Fourteen video

Winter Teva Mountain Games – Feb. 10-12, 2012 
The country's largest summer celebration of adventure sports, music and the mountain lifestyle, the Teva Mountain Games, introduces the Winter Teva Mountain Games, presented by Eddie Bauer. Events will include ice climbing, on-snow biking, telemark skiing, Nordic competitions, running, dog events and an Ultimate Mountain Man/Woman combination event. As with the summer edition, the Winter Teva Mountain Games, will include art and music components, with snow and ice sculpture contests, concerts, films and parties. www.tevamountaingames.com

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Ritz Carlton Residences

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Vail is the perfect home base for relaxed mountain living.

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