Family Activities in Vail: Find Entertainment and Fun in Colorado

Vail, Colorado, welcomes guests to explore through adventure and fun. As one of the largest resort towns in the world, families find tons of winter recreation and seasonal and year-round events. Whether a skilled skier or want some Cajun flavor, Vail delivers both — and everything in between. Check out a quick guide to entertainment and family activities in Vail.

Fun Awaits: Family Activities in Vail

Vail’s Snow Fun

Bundle up the whole family and head to Adventure Ridge. The park, which is the size of a football stadium, sits on top of Vail Mountain.

Families can choose from a variety of winter activities, including tubing, snowmobiling and snowshoeing. For more action-packed adventure, make a reservation for ski biking, which combines biking and skiing. Younger kids have a blast cruising around Blizzard Speedway on their mini-snowmobile. When it’s time for a break, stop by the Nature Discovery Center to learn about nature and wildlife.

Skiing and Skating

Vail has three terrain parks for skiing. Golden Peak houses the largest terrain park and offers nine jumps ranging from 10 to 50 feet. Bwana Park offers a beginning line with two medium jumps at the bottom. Beginner and intermediate skiers can also visit Pride Park, home to one of Vail’s milled log slides.

First ski vacation? No problem. Just visit Vail Ski and Snowboard School. The school offers lessons from beginners to experts for all ages. Pick from group or private lessons to customize the learning experience. Specialty classes are also available and include women-only and signature lessons to help technique and skill.

Nordic is big in Vail. More experienced skiers – and those looking for a physical challenge – should visit Vail Nordic School. Group and private tours are available for ages 14 and up. While cross-country skiing, tour wilderness trails, learn about wildlife and trees, and explore Vail’s backcountry.

Located in the center of Vail Village and Lionshead, families will find outdoor skating rinks. Ice skating suits all ages and provides evening entertainment. If you prefer to skate indoors, head to the Dobson Ice Arena. The arena offers public skate times, hockey, figure skating and broomball events.

Vail Holiday Events and Annual Festivals

Winter vacations provide a way to spend time together during the holidays. Vail hosts several family-friendly events during winter months. December brings Snow Daze and Holidaze, both packed full of entertainment, seasonal events and festivals.

In February and March, check out CarniVail and Burton U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships. CarniVail fuses New Orleans’ Mardi Gras with ski fun. A few highlights include: a Fat Tuesday Parade, crawfish boils, and Cajun après and after-dark parties. Burton U.S. Open features the world’s best athletes competing for titles in halfpipe and slopestyle.

Summer Adventures

It’s not all cold-weather fun, though. Summers bring other family activities in Vail. The city’s mild temperatures and mountain setting are perfect for hiking, biking, rafting, fly fishing and golf. There are six golf courses in the area, offering different challenges, holes and views. One popular family activity is riding the gondola. Guests ride the gondola 11,000 feet to Adventure Ridge, which offers warm-weather activities as well.

Search for vacation rentals in Vail, and get ready to plan an adventure!