First, the stats: 350 annual inches of snow, 3,500 vertical feet, 31 lifts, and 193 trails on more than 5,000 acres. Much of Vail’s terrain is expert class, and the steep back bowls—Sun Up, Siberia, China—are legendary. Vail’s Ski and Snowboard school is also top notch with workshops in Nordic and telemark styles, and Adventure Sessions match skiers with an expert guide for a day on the mountain. Throw in scores of stellar restaurants in the village and environmental efforts in the form of solar panels and reduced water use, and there’s little—aside from solitude—Vail doesn’t offer.
DON’T MISS: The Burton US Open, the longest-running snowboard competition in the world, comes to Vail starting this year, after 30 years on the east coast.
GETTING THERE: Fly into Denver and drive an hour and 45 minutes west on I-70. (vail.com)
