Vail Stats & Facts: Elevation, Skiable Acres, Lifts, Snowfall (2026–27)
Every number worth knowing about Vail — the mountain and the town — in one place. We check these figures against Vail Resorts' published mountain statistics each season, so writers, planners and the perpetually curious have one page to cite.
Blue Sky Basin, Vail Mountain. Photo: Zach Dischner / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Vail Mountain
Mountain Statistics
The largest ski resort in Colorado and, by Vail Resorts' own count, the second-largest single-mountain ski resort in North America.
- Summit elevation11,570 ft3,527 m
- Base elevation8,120 ft2,475 m
- Vertical drop3,450 ft1,052 m
- Skiable terrain5,317 acres21.5 km²
- Average snowfall354 in899 cm a season
- Trails278named runs
- Lifts32chairlifts & gondolas
- Longest run4 milesRiva Ridge
- Back Bowls7 bowlsnearly 3,000 acres
- OpenedDec 15, 1962opening day
- 18%Beginner
- 29%Intermediate
- 53%Advanced
Records & trivia
Vail Records and Trivia
The extremes, the storms and the stories behind the names, each traced to a published source.
Snow and weather records
- Snowiest season524 in2010–11, Vail Mountain
- Biggest day in town20 inApril 24, 2003
- Snowiest month in town92.5 inJanuary 1996
- Coldest in town−32°FFebruary 2, 1985
- Hottest in town95°FJuly 7, 1989
Vail Mountain's season total is measured at Mid-Vail (before 2000, at Patrol Headquarters, where the previous record was 505 in in 1977–78). Town figures come from the NOAA cooperative weather station in Vail, with daily records from 1985 to 2016; the town's snowiest season there was 280 in (1995–96) and its deepest snow on the ground 67 in (February 21, 1996).
Biggest storms
- February 6–8, 202038 inches in 48 hours on Vail Mountain — one of the five biggest snowfalls in Vail's history, according to Vail Mountain. Ski patrol used a record amount of avalanche-control explosives.
- March 7, 2019An avalanche on Vail Pass closes I-70 in both directions for about 18 hours.
- January 31, 2014Vail Resorts reports its largest 24- and 48-hour snow totals since the 2000–01 season.
- December 24–25, 2008Nearly a foot and a half of snow falls overnight for Christmas morning.
People and names
- Largest in ColoradoAt 5,317 skiable acres, Vail is the biggest ski resort in the state, and Vail Resorts ranks it second in North America among single-mountain resorts, behind Big Sky.
- Named for a highway engineerTown, pass and resort all take the name of Charles Vail, the state highway engineer who routed U.S. 6 over the pass.
- Built as a ski townUnlike Aspen or Breckenridge, Vail was never a mining town; it was planned around skiing from day one.
- Mikaela Shiffrin was born hereThe most successful World Cup ski racer in history was born in Vail in 1995 and trained with Ski & Snowboard Club Vail.
- Lindsey'sThe run once called International was renamed for Lindsey Vonn on February 28, 2010, after her Olympic downhill gold. It hosted the women's speed races at the 1989 and 1999 World Championships.
- Why "China" and "Mongolia"?China Bowl's west wall reminded early skiers of the Great Wall; Siberia and Inner and Outer Mongolia were named for Asia's most remote places. Tea Cup's runs are named after teas.
The price of a day at Vail
- Opening day, 1962$5about $53 in 2025 dollars
- First $100 ticket$1022010–11 holidays
- First $200 in the U.S.$2092018–19 holidays
- First $300 at Vail$3292024–25 holidays
- Epic Pass$579 → $1,0892008 launch → 2026–27
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
| Season | Top window price | Price type | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026–27 | $374 | Peak, announced | |
| 2025–26 | $356 | Holiday peak | |
| 2024–25 | $329 | Holiday peak | |
| 2023–24 | $299 | Holiday peak | |
| 2022–23 | $275 | Peak day | |
| 2021–22 | $239 | Holiday peak | |
| 2020–21 | $229 | Holiday peak | |
| 2019–20 | $219 | Holiday peak | |
| 2018–19 | $209 | Holiday peak | |
| 2017–18 | $199 | Holiday peak | |
| 2015–16 | $175 | Peak | |
| 2014–15 | $159 | Holiday peak | |
| 2013–14 | $139 | Holiday peak | |
| 2012–13 | $129 | Peak (Presidents’ Day) | |
| 2011–12 | $116 | Holiday peak | |
| 2010–11 | $108 | Holiday peak | |
| 2008–09 | $97 | Holiday peak | |
| 2007–08 | $92 | Holiday peak | |
| 2006–07 | $85 | Peak | |
| 2005–06 | $81 | Single rate | |
| 2002–03 | $71 | Single rate | |
| 2001–02 | $67 | Single rate | |
| 1998–99 | $59 | Single rate | |
| 1987–88 | $32 | Single rate | |
| 1962–63 | $5 | Opening rate |
Adult one-day lift ticket bought at the ticket window. Until the mid-2000s Vail published a single daily rate; since then, reported prices are the holiday or peak-day window rate, which is the highest price of the season, so the two halves of the table are not strictly comparable. Seasons without a confirmed price are left out. 1962 conversion uses the BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U 30.2 in 1962, 321.9 in 2025). Sources: Vail Daily, Summit Daily, Aspen Times, Aspen Daily News, Christian Science Monitor, Idaho Mountain Express, TownLift, Steamboat Pilot, KUNC and BizWest.
