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Vail Recreation District

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 Vail, 81657

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About

The Vail Recreation District is the public agency behind most of Vail's organized sport off the ski hill: the golf course that turns into a Nordic center in winter, the clay tennis courts, the pickleball center at Golden Peak, the ice arena, the gymnastics gym, the skatepark and the Imagination Station for young children. Its office is at 700 South Frontage Road East, in the Bill Wright Tennis Center building.

It matters to visitors because nearly everything is open to guests as well as residents. You can book a tennis court, drop in for pickleball, reserve a tee time or sign a child up for a week of summer camp without a membership. Residents pay less for some passes, and the FAQ lists visitor rates where they are published.

At this address: tennis

The Bill Wright Tennis Center has eight Har-Tru clay courts looking toward the Gore Range, with Gore Creek running just below. It opens from June through October, with a pro shop, racket and ball-machine rentals, private lessons, clinics, weekly social play and week-long junior camps. Courts are booked through the pro shop.

Summer and fall

Warm-weather options include golf, tennis, pickleball, athletic fields, youth camps and a long race calendar: trail runs, mountain bike races and a whitewater series. The trail series includes a race on the Berry Picker Trail to Eagle's Nest.

Winter

When snow covers the golf course, the district runs it as the Vail Nordic Center for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and fat biking. Dobson Arena, back after a renovation, adds public skating and hockey from November 2026, and winter pickleball moves indoors to Red Sandstone Elementary School.

Families

The Imagination Station in Lionshead is an indoor play and art space that works in any season, and the gymnastics center runs open gyms and classes. Summer day camps and sports camps take visiting children as well as locals; registration is online through the district's new booking system.

Facilities the district runs

Vail Golf Club: the district's 18-hole public course at 1775 Sunburst Drive, with a driving range, lessons, leagues and a pro shop. Book tee times through the district; the 2026 season closes October 11.

Grill on the Gore: the restaurant in the Vail Golf & Nordic Clubhouse, open to the public, with a patio facing the Gore Range. It serves golfers in summer and Nordic skiers in winter and also hosts weddings and events.

Vail Nordic Center: the winter use of the golf course, with groomed skate and classic track, snowshoe trails, fat bike trails, rentals, lessons and a pro shop. Suits beginners and fitness skiers alike.

Dobson Arena: Vail's indoor ice arena on East Lionshead Circle, reopening in November 2026 after a renovation, for public skating, hockey programs and events. Park in the Lionshead Parking Structure.

Imagination Station: a year-round, reservation-based discovery zone for children, with art and science projects, virtual reality and Paint Your Own Pottery, at 395 East Lionshead Circle. An adult must stay with children.

Vail Gymnastics Center: the district's gym for open gyms, youth classes, competitive programs, summer camps and birthday parties.

Golden Peak Pickleball Center: six outdoor cushioned courts at 461 Vail Valley Drive, between Vail Village and Ford Park, with staffed drop-in play and online court reservations. Parking on site is limited.

Zeke M. Pierce Skatepark: a free outdoor skatepark at the Lionshead Parking Structure with a mini-bowl and full-size halfpipe. Helmets are required.

Sources: Vail Recreation District, contact, facilities, tennis, pickleball, Nordic Center, Imagination Station, Dobson Arena. Checked September 23, 2026.

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Vail Recreation District
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Location
700 S Frontage Rd E
Vail, 81657

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About Vail Recreation District

Quick answer: Vail Recreation District is a business at 700 S Frontage Rd E, Vail, CO 81657. Vail Recreation District: public tennis, pickleball, golf, Nordic skiing, ice skating, kids' camps and races in Vail, open to visitors.

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The Vail Recreation District is the public agency behind most of Vail's organized sport off the ski hill: the golf course that turns into a Nordic center in winter, the clay tennis courts, the pickleball center at Golden Peak, the ice arena, the gymnastics gym, the skatepark and the Imagination Station for young children. Its office is at 700 South Frontage Road East, in the Bill Wright Tennis Center building.

It matters to visitors because nearly everything is open to guests as well as residents. You can book a tennis court, drop in for pickleball, reserve a tee time or sign a child up for a week of summer camp without a membership. Residents pay less for some passes, and the FAQ lists visitor rates where they are published.

At this address: tennis

The Bill Wright Tennis Center has eight Har-Tru clay courts looking toward the Gore Range, with Gore Creek running just below. It opens from June through October, with a pro shop, racket and ball-machine rentals, private lessons, clinics, weekly social play and week-long junior camps. Courts are booked through the pro shop.

Summer and fall

Warm-weather options include golf, tennis, pickleball, athletic fields, youth camps and a long race calendar: trail runs, mountain bike races and a whitewater series. The trail series includes a race on the Berry Picker Trail to Eagle's Nest.

Winter

When snow covers the golf course, the district runs it as the Vail Nordic Center for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and fat biking. Dobson Arena, back after a renovation, adds public skating and hockey from November 2026, and winter pickleball moves indoors to Red Sandstone Elementary School.

Families

The Imagination Station in Lionshead is an indoor play and art space that works in any season, and the gymnastics center runs open gyms and classes. Summer day camps and sports camps take visiting children as well as locals; registration is online through the district's new booking system.

Facilities the district runs

Vail Golf Club: the district's 18-hole public course at 1775 Sunburst Drive, with a driving range, lessons, leagues and a pro shop. Book tee times through the district; the 2026 season closes October 11.

Grill on the Gore: the restaurant in the Vail Golf & Nordic Clubhouse, open to the public, with a patio facing the Gore Range. It serves golfers in summer and Nordic skiers in winter and also hosts weddings and events.

