Vail sits at about 8,150 feet (2,484 meters) above sea level, according to the Town of Vail. The ski mountain starts slightly lower, at a base elevation of 8,120 feet, and tops out at 11,570 feet, a vertical rise of 3,450 feet. Which number you quote depends on whether you mean the town, the base area or the top of the lifts, but the one that matters most for how you feel is the altitude where you sleep.
How high are Vail's town, mountain and airport?
The Town of Vail averages about 8,150 feet, Vail Mountain runs from an 8,120-foot base to an 11,570-foot summit, and Eagle County Regional Airport, the closest to Vail, sits at 6,547 feet. Vail Pass, on I-70 east of town, tops out at 10,662 feet. Breckenridge's base, at 9,600 feet, is about 1,500 feet higher than Vail's.
| Place | Elevation | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE) | 6,547 ft (1,996 m) | Surveyed elevation in FAA airport data, republished by AirNav |
| Town of Vail, average | 8,150 ft (2,484 m) | Town of Vail |
| Vail Mountain base | 8,120 ft (2,454 m) | Vail Mountain statistics |
| Vail Mountain summit | 11,570 ft (3,527 m) | Vail Mountain statistics |
| Breckenridge base and summit, for comparison | 9,600 ft and 12,998 ft | Breckenridge mountain information |
The 8,150-foot figure is a town-wide average and 8,120 feet is the resort's base elevation. Individual hotels and homes sit above and below both.
How much vertical does Vail Mountain have?
Vail Mountain rises 3,450 feet, from its 8,120-foot base to 11,570 feet at the top of the lifts. Even the base sits above 8,000 feet, the threshold medical guidance uses for altitude illness, so a first ski day on easy terrain, before heading for the high Back Bowls, gives the body time to adjust.
Even the base of Vail Mountain is above the 8,000-foot mark that medical guidance uses as its threshold for altitude illness, and the lifts carry you another 3,450 feet up. That is one reason to spend the first ski day on easy terrain rather than the Back Bowls; how hard the Back Bowls are and when the Back Bowls open cover that terrain.
Vail is lower than its neighbor over the pass: Breckenridge's base is about 1,500 feet higher than Vail's, a difference laid out in Vail or Breckenridge. Vail Pass, on I-70 near Vail, has its own answer in how high Vail Pass is.
Will you get altitude sickness in Vail?
About one in four visitors might. The CDC reports that acute mountain sickness affects about 25 percent of visitors who sleep at 8,000 feet or higher in Colorado, and it names Vail, with lodging at 8,150 feet, as a common high-altitude destination. Symptoms, mainly headache, usually start 2 to 12 hours after arrival.
The guidance in this section comes from the CDC's Yellow Book, the reference used by travel clinicians. It names Vail as a common high-altitude destination, with lodging at 8,150 feet, and reports that acute mountain sickness affects about 25 percent of visitors who sleep at 8,000 feet or higher in Colorado.
- Symptoms resemble a hangover: headache is the main one, often with fatigue, dizziness, nausea or loss of appetite. They usually start 2 to 12 hours after arrival, often during or after the first night.
- Mild altitude sickness is typically self-limited, developing and clearing over one to three days, and it generally resolves in 12 to 48 hours if you do not go higher. Symptoms that begin after three days at the same altitude should not be blamed on altitude.
- Fitness does not predict who is affected. Training and physical fitness do not change the risk, and children are as susceptible as adults.
The body is under the most strain during sleep, and a day trip that ends back at a lower altitude is much easier than a night at height. Your sleeping altitude, not the summit you ski, is what most affects how you feel.
How do you adjust to Vail's altitude in the first 48 hours?
Take it slowly. The CDC's advice for high-altitude arrivals is to avoid alcohol and keep exercise mild for the first 48 hours, keep up your usual coffee, and not go higher to sleep while you have symptoms. Mild altitude sickness generally clears within 12 to 48 hours if you do not climb higher.
The acclimatization checklist in the same chapter translates directly to a Vail arrival day:
- Avoid alcohol for the first 48 hours.
- Keep exercise mild for the first 48 hours.
- If you drink coffee every day, keep drinking it, because withdrawal headaches can be mistaken for altitude headaches.
- Do not go higher to sleep while you have symptoms, however minor. Mild altitude sickness improves quickly with a descent of about 1,000 feet.
- Descend if symptoms worsen despite rest or treatment. Confusion, poor coordination or breathlessness at rest point to the serious forms and need urgent medical help. Chest congestion, a cough or breathlessness out of proportion to your effort are the early signs of altitude-related fluid on the lungs, which the CDC puts at roughly 1 in 10,000 skiers in Colorado.
Travelers with heart or lung conditions, sleep apnea or other underlying medical issues should talk to a physician familiar with high-altitude medicine before they go. Medications for prevention exist, and whether one suits you is a decision for your own doctor.
How much elevation do you gain flying into Vail?
Most of it before you leave the airport. Eagle County Regional Airport sits at 6,547 feet, so a traveler from a coastal city arrives about 6,500 feet higher, and the drive up the valley to Vail adds roughly another 1,600 feet. A light schedule on the first evening helps.
Eagle County Regional Airport, which serves the Vail Valley, sits at 6,547 feet, so you have already gained about 6,500 feet before you leave the terminal. The drive up-valley adds roughly another 1,600 feet by the time you reach the village. Arriving from a coastal city, give the first evening a light schedule. The airports near Vail are compared in their own guide, and the airport's own site is flyege.com.
For dressing and packing for altitude, cold and sun, see how to dress for Vail. If you are still choosing where to sleep, the best hotels in Vail roundup lists the main options.
Does canned oxygen help at Vail's altitude?
Only briefly. The CDC says the handheld oxygen cans sold in mountain towns hold 5 liters at most, too little to help for long. Continuous supplemental oxygen is generally available in mountain resorts, but in the United States it requires a prescription, so talk to a doctor before the trip if you may need it.
Small canned oxygen is sold widely in mountain towns. The popular handheld cans give brief relief but hold too little oxygen (5 liters at most) to help for long. For continuous supplemental oxygen, mountain resorts generally have home oxygen readily available, but a prescription is required in the United States.