Town of Vail
Town Quick Facts
The town at the foot of the mountain, in numbers.
- Population4,8352020 U.S. Census
- Town elevation8,239 ft2,511 m
- From Denver~100 milesabout 2 hours west on I-70
- Vail Pass10,662 fton I-70
- IncorporatedAug 23, 1966Eagle County, Colorado
- Town area4.72 sq mi12.2 km²
How Vail compares
Vail vs. Other Big Western Resorts
Each resort's own published figures, side by side, sorted by skiable acres.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
| Resort | Skiable acres | Summit (ft) | Vertical (ft) | Lifts | Trails | Avg snowfall (in) | Peak day ticket | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park City, UT | 7,300 | 10,026 | 3,226 | 41 | 330+ | 355 | $369 | Epic, unlimited |
| Big Sky, MT | 5,850 | 11,166 | 4,350¹ | 40 | 320 | 400 | $289³ | Ikon, 7 days |
| Vail, CO | 5,317 | 11,570 | 3,450 | 32 | 278 | 354 | $374 | Epic, unlimited |
| Snowmass, CO | 3,342 | 12,510 | 4,400² | 20 | 98 | 300 | $279⁴ | Ikon, 7 days⁵ |
| Keystone, CO | 3,149 | 12,408 | 3,128 | 21 | 140 | 235 | $292⁴ | Epic, unlimited |
| Breckenridge, CO | 2,908 | 12,998 | 3,398 | 35 | 187 | 355 | $332 | Epic, unlimited |
| Beaver Creek, CO | 2,082 | 11,440 | 3,340 | 24 | 167 | 323 | $392 | Epic, unlimited |
Figures as published on each resort's own website, checked October 2026. Vertical is summit minus base elevation unless noted. Resorts count trails differently, so compare trail counts loosely. ¹ Big Sky's published vertical, measured to its lowest lift-served point. ² Snowmass publishes several figures; 4,400 ft is the difference between its stated summit and base. Park City spans two connected mountains; Snowmass is one of four Aspen Snowmass mountains (5,758 acres combined). Peak day ticket = adult one-day window price on the busiest days of 2026–27, as reported by TownLift and Storm Skiing Journal. ³ Big Sky has not published a peak price; this is its 2026–27 window price on a sample date. ⁴ 2026–27 not yet published; 2025–26 peak price shown. ⁵ The Ikon Pass gives 7 days shared across Aspen Snowmass's four mountains. Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Park City are owned by Vail Resorts; Snowmass by Aspen Skiing Company; Big Sky by Boyne Resorts.
