For a first outing, the simplest place to snowshoe in Vail is the Vail Nordic Center on the golf course, which has 10 kilometers of snowshoe trails, on-site rentals and a lodge to warm up in. Betty Ford Alpine Gardens adds guided and self-guided routes along Gore Creek, naturalist and backcountry guides lead tours beyond the resort, and the Forest Service's Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area suits people who are already comfortable in open, higher-elevation winter terrain. Discover Vail puts the season at mid-November to March, depending on snow, with mid-December to mid-February the most reliable stretch.
Where to go, side by side
| Where | Best for | Latest cost |
|---|---|---|
| Vail Nordic Center (Vail Golf Course) | First-timers, rentals, short loops | Snowshoe rental package $37; day pass $29 adults, $24 ages 13 to 17, $12 ages 6 to 12 (2025/26) |
| Betty Ford Alpine Gardens | A gentle, educational outing close to the village | Guided tour $25 with snowshoes; self-guided $10 with rental |
| Nature Discovery Center (top of Eagle Bahn) | Naturalist-led snowshoe tour on the mountain | Tour runs from December 2026; a ski pass or scenic gondola ticket is needed to ride up |
| Paragon Guides, Apex Mountain School | Guided half-day or full-day backcountry outings | Ask the outfitter |
| Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area | Open terrain for people who already know winter travel | $10 per person per day, $65 season pass (ages 16 and up) |
| McCoy Park at Beaver Creek | A full day of groomed and rustic trails | $71 adult, $49 child for lift and track access (2025/26) |
Vail Nordic Center: the straightforward starting point
The Vail Nordic Center at 1775 Sunburst Drive is run by the Vail Recreation District. It takes over the Vail Golf Club when snow covers the course, with 17 kilometers of groomed skate and classic track, 10 kilometers of snowshoe trails and 13 kilometers of fat bike trails. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in season. The lodge has room for changing shoes and warming up, and the Grill on the Gore in the clubhouse serves soup, chili, snacks and hot drinks.
Snowshoes rent on site. In 2025/26 the snowshoe package cost $37, and renting equipment for a second activity the same day was 50% off. Day passes were $29 for adults, $24 for ages 13 to 17 and $12 for ages 6 to 12; the center at 970-476-8366 can tell you whether snowshoers on the snowshoe trails need one. It closed its trails for the season on March 10, 2026, when conditions became unsafe, so a late-March plan can fall through. Look for 2026/27 prices and the opening date on the center's page.
Betty Ford Alpine Gardens: guided or self-guided
The Betty Ford Alpine Gardens offer two snowshoe options in winter, both snow permitting. The guided tour, "Winter Tree Trail & Vail Tales," is led by a Gardens naturalist on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., January to March. It costs $25 including snowshoe rental, suits all ability levels and needs an online sign-up. The self-guided route runs January to March, Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: rent snowshoes and poles at the Education Center for $10, then follow the trails through the gardens and along Gore Creek with a handout describing the points of interest. Adult and youth sizes (ages 5 and up) are available.
Guided tours on and off the mountain
Walking Mountains Science Center, a local nonprofit rather than part of Vail Resorts, runs a guided snowshoe tour from the Nature Discovery Center, a yurt beside the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola in Lionshead. Discover Vail describes the tour as a free one-hour walk through the pine forest, and it resumes in December 2026. Riding the gondola requires a valid ski pass in winter or a scenic ride ticket, and that fare is set by Vail, not Walking Mountains.
For a longer day, two local outfitters run snowshoe tours. Paragon Guides offers a half-day group tour and private half-day or full-day tours from November to April, rated beginner to intermediate; a card is placed on file to book, and cancelling within 48 hours means paying the full tour amount. Apex Mountain School provides snowshoes and trekking poles and tailors tours to your pace. Its guides pick routes that work in varying conditions, and trips are postponed or canceled when conditions are unsafe. Ask either outfitter for current rates.
Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area
This 55,000-acre area of White River National Forest has more than 119 miles of motorized and non-motorized winter trails and is open to snowshoers. It is a multi-use area, so check the map for the non-motorized zones before choosing a route. A pass is required seven days a week, at $10 per person per day or $65 for the season, for ages 16 and up, and the fee is not covered by Interagency or America the Beautiful passes. Fees run from the Saturday after Thanksgiving to mid-April, snow permitting. There are no restrooms or water at the lots, and parking is limited and fills quickly. This is the option for people comfortable in open winter terrain rather than for a first outing.
McCoy Park at Beaver Creek
McCoy Park is a lift-accessed area between Beaver Creek and Bachelor Gulch with 19 kilometers of groomed and rustic trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and views of the Sawatch Range. The Beaver Creek Nordic Sports Center, across from the covered bridge in the Strawberry Park building, rents snowshoes and sells the track access ticket: $71 for adults and $49 for children in 2025/26, when the center ran December 13, 2025, to April 5, 2026. To gauge the drive, see how far Beaver Creek is from Vail.
Booth Lake and other trails outside the networks
The Booth Lake trail climbs the Booth Creek valley through aspen groves past the 60-foot Booth Falls, and the trees thin above 10,000 feet. Anyone heading there by car should know there is no parking at the trailhead or in the surrounding neighborhood, and violators are towed; hikers park at the Vail Village or Lionshead garage and take the East Vail bus, which has a Booth Falls stop. See the Booth Lake trail listing. Any route beyond a groomed trail network is backcountry travel, so follow the avalanche precautions below. Dogs must be on a physical leash on every trail that enters the Eagles Nest Wilderness and on the North Trail.
Planning notes
- Avalanche terrain. Outside a groomed trail network, check the forecast from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, carry a beacon, probe and shovel, and get training. The Forest Service gives the same advice for Vail Pass.
- What to wear. Lighter layers than for downhill skiing, waterproof and wind-resistant outer layers, sunscreen for the high-altitude sun, and water and snacks. How to dress for Vail goes further.
- Timing. See when it snows in Vail before booking a tour with a fixed date.
- Not a fit? What to do in Vail if you do not ski has other winter options, and where to hike in Vail covers the summer trails.
