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Photo above: Greg Seifert via Google
The GoPro Mountain Games is a four-day June festival of adventure-sport competitions, free daytime music and three ticketed evening concerts, spread across Vail Village, Lionshead, Golden Peak and Ford Park. The 2026 Games ran June 4 to 7, and the 2027 edition, the event's 25th anniversary, is set for June 10 to 13, 2027. Watching the competitions costs nothing; athletes pay to enter and concertgoers buy tickets. For this year's dates and tickets, see our GoPro Mountain Games calendar entry.
When the Games happen
The Games run Thursday to Sunday in the first half of June. The nonprofit Vail Valley Foundation, which owns and runs the event, has announced the 2027 dates, but registration dates, venue hours, the daytime music schedule and the concert lineup for 2027 were all listed as "coming soon" or "TBD" when we checked in October 2026.
| Year | Dates | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | June 5 to 8 | Held |
| 2026 | June 4 to 7 | Held |
| 2027 | June 10 to 13 | Announced; 25th anniversary |
What's on the program
The foundation describes the Games as 11 adventure-sport disciplines and more than 30 competitions, and its 2026 spectator guide counted more than 35 athletic events. The 2026 roster gives a good idea of the range:
| Discipline | 2026 events |
|---|---|
| Climbing | North American Cup Series bouldering and speed rounds, a speed-climbing showdown, citizen and youth competitions, a kids' climbing wall |
| Whitewater | Down River kayak, raft and SUP sprints, kayak freestyle, kayak cross, raft cross, Gore IV kayak and raft challenges, kids' kayak and SUP pool |
| Running | 10K Spring Runoff, 20K trail run, Pepi's Face-Off, Après 5K, Mountain Mud Run, Rocky Dog Fun Run, Kids Mini Dash |
| Biking | Cross-country and short-track mountain bike races, dual slalom, Jump Jam, road bike hill climb, kids' bike race |
| Dogs | DockDogs Big Air, Extreme Vertical and Speed Retrieve, Dueling Dogs, the Incredible Dog Challenge, shelter-dog adoptions |
| Everything else | Catch Wars fishing, a disc golf tournament, the Trickline Invitational and slackline shows, yoga sessions |
Around the competitions sit the art program, the CoLab creator stage (talks and appearances; in 2026 these included WeRateDogs founder Matt Nelson and mycologist Paul Stamets), sponsor expos with demos and samples, and the free daytime music stages. The 2026 Games added a drone show at dusk on Saturday, June 6, for the combined anniversaries of Vail (60), Colorado (150) and the United States (250); treat it as a one-off unless the 2027 schedule repeats it.
Free to watch, paid to compete
Spectating is free everywhere on site, with no tickets or wristbands for the daytime music either. The things that cost money are athlete registration, the evening concerts at The Amp, and a few kids' experiences that the organizer says need a ticket.
Open competitions take both professionals and amateurs, and some allow dogs; invitational events are closed to the public. Online registration closes at 6 p.m. the evening before each event unless the event page says otherwise, and on-site registration runs at Main Registration in the Golden Peak Base Lodge. Bring photo ID to collect your bib and athlete bag. The Games have a strict no-refund, no-exchange, no-transfer policy, and earlier sign-ups get better prices. The foundation puts the annual cash prize purse above $135,000, and its 2027 athlete page says "over $140K in cash and prizes," with payouts varying by event. Youth athletes aged 12 to 18 have their own GROM categories.
Where everything is
Events run from Golden Peak through Vail Village to Lionshead, which the organizer describes as connected by an easy walk, and the evening concerts are at The Amp in Ford Park. The free Town of Vail buses link them all.
| Venue | Where | What's there |
|---|---|---|
| Gear Town and International Bridge | Vail Village, beside the Sitzmark and Checkpoint Charlie | Expo booths and demos, a daytime music stage, the best viewing for down-river sprints and freestyle kayak in "The Hole," highline slacklining |
| The CoLab | Solaris Plaza, Vail Village | Creator stage with a daily program |
| Mountain Plaza | Vail Village, at the base of Gondola One | Bouldering competitions, starts and finishes for mountain runs, the athlete and VIP lounges |
| The Hangout | Golden Peak | All the food trucks, shade, a daytime music stage, free kids' activities; Main Registration is in the Golden Peak Base Lodge; speed climbing drew crowds here in 2026 |
| Dog Town | Lionshead Village | DockDogs, Dueling Dogs, the Incredible Dog Challenge, dog adoptions |
| The Amp (Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater) | Ford Park | Ticketed evening concerts |
Not everything stays in town. The 2026 schedule also listed off-site venues such as the Minturn Bike Park, and the 20K trail run climbed to Mid-Vail for the first time. Background on the Golden Peak base is in our Golden Peak guide.
When Gore Creek runs low
The whitewater events depend on snowmelt. In 2026, low flows in Gore Creek moved several water events out of town: the kayak freestyle final was held at the Whitewater Activity Area in Glenwood Springs, and the Down River Sprint went to the Upper Colorado River. The freestyle rounds were streamed on a big screen at International Bridge, and the kayak hole in Vail Village still had activity and extra slackline shows. If paddling is the reason for your trip, check the venue on each event page close to the date.
The concerts at The Amp
The Mountains of Music series has two halves. Free daytime sets play Thursday to Sunday at Gear Town in Vail Village and The Hangout at Golden Peak. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, ticketed headliners play the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater after the competitions finish. The 2026 headliners were:
| 2026 night | Headliner | Support |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, June 4, 6:30 p.m. | Mountain Grass Unit | Surf Hat |
| Friday, June 5, 6:30 p.m. | Wilderado and Michael Marcagi | Steph Strings |
| Saturday, June 6, 6:30 p.m. | Allman Betts Family Revival in the Rockies | Eric Krasno & Friends |
The 2027 lineup and ticket prices have not been published. The venue names vvf.org, mountaingames.com, grfavail.com and ticketsvail.com as its only official online sellers, and all sales are final. The Amp holds up to 3,000 people across the covered pavilion and the lawn. Gates open an hour before showtime and all seating is first come, first served. Picnics are allowed, along with personal coolers up to 18 quarts, sealed non-alcoholic drinks, blankets up to 5 by 7 feet and lawn chairs no more than 5 inches off the ground. Outside alcohol, pets and tall chairs are not. The stage and pavilion are roofed, but the lawn is not, and the venue suggests rain gear for the valley's afternoon and evening showers. The Amp sits next to Betty Ford Alpine Gardens.
Bringing a dog
Dogs are welcome throughout the festival grounds, but they must be leashed on a lead no longer than 6 feet (retractable leashes are not allowed), be at least 6 months old, and be current on rabies, DAPPV, bordetella and leptospirosis vaccinations as well as flea and tick prevention. Water stations for dogs and people are set up at The Hangout, Gear Town, Mountain Plaza and Dog Town, and a licensed veterinarian is on site. Two rules catch visitors out: dogs cannot ride the free Town of Vail buses during the Games, and pets are not allowed into The Amp. Tethering a dog and leaving it alone is unlawful in town. For the rest of a dog-friendly stay, see our dog-friendly Vail guide.
Parking, buses and getting to Vail
The Town of Vail charges for parking in the Vail Village, Lionshead and Red Sandstone structures during the Games, and the Ford Park lot has daily rates but no overnight parking. Once both village structures are full, overflow parking is allowed on the north side of the South Frontage Road; parking on the south side is not allowed at any time. Camping is not permitted within town limits, including car camping in the parking structures. RV overflow is on the North Frontage Road in front of the West Vail fire station, where vehicles must register and pay. Rates change by season, so check them in our Vail parking guide.
The organizer pushes buses and bikes instead. A free bike valet runs in Lionshead (in 2026, Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). From Denver, the Bustang West Line and Pegasus run from Denver Union Station or the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood to the Vail Transportation Center in Vail Village, and in 2026 the Games had a partner discount on both. Our Denver to Vail guide compares the options. Public restrooms are in both village parking structures, at Mountain Plaza, at the south end of Wall Street, across from the Lionshead ticket office and at Main Registration, and there is a shaded rest zone at Checkpoint Charlie near International Bridge.
Where to stay for the Games
Vail Village puts you closest to Gear Town, the CoLab and Mountain Plaza, with Golden Peak a short walk away. Lionshead suits dog owners, since Dog Town and the bike valet are there. In 2026 the organizer's lodging partners were Sonnenalp Vail and Grand Hyatt Vail, its official dog hotel. The organizer warns that pet-friendly rooms fill fast. Its 2026 list of dog-friendly lodging included Sitzmark Vail, Evergreen Lodge at Vail, The Sebastian, Gravity Haus Vail, The Arrabelle at Vail Square and Antlers at Vail, each with its own dog limits and fees. Confirm those directly when you book.
Camping is the budget option, but not in town. The nearest Forest Service campground on the organizer's list, Gore Creek, is 6.7 miles from Vail Village; more are covered in where to camp near Vail. For hotels, see where to stay in Vail in summer.
Check availability for Grand Hyatt Vail on Expedia
Check availability for Sonnenalp Vail on Expedia
Check availability for Sitzmark Vail on Expedia
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Tips for the day
The organizer's own advice: download the Mountain Games app to build a schedule and get live updates, come in the morning for smaller crowds and athlete warm-ups, and stay for the evening shows. Bring sunscreen, comfortable shoes and a refillable bottle, since hydration stations are spread across the venues. Results are posted at 1, 5 and 9 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, and at 1, 3, 5 and 9 p.m. on Sunday. Athletes are told to arrive at least an hour before their start to park and collect bibs at Golden Peak, and to plan for altitude: competition is above 8,150 feet, and the organizer suggests an extra 1 to 1.5 liters of water a day. For more June ideas, see things to do in Vail in summer and Vail with kids in summer.
From local whitewater race to 25 years
The Games started in 2002 as a local whitewater event. Teva was its earlier title sponsor, and GoPro took over the title with the 2013 Games. At the time, the Vail Valley Foundation put the event at about 3,000 athletes in eight sports and nearly 50,000 spectators over four days. The foundation, a nonprofit founded in 1981 that also runs the Vail Dance Festival, operates the Games under a special use permit from the White River National Forest.
The 2026 Games produced a few records. Thirty shelter dogs were adopted through Eagle County Animal Services, and Mayhem the greyhound tied her own DockDogs Extreme Vertical world record with a jump of 9 feet 2 inches.
