QUICK FACTS

- 5289 acres of lift served terrain for skiing and riding, hiking and biking
- 356 inches of snow on average and 275 days a year of sunshine
- Base elevation: 8120 ft.
- Summit elevation: 11,570 ft.
- Vertical Rise: 3,450 ft.
- 34 Lifts, including: 14 high-speed quad chairlifts and 1 gondola
- Longest Run: Riva, 4 miles
- Seven natural bowls including Game Creek, China Bowl, Sun Up and Sun Down Bowls.
- Blue Sky Basin's 645 acres of natural gladed runs
- Bars/clubs:
- Shops/boutiques:

November 17 Vail Mountain opens!
December 8Additional terrain & services open -Specific terrain TBD. Golden Peak Grill and Wildwood open for food service.
December 15: Early Back Bowls Preview - Terrain in Sun Up and Sun Down bowls (serviced by Chairs 5 and 17) is scheduled to open on December 8. Game Creek Bowl (Chair 7) is also scheduled to open. Two Elk opens; Mid Vail Chaos Canyon Kids Cafe opens; Game Creek Restaurant for public dinner opens; Eagle's Nest evening operations open.
December 18: Extended Season for Blue Sky Basin, The remaining bowls, including China Bowl, along with Blue Sky Basin are scheduled to open on December 15.
April 15: Closing day
All of Vail Mountain is scheduled to remain open through closing day based on snow conditions.

- 256 Average Days of Sunshine
- Average winter temperatures of 45 degrees
- Average summer temperatures in the 80’s during the day and the 40’s at night
- There is very little humidity, which usually results in dry, powder snow
- Summertime is sunny and warm but there is no humidity, making 'hot' days pleasant. Nights are in the 40s, making for excellent sleeping conditions.

Long before miners, ranchers or skiers came to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, the Ute Indians spent summers in the Vail Valley. In the late 1800's, ranchers and miners settled in the area and displaced the Utes. When a highway from Denver was completed in 1940, the population grew.

During World War II, the area was used for mountain survival training by the 10th Mountain Division. Some of the members returned after the war. Pete Seibert, Sarge Brown and Bob Parker were among these pioneers with a vision of creating a ski resort.

The Town of Vail was incorporated in 1966 and gained notoriety in the mid-70s when then President Ford owned a home in Vail. The resort and town blossomed throughout the 80's as skiing's popularity grew, and today Vail is the top ranked ski resort in the United States.