Altitude: 8,120 ft
Average Snowfall: 346 in
Filed Under: Camping, Fishing, Hunting, Paddling, Skiing
Welcome to Vail Mountain, the largest single mountain in North America with 5,289 acres and 34 strategically placed lifts. From smooth, gentle beginner slopes?to sculpted corduroy cruisers?.to moguls, bowls and glades. You can carve out a place to call your own. In fact, on an average day at Vail, there are only two skiers per acre?.on a busy day, a whopping four per acre. Imagine having this much mountain to yourself. Come explore the three sides of Vail Mountain:
Vail's front side alone boasts more than 127 individual trails with everything from smooth, gentle beginner slopes to coururoy cruisers to moguls, glades and terrain parks. Now then, what would you like to do first?
- Vail's Front Side offers 989 acres of beginner and intermediate slopes, plus another 921 acres of advanced terrain.
- Check out the Golden Peak Terrain Park on the front side with a superpipe, jumps and jib park.
- With 14 high-speed lifts, including the Eagle Bahn Gondola, you'll enjoy quick access to the slopes.
- Access to the front side of Vail Mountain is available from three points: Golden Peak via the Riva Bahn Express, Vail Village via the Vista Bahn Express and LionsHead via the Eagle Bahn Gondola and Born Free Express.
- View an incredible slide show from the Front Side (Macromedia Flash required).
- Check out our online virtual tours from Vails' Front Side
The Front Side:
The Eastern Side - Home to Golden Peak, including the Golden Peak Terrain Park & Pipe and Northeast Bowl with favorite runs like Northwoods for cruisers, Prima & Pronto for bumps and North Rim for powder. All runs are serviced by the Northwoods Express Lift (Chair 11), which brings you to the top of Vail Mountain (PHQ)
The Central Mountain - Made up of the Mid Vail Area (Mountain Top Express Lift #4 and Wildwood Express Lift #3), where you'll find gentle cruisers like Christmas and Ramshorn, as well as the challenges of bumps and steeps on Zot, The Skipper, and Look Ma. The Avanti Express Lift (Chair #2) and long intermediate runs including Avanti, Berries, Pickaroon and Bear Tree also make up the Central Mountain.
The Western Side of Vail Mountain includes LionsHead with runs like Simba, Born Free, and Safari accessible from the Eagle Bahn Gondola, Born Free Express (Lift #8) and Pride Express (Lift #26). Game Creek Bowl, serviced by the Game Creek Express Lift (#7) is also part of the Western front side and is home to the Game Creek Restaurant & Club, as well as favorite runs like Showboat, Dealer's Choice, Wild Card bumps and the glades of Faro and Ouzo.
The Back Bowls:
At Vail, we're blessed wtih not one, but seven natural bowls. And, while the soft, dry, fluffy powder stretches over 6 miles wide, the legendary Back Bowls represent just one-third of Vail's total terrain.
Sun Down Bowl - The furthest west, accessible from the top of Wildwood Express and Game Creek Express. You'll find the bumps of Ricky's Ridge, powder of Seldom and glades of Windows.
Sun Up Bowl - The original bowl of Vail, serviced by The High Noon Lift (Chair 5) and accessible from the top of Mountain Top Express and Northwoods Express. Ski forever on Forever, invite your friend to go before you on Apres Vous, don't be a chicken on the cliffs of Chicken Yard, and find all the powder on Cow's and Milt's Face. The north side of Sun Up Bowl is home to The Slot (often groomed) Headwall and Yonder, all bringing you down to the Sun Up Lift (Chair 17) or High Noon Lift (5) for laps after laps.
Tea Cup Bowl - Accessed from the top of Sun Up Lift and the Tea Cup Express Lift. Tea Cup is a small bowl with some of the best and longest lasting powder you'll find. Emperor's Choice is a favorite and is often beautifully groomed.
China Bowl - Accessed from the top of Sun Up Lift, Tea Cup Express Lift and Sourdough Lift. Offers something for every ability: From the gentle groomed cruisers of Poppyfields East and West, to the intermediate glades of Shangri La, and the steeps, bumps and powder on Ghingas Khan and Jade Glade?.you could spend an entire day just in China Bowl doing laps on the China Bowl Express Lift (21). Be sure to take a break atop China Bowl and enjoy the food and views at Two Elk Restaurant.
Siberia Bowl - Located just on the east side of China Bowl, serviced by the China Bowl Express lift. Home to incredible runs like Rasputen's Revenge and Red Square, as well as some fun cruisers like Bolshoi Balroom. The views out here are incredible and you'll find very few people on the wide open slopes.
Inner and Outer Mongolia Bowls: The furthest Eastern bowls. The secluded terrain is "out there", but a treat if you make the trip!
Blue Sky Basin:
Nestled more than 2 miles into the wilderness, in the center of the ski universe. Here you can explore 645 acres of natural, gladed terrain, away from the sites and sounds of civilization. Allowing access to sheer solitude. Rustic signage directs you to drop into steep and deep, carve through tree-gladed groomers or find a secret stash to call your own.
The Sky Line Express Lift at the bottom of Tea Cup Bowl and China Bowl wisks you to the top of Blue Sky Basin. You'll follow the bumps and glades, and soon be atop the ridge where you'll see the incredible "back-country" gladed terrain all around and incredible views of the Back Bowls.
To your right is Earl's Bowl, serviced by Earl's Express Lift. In The Wuides is a wide open run, often groomed and a favorite with intermediate levels. Champagne Glade and Montane Glade are both incredible on powder days! Do laps on Earl's Express lift for hours of exploring.
To your left is Pete's Bowl with long, gladed runs off the front side like Little Ollie and Heavy Metal - you'll never take the same line twice. If you want real a challenge, take the cornice off Lover's Leap or brace yourself for the steep chute on Steep & Deep. Pete's Express lift accesses the other side of Pete's Bowl with long groomed cruisers The Star and Grand Review (be sure to pause and take in the views). Resolution and Hornsilver are great runs on a powder day!
From the top of Sky Line Express are Cloud Nine and Big Rock Park - fun cruisers, most often groomed through the open trees for intermediates.
All runs return to the Sky Line Express Lift or stop at Pete's Express Lift for more exploring.
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