Season by season
Vail Opening and Closing Days
Actual first and last ski days on Vail Mountain for the last eleven seasons, newest first.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
| Season | Opened | Closed | Days | Snowfall (in)¹ | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026–27 | Fri Nov 13, 2026 | — | — | — | Planned opening, announced August 2026. |
| 2025–26 | Fri Nov 14, 2025 | Wed Apr 8, 2026 | 146 | 164² | Closed 11 days early on a record-low snowpack. |
| 2024–25 | Fri Nov 15, 2024 | Sun Apr 20, 2025 | 157 | 285 | Closed on Easter Sunday. |
| 2023–24 | Fri Nov 10, 2023 | Sun Apr 21, 2024 | 164 | 279 | Earliest opening since 1998. |
| 2022–23 | Fri Nov 11, 2022 | Sun Apr 23, 2023 | 164 | 329 | Vail's 60th-anniversary season. |
| 2021–22 | Fri Nov 12, 2021 | Sun May 1, 2022 | 171 | 231 | Longest season in Vail history; extended from April 24. |
| 2020–21 | Fri Nov 20, 2020 | Sun Apr 18, 2021 | 150 | 218 | Reservations required; extended one week in March. |
| 2019–20 | Fri Nov 15, 2019 | Sat Mar 14, 2020 | 121 | 229 | Season suspended for COVID-19. |
| 2018–19 | Wed Nov 14, 2018 | Sun Apr 21, 2019 | 159 | 281 | Opened two days ahead of schedule. |
| 2017–18 | Wed Nov 22, 2017 | Sun Apr 15, 2018 | 145 | 171 | Opening delayed, then moved up a day. |
| 2016–17 | Fri Nov 25, 2016 | Sun Apr 23, 2017 | 150 | 215 | Latest opening since 1986, for lack of snow. |
| 2015–16 | Fri Nov 20, 2015 | Sun Apr 17, 2016 | 150 | 313 | Closing extended a week, from April 10. |
Days counts opening and closing day inclusive. ¹ Season snowfall as recorded by OnTheSnow, the only source with a figure for every season; Vail Resorts' own published totals, where they exist, run 20–50 inches higher (for example 306 in for 2023–24 and 324 in for 2024–25, per Vail Daily). ² OnTheSnow still labels the 2025–26 figure as season-to-date. Average over these eleven seasons: 152 days (156 excluding the COVID-shortened 2019–20). Sources: Vail Resorts announcements, Vail Daily season reports and OnTheSnow historical snowfall.
History
Vail Timeline
From a highway pass to the largest ski resort in Colorado, in dated milestones.
- 1940U.S. 6 is routed over the pass, named for state highway engineer Charles Vail.
- 1942–1945The 10th Mountain Division trains at Camp Hale, south of today's resort. Future Vail co-founder Pete Seibert serves with the division.
- March 1957Earl Eaton and Pete Seibert climb the mountain and find the Back Bowls.
- December 1959The Vail Corporation is formed with 26 shareholders.
- December 15, 1962Vail opens with one gondola, two chairlifts and a $5 lift ticket.
- August 23, 1966The Town of Vail is incorporated.
- 1968–69 seasonLionshead opens with its own gondola.
- December 22, 1974President Gerald Ford arrives for his first Christmas in Vail as president.
- 1978Interstate 70 is completed over Vail Pass.
- 1988–89 seasonChina Bowl opens, extending the Back Bowls east.
- February 1989Vail hosts the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.
- February 4, 1997Vail Resorts lists on the New York Stock Exchange.
- October 19, 1998Arson destroys Two Elk Lodge and damages lifts on Vail Mountain.
- February 1999The World Championships return, shared by Vail and Beaver Creek.
- January 6, 2000Blue Sky Basin opens.
- March 18, 2008Vail Resorts launches the Epic Pass at $579.
- November 16, 2012Gondola One opens in Vail Village for the resort's 50th-anniversary season.
- February 2015Vail and Beaver Creek host the World Championships for a third time.
- October 12, 2022Camp Hale–Continental Divide National Monument is designated.
- 2022–23 seasonVail turns 60; the new Game Creek Express and Sun Down Express lifts open.
Related VailVacay Guides
- How High Is Vail? 7 Amazing Elevation Facts
- When Does Vail Open and Close? 2026–27 Dates
- Aspen vs. Vail: Which Is Better?
Sources
- Vail Resorts — Vail mountain information and statistics (vail.com), checked October 2026
- TownLift, Storm Skiing Journal, SnowBrains and the Aspen Times — peak lift ticket prices; epicpass.com, ikonpass.com and OnTheSnow — pass access
- Official mountain statistics pages of Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Park City Mountain and Big Sky Resort, and the Aspen Snowmass 2025–26 mountain stats sheet
- Vail Resorts season announcements and Vail Daily reporting — opening and closing days, 2015–2026
- OnTheSnow — Vail historical snowfall by season
- Colorado Snowsports Museum — history of Vail Mountain; Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library — presidential daily diary (December 1974)
- NOAA cooperative weather station “Vail” (058575), via the Western Regional Climate Center — town temperature and snowfall records, 1985–2016
- Vail Daily, RealVail, Vail Magazine, KOAA and Vail Resorts releases — season records, storms, run and bowl names
- Vail Daily, Summit Daily, Aspen Times and other regional press — lift ticket prices by season; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U for inflation
- U.S. Census Bureau — 2020 Census, Town of Vail population and area
- Wikipedia — “Vail, Colorado” (incorporation date) and “Vail Pass” (USGS GNIS elevations for the town and the pass)
Last checked October 2026 for the 2026–27 ski season. Spot a number that needs updating? Let us know — accuracy is the whole point of this page.