Vail Nordic Center: the winter use of the golf course, with groomed skate and classic track, snowshoe trails, fat bike trails, rentals, lessons and a pro shop. Suits beginners and fitness skiers alike.

Dobson Arena: Vail's indoor ice arena on East Lionshead Circle, reopening in November 2026 after a renovation, for public skating, hockey programs and events. Park in the Lionshead Parking Structure.

Imagination Station: a year-round, reservation-based discovery zone for children, with art and science projects, virtual reality and Paint Your Own Pottery, at 395 East Lionshead Circle. An adult must stay with children.

Vail Gymnastics Center: the district's gym for open gyms, youth classes, competitive programs, summer camps and birthday parties.

Golden Peak Pickleball Center: six outdoor cushioned courts at 461 Vail Valley Drive, between Vail Village and Ford Park, with staffed drop-in play and online court reservations. Parking on site is limited.

Zeke M. Pierce Skatepark: a free outdoor skatepark at the Lionshead Parking Structure with a mini-bowl and full-size halfpipe. Helmets are required.

Sources: Vail Recreation District, contact, facilities, tennis, pickleball, Nordic Center, Imagination Station, Dobson Arena. Checked September 23, 2026.

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Amenities at Vail Recreation District

  • Public facilities
  • Online registration
  • Camps
  • Adult leagues
  • Race series
  • Scholarships

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Vail Recreation District?
The Vail Recreation District (VRD) is a public special district, separate from the Town of Vail, that runs most of Vail's organized recreation off the ski mountain: the golf course and Nordic center, the ice arena, the clay tennis courts, the pickleball center, the gymnastics center, the skatepark, the Imagination Station children's space and the athletic fields, plus camps, leagues, tournaments and race series for residents and guests. It is governed by a five-member elected board.
Where is the Vail Recreation District office, and how do I contact it?
The administration office is at 700 South Frontage Road East, Vail, CO 81657, on the first floor of the Bill Wright Tennis Center building. It is open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except holidays. Phone (970) 479-2279; email [email protected]. Each facility also has its own address and phone, see the facility listings.
Can visitors use VRD facilities, or is it residents only?
Visitors are welcome. The golf course, tennis and pickleball courts, Nordic Center, Dobson Arena, Imagination Station, camps, leagues and races are all open to guests, and no membership is required to book a tee time, a court or a week of camp. Some season passes are priced lower for VRD taxpayers/residents, or sold only to them, on proof of residency.
What facilities does the Vail Recreation District run?
Vail Golf Club and, on the same site in winter, the Vail Nordic Center (1775 Sunburst Drive, with the Grill on the Gore restaurant and clubhouse); Bill Wright Tennis Center (eight clay courts, at the district office address); Golden Peak Pickleball Center; Dobson Arena in Lionshead; the Imagination Station and the Community Programming Room; the Vail Gymnastics Center; Zeke M. Pierce Skatepark; and the Vail Athletic Fields at Ford Park, on Vail Valley Drive and at Donovan Park. VRD also runs programs in borrowed venues (school gyms) and in the White River National Forest.
How do I register for camps, classes, passes or races?
Online through VRD's registration system, FinnlyConnect, at vail.finnlyconnect.com. It is a new system, so everyone needs to create a new account, even if you registered with VRD before. A few things are booked through the facility instead: tee times through the golf club, tennis courts through the Bill Wright pro shop at (970) 479-2294.
Can visiting children join VRD camps?
Yes. VRD's summer day camps (Camp Vail, Pre Kamp Vail, Extreme Camp Vail and others) and its sports camps, soccer, gymnastics, tennis, golf, lacrosse, basketball, skateboarding and more, take visiting children as well as locals, and registration is through FinnlyConnect. During the school year, KidZone runs after-school and school's-out camps. Financial help exists: VRD's scholarship fund can be used for any VRD youth program.
What does VRD run in winter, and what closes?
Winter flips the map. The golf course becomes the Vail Nordic Center for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and fat biking; Dobson Arena carries public skating and hockey; pickleball moves indoors to Red Sandstone Elementary School; and adult leagues play in school gyms. The clay tennis courts and the Zeke M. Pierce Skatepark close for the winter, the skatepark is also closed whenever snow is present. The Imagination Station and gymnastics center run year-round.
Does VRD run the Vail Nature Center or the Vail Art Studio?
No to both, despite the confusing names. The Vail Nature Center is operated by Walking Mountains Science Center for the Town of Vail, VRD ran programs there in earlier years, but the program was transferred to the Town. The Vail Art Studio in Ford Park is a Town of Vail Art in Public Places facility; VRD's own "Art Studio" is an art program inside its Imagination Station in Lionshead.
Are there races and leagues for adults?
Yes, year-round. VRD runs the Vail Trail Running Series, the town mountain bike race series, the Vail Whitewater Race Series and winter uphill and snowshoe races, plus adult leagues for softball, soccer, volleyball, basketball, flag football, cornhole, golf and ice hockey, and tournaments including the Vail Lacrosse Shootout and King of the Mountain Volleyball. Registration is through FinnlyConnect; the Sports Department is at [email protected], (970) 479-2280.
Who runs the district, and can the public attend meetings?
A five-member elected Board of Directors sets VRD policy; board members must be Vail residents or property owners, and elections are held every two years in May. The board meets at 5 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month (the second Thursday in November and December) at the Vail Town Council Chambers, and public input is always the first item on the agenda. Email the board at [email protected].

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