This was my Sawatch range finisher and it was a grueling, but rewarding hike. I clocked about 12…read moremiles round trip with over 5K of elevation. The downhill was the hardest! Definitely tough on the joints. Much of the hike was in the dark to begin, so it felt like it took forever to get back since nothing looked familiar. It's a beautiful mountain with no technical skills required despite the elevation and length. I thought the scramble was great fun-harder class 2 but still easy with little exposure. Going through half moon pass is beautiful and offers stunning views of the mountain, but I definitely had an "oh sh*t" moment when I saw how far away it was. I brought my friend with me who did this as her first 14er which is pretty bad ass! I think if you choose this as your first, you could easily do all of the class 1 and 2s without a problem. There is one river crossing and so many pretty flowers when I went. A great challenging hike with beautiful scenery! I'd recommend camping at half moon campground the night before so it's easy to get an early start.

Obviously you can't summit now. It's covered in snow! This is a favorite among Colorado Fourteeners…read morethough. Just had to review. Expect at least 12 miles roundtrip from the closest trailhead. If you start closer to Minturn, it could be a 20. Truly enjoyable with lots of variation and a tight drop off bend as you approach the pinnacle. It has the visuals of where a sherpa would live with their goat. Truly awesome.

We loved dropping by here! With my morning coffee in hand, I grabbed my hubs & daughter for this…read moreobligatory morning walk. The nature trail was calling our names! I loved the sounds from the flowing stream that hugged the trail we walked on. Just as we were ready to end our walk, the Nature Center had opened up, so we stepped inside. The staff member who was in there was super nice and answered the many questions we had about wildlife in the area. There were taxidermied animals from the area, so it was neat to learn about them, too. They had plenty of reading materials, too. This was walking distance from the Manor Lodge, Ford Park, Betty Ford Alpine Gardens and Vail Village. If you're looking for an area to come walk, while you're visiting the area, this is a perfect place to stroll while drinking your morning coffee or tea. I hope to back in the near future.

Lucy was our guide this morning. she was very knowledgeable about the wildflowers we were seeing in…read morethe area. She handled all our questions, even from the children. The area was so lovely as we walked right next to Gore Creek. It was a beautiful, natural spot a very short way from the center of Vail Village . Parking was easy and the free buses took us right to the trail leading down to the Nature Center. The wildflower walk was about 1 hour but she told us about 2 or 3 other loop trails in the area. We will be back to see more.

Five star rating for having a clean restroom at the TH. Yes, an auto flushing toilet, uriners, sink…read moreand the Excelrator hand dryer. Baby changing station, too. Vail, you are living up to the expectations. ** no parking at the TH (trail head). only drop off. see below ** How to get to the TH. Park at the Vail transportation center. See my Google photos. Just east of Village Center Dr. and Frontage Road. Go thru the gated parking. Come back to the west side of the transportation center and look for a "hiker" bus. There will be several other buses that look similar. May need to wait until the bus makes the loop. This is the only way to get to the TH. Hiker bus staffed by very friendly drivers will make a few stops before the TH drop off. On your return trip, will need to take the same shuttle back to the parking lot but will be marked as "East Vail" To find the TH, walk up to the north side (away from the main road), following the paved road for about 2000 feet while admiring beautiful homes. When you see the 5 min drop zone parking and the welcome sign, you are ready! Lots of elevation gain, walking thru the aspen forest and over a few creeks. About 2 miles to the fall, and another 2 miles to the lake. Enjoy! During the aspen season, there is not much water at the creek. If you want to see the columbine, need to be here around May.

Amazing hike just minutes away from Whistler village! Had a blast with beautiful waterfall views at…read morethe end! It's more of a challenging hike being at altitude and there are a couple of steep inclines but it is relatively easy to navigate and the scenery is beautiful! Park at Vail Village and take the free bus to the trail. It's about 4 or so miles round trip and it was not too busy when we visited! Go early before the sun gets too intense in summer and it's a great experience!

So winter it is a totally different hike/snowshoe than that of the summer…read more We did a hut trip up to Walter's cabin ( reserve it...it is really great). So on paper a 3 mile 600 foot elevation hike sounds mild......but I encountered 1-2 feet of fresh powder trekking up to the ridge. Stunning views and vistas will reward you Not to mention I led us up to a 35 degree slope with a lovely, yet amazingly dangerous cornice of unstable snow. Anyone with ATA knowledge knows this is how to easily die. So be careful in the Winter. Over all this is an amazing place right off of I70. Easy drive from Denver etc. Highly recommened.

