This garden one of the world's highest botanical gardens at an 8,200 feet altitude in the Rocky Mountains. We did a family trip up to the mountains for a couple of days and on our way back home, we stopped by the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens because I knew my mother in-law loved flowers and I thought she would enjoy it here. We parked in the parking lot next to the big open field. Unfortunately there was an event that day and we had to pay I think $10 (can't remember the exact amount). I guess it evened out since the garden is free? Anywho, the garden was a short walk from the parking lot. It's named after the former first lady who preferred Vail as their vacation spot and helped the community flourish to what it is today. There's signage throughout the garden to read about Betty Ford, the plants, and wild life. It's a small garden, but there are plants from all over the world and we enjoyed strolling through the various paths. My mother in-law enjoyed it as well, so mission accomplished! If you're in the area and love plants and flowers, it's worth a quick stop, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. read more

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An absolutely beautiful botanical garden that the family didn't expect to be found in the ski town of Vail. The garden focused on alpine trees, plants, and flowers. It was so peaceful and enchanting to walk around the garden. In addition to plants and flowers, we also saw lots of butterflies and hummingbirds. Admission and parking were free, donation gladly welcome. read more

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Beautiful wildflower and native plant garden nestled in between mountains. Easy walk from Vail.

I absolutely love this garden. Plan ahead, if you're coming on a weekend or there's a concert because parking is limited. Even though you're nestled right up against noisy, I-70, it's so tranquil and peaceful in the gardens. You can meander for quite some time without seeing the same thing twice. There is so much to take in. And the smells! The beautiful mountain air combined with the fresh flowers was heavenly. read more

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Very family friendly plave and has a wonderful Play ground. Place is spacious and even has some tennis courts read more

Betty Ford Alpine Gardens - Plave have a wonderful Play ground for children of all ages. Large ground to run around. - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Vail, Colorado

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Absolutely beautiful! The gardens are perfectly maintained, the view of the mountains are stunning, and there's a children's area as well. Perfect for the whole family. It's also right by a playground as well as a big green area for picnicking read more

Betty Ford Alpine Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Vail, Colorado

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Amazing setting of native alpine wildflowers. A quick and easy stroll from VV. Hands-down must.

We came here the first week of October. There was still lots to see. The grounds are quite nice and fun to walk around. There is a gift shop that had a video about the Earth. Fun little diversion. read more

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We loved visiting these gardens! It's part of a park that has other hiking trails which was a nice surprise. It's close enough to vail village to walk there, which allowed us to grab a coffee too! read more

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A nice free garden close to Vail Village and free parking by the Visitor Center - very scenic and easy walk along the waters. I went on Memorial Day and not much was blooming, but the weather was nice and it was a relaxing park area nonetheless. There's a kids' playground, an educational center with activities for kids, and a tool shed you can sign up to help garden! Great for families to enjoy and some good photo ops! You can breeze through quickly or take your time to enjoy and maybe have a picnic! read more

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Absolutely beautiful garden! They had alpine plants from all over the world. Staff friendly too. read more

Betty Ford Alpine Gardens - Forget me not - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Vail, Colorado

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When in Vail do yourself a favor and please visit Betty Ford Alpine Gardens. It is absolutely gorgeous and plenty to and see. This botanic garden has some of the most beautiful flowers, walkways, waterfalls and much more. This beautifully maintained park worth visiting. read more

Beautiful gardens and ponds, with lots of informational signs, and markers identifying the plants, flowers and trees. Just a short walk from the village. Free, but you are welcome to make a donation in the box. read more

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Great free park close to the village. Neat bridges and water features. Very pretty at Fall Color time. Definitely worth a trip. Easy walk from parking garage. read more

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It's pretty small, but it's really a nice collection of plants thoughtfully organized, easy to access, and free.

Always a beautiful and well-maintained property with a naturally captivating ambiance. It never disappoints, nestled in the mountains and saturated with stunning colors and trees. A must-see if in the area!! read more

Betty Ford Alpine Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Vail, Colorado

Beautiful free (they do ask for a donation) park when you're coming in to Vail from the East. The parking was a little confusing as I didn't notice the gardens specifically marked, but just park for the amphitheