Best of Vail

Outdoors

A Quick Guide to Meadow Mountain

Minturn's returned-to-wilderness ski area is a locally favored playground for mellow mountain biking and overland romps with the family and/or dog

07/02/2020 By Kirsten Dobroth

Outdoors

A Quick Guide to the Town of Minturn

From authentic Old West saloons to boutique drive-in movies and outdoor markets, the valley's version of Main Street USA has it all

07/02/2020 By Kirsten Dobroth

Outdoors

A Quick Guide to Tigiwon Road

From camping to summiting Eagle County's sole fourteener, Tigiwon Road is the valley's gateway to nature.

07/02/2020 By Kirsten Dobroth

Outdoors

A Quick Guide to Tennessee Pass

A high mountain pass where World War II mountain troopers learned to ski is your gateway to wilderness hikes, and backcountry huts, yurts and a rustic dining hall.

07/02/2020 By Kirsten Dobroth

Outdoors

A Quick Guide to Red Cliff

Exploring a former county seat that's now a sleepy hideaway for locals seeking escape from the noise, and crowds, of the valley.

07/02/2020 By Kirsten Dobroth

Outdoors

A Quick Guide to Gilman

The little-known story behind the abandoned town clinging to the hillside between Minturn and Red Cliff.

07/02/2020 By Kirsten Dobroth

Outdoors

A Quick Guide to Camp Hale

A historic World War II Army camp serves as the jump-off point for one of the most scenic ATV tours in Colorado.

07/02/2020 By Kirsten Dobroth

Outdoors

A Quick Guide to Homestake Road

At the end of Homestake Road, a watery oasis awaits for paddlers seeking the solitude of a high-mountain lake.

07/02/2020 By Kirsten Dobroth

Outdoors

A Quick Guide to Leadville

North America's highest incorporated city offers road trippers a glimpse of Colorado's past, with brewpubs, farm-to-table dining, and a plethora of outdoor adventures.

07/02/2020 By Kirsten Dobroth

Outdoors

A Quick Guide to Turquoise Lake

Leadville's Turquoise Lake is an idyllic spot for camping, and watching the sun set beyond one of Colorado's most majestic mountain skylines.

07/02/2020 By Kirsten Dobroth

Must Dos

Bumper Cars, On Ice

Not into hockey or skating, but want to take a spin on the ice (and bump into strangers without knocking them over)? Rent an Ice Bumper Car at Dobson Ice Arena, the coolest new thing to do in Vail Village.

12/31/2019 By Katie Coakley

Longreads

The Last Fugitive: Vail's Connection to America's Most Wanted Eco-Terrorist

Twenty-one years after seven environmental extremists set Vail Mountain ablaze, only one is still at large. What happened to Josephine Sunshine Overaker?

11/12/2019 By Devon O'Neil Illustrations by Michael Byers

Eat + Drink

The Ultimate Holiday Dining Guide

A gourmand’s guide to the must-have dishes and over-the-top bottles at 18 signature resort dining rooms where holiday memories are made—plus, where to be on NYE.

11/12/2019 By Kirsten Dobroth Photography by Rebecca Stumpf

Summer

An Insider’s Guide to Festival Season

From chamber concerts and jam sessions to wine tasting and bronco busting: an insider’s guide to the signature events of the summer season.

07/15/2019 By Kirsten Dobroth Photography by Zach Mahone

Eat + Drink

A Beer Lover's Guide to the Vail Valley

A suds-soaked paean to the valley's four brewpubs, their two Vail Village tasting rooms, and three local taprooms where hops are tops.

06/07/2019 By Kirsten Dobroth Photography by Ryan Dearth

Outdoors

This Summer's Must-Do: Hiking the Holy Cross Wilderness

There’s a lot more to explore in the Holy Cross Wilderness than its namesake pinnacle: 164 miles of gloriously lonely trails, and two-dozen thirteeners where you’ll find tranquility—and may not even see another soul.

06/07/2019 By Devon O'Neil Photography by Zach Mahone

WINTER SPORTS

A Guide to Vail Mountain's Legendary Back Bowls

From Sun Down to Siberia, the quintessential insider's guide to skiing or riding all seven of Vail Mountain's Back Bowls in a single day, possibly the best you'll ever have on snow.

03/15/2019 By Bevin Wallace

Outdoors

How to Have Your Best. Winter. Ever.

A dozen-plus dog-, horse-, and human-powered cold-weather adventures.

02/11/2019 By Kirsten Dobroth Photography by Jack Affleck

History

Remembering Pepi Gramshammer, A Vail Legend: Aug. 6, 1932 - Aug. 17 2019

Meet the legendary men and women (and one four-legged friend) who inspired the named runs of Vail and Beaver Creek.

02/11/2019 By Devon O'Neil

Mountain Living

The Science Behind Life in the 8,000-Foot Club

The 8,100-foot base area elevation of Vail and Beaver Creek puts our resorts in a rarefied-air coterie that includes six continents and 140 million people.

02/11/2019 By Daniel Shaw