Beautiful hike not too far from Denver. The trailhead was nearly empty at around 10:30AM on a…read moreSaturday morning -- nice not to have the usual parking battle! The trail was well marked and maintained, and the trailhead has restrooms. As of late June, wildflowers were popping. The trail was quite muddy, but well worth it for the amazing 360 degree views from the top; it was so cool feeling surrounded by mountain ranges on all sides!

The Village Loop trail is one of the easier trails which is good for families or someone who…read moredoesn't want to go on a strenuous hike. It is slightly elevated so there is not a lot of uphill hiking. It goes around the Beaver Creek resort so you will see some nature along with buildings while walking below the ski lifts. This is also used as a bike trail so it is good to be aware so you can share the trail. The trail is pretty thin so at times it is challenging to get out of the way. It is preferred you stay on the trail to prevent erosion. The trail isn't too far from restrooms , restaurants and shopping since it is so close to the resort. The village loop is a little more than a mile long

This is a lovely and perfectly located public space to catch a breather from village pace. Also…read moregreat for dog walking. Two paws up!

Huge playground next to the Vail Nature Center and the Betty Ford Gardens. After you walk around…read morethe trails at the nature center the kids will love the forts, slides, basketball court and the adjoining enormous lawn area. Great way to spend an hour or two with a child.

How could you not give this wonderful hike anything less than 5 stars!?!?…read moreThere is plenty of free parking at the base. The walk to the trails is all up hill with trees and nature all around you. Once you get to the main trails you have options. There are old mining buildings for photo ops (or GASP just to sit there and take in all that God has created). There is a slight incline flat trail that leads to another building surrounded by the gorgeous and colorful wildflowers OR you can go to the right and go up the mountain (this is what we chose to do even though it looks daunting when you are at the bottom). I have never been on a 14'er but I do not see how it could be any better or more breath taking than the views I saw. Once you get to the top there is a rocky mountain that you can also climb. If you have brought snacks or any food save it until you go to the top of the mountain. There are so many places you can sit and soak it all in. Why rush down since you made up here. There is so much to take in. There are turquoise water areas to gaze at, other mountain tops and feel free to reenact the Sound of Music "Hills Are Alive"! Luckily I was there late July and the wildflowers were in full bloom. TIP: They are not the lightest thing to carry but bring your real camera for photos. Do NOT trample the wildflowers to get a mediocre phone photo for your IG. Let nature live and stand by the path for a photo. Hiking/walking sticks are great but if you forgot yours (like I did) it will not be a big deal.

Beautiful short little trail ! Highly recommend a visit ! Will be back again soon :) Pretty easy to…read moredo as well!

The guides that teach are unprofessional. They are constantly on their phones when they send the…read morekids off to explore, which is more like playing. They give them many of those opportunities, too. At one point, one of them was on the phone and cheering about getting something like a job. I wasn't sure. The other guide joined her and started cheering. They also encourage the kids to use the bathroom outdoors since that's what they would do in nature. I didn't know that and had nothing, such as tissue, to give to the kids. I don't recommend them.

Walking Mountains has been nothing but wonderful during our visit to the Vail Valley. One of the…read morebest parts is their customer service! Because of Covid, they're requiring registration for their free events, which we had to switch around a bit while we were here in Vail for the week. They were all so courteous and helpful. Always giving me other options if something wasn't working out. The backcountry guided snowshoe hike, led by Nathan, was phenomenal!! He took us to West Lake Creek trail. We hiked for about 3 miles total. And he gave us low elevation folks plenty of stops to thoroughly catch our breath. And of course, we learned all about the science of snow while we rested. He also taught us about animal tracks and habitats, avalanches, wildfires, snow pack, water content in snow, etc. (Snowshoes were included.) Thank you Nathan and the entire Walking Mountain crew!

The north loop trail also know as North Vail Trail or North Trail 1896. The trail head is located…read moreless than a mile into Buffehr Creek Rd west Vail. It is a beautiful moderate trail for hike or dog walk. The split loop trail is a 6.4 mile round trip with elevation gain of 1270 feet. It is up to you how far you want to do. During the fall season, the leave change to golden color and very attractive. It is great outdoor activity. We did not finish the trail, we only try a mile to enjoy the fall color. The trail is very nice. The trail head only have a few parking space. So get there early will help.

I love that the ONE other Yelp review highlights photos from the fall, while mine showcases how…read moreGORGEOUS this park is when it's snowing. My partner and I strolled around the perimeter one morning in Vail, admiring the mountains and frozen lake. The swing, bridge, and benches are very well-maintained. Would love to come to a community event here someday, whether it's a picnic or concert. Must be a blast!!

Lovely area to stop by any time during the day or night for beautiful, ever-changing natural…read morescenery. It is right next to Avon public library, rec center.