Vail Mountain opened for skiing on December 15, 1962, so the ski resort is 63 years old in September 2026 and turns 64 in December. The town is younger, and it just had its own milestone: the Town of Vail was incorporated on August 23, 1966, which made it 60 this August. The public company that runs the mountain is younger still. "How old is Vail" has three answers, depending on whether you mean the mountain, the town or the company.
Three ages: the mountain, the town and the company
| What | Date | Age in September 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Vail Mountain opens for skiing | December 15, 1962 | 63 years (64 on December 15) |
| Town of Vail incorporated | August 23, 1966 | 60 years |
| Vail Resorts goes public on the NYSE | February 7, 1997 | 29 years |
The mountain's seasons are counted from the first winter, 1962/63, so 2024/25 was Vail's 63rd and 2026/27 will be its 65th. Vail Resorts has set November 13, 2026 as the planned opening day, weather permitting. The name comes from Charlie Vail, the Vail Pass project engineer, and the road, the town and the resort all carry it; how Vail got its name tells that story.
Why "founded" has several dates
The town's own summary says Vail was founded as a ski resort in 1962 and incorporated as a town in 1966, and the gap explains most of the confusion. The idea dates to March 1957, when Earl Eaton took Pete Seibert up the mountain. The land was bought in 1958, the Forest Service permit came in 1959, the lifts turned on December 15, 1962, and the town, built around the ski area, was incorporated four years later. The company that owns the mountain has a different birthday again. When Vail Resorts was founded separates the mountain, the original business and today's public company, and who owns Vail covers what the company is now.
Key dates since the first climb
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1957 | On March 19, Eaton takes Seibert up the future Vail Mountain, a seven-hour trip breaking trail the whole way. |
| 1958 | Hanson Ranch, more than 500 acres of what is now Vail Village, is bought at $110 an acre under the name Transmontane Rod and Gun Club. |
| 1959 | The Forest Service turns down the first permit application, filed in May, then grants a permit on September 9 after an appeal. The Vail Corporation is formed in December with 26 shareholders. |
| 1962 | Opening day, December 15: one gondola, two chairlifts and $5 lift tickets. |
| 1966 | Town of Vail incorporated on August 23, after a 43 to 19 vote. |
| 1969 | The second gondola opens at Lionshead, dedicated with a live lion named Simba. |
| 1972 | The town adopts a Home Rule Charter. |
| 1985 | George Gillett buys Vail and Beaver Creek and begins installing high-speed detachable chairlifts. |
| 1997 | Vail Resorts goes public with Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone. |
| January 6, 2000 | Blue Sky Basin opens, adding 645 acres of skiable terrain. |
| 2008 | Vail Resorts launches the Epic Pass. |
| 2022 | The mountain marks its 60th anniversary on December 15. |
The mountain today
Vail Mountain has 5,317 skiable acres, 32 lifts, a base elevation of 8,120 feet and a top elevation of 11,570 feet, and it is Colorado's largest ski resort. How many skiable acres Vail has breaks the acreage down, and how many mountains Vail Resorts owns covers the company's wider portfolio.
The opening day itself
What ran on the morning of December 15, 1962, how the gondola nearly missed the season and how the permit was financed are in when Vail opened in 1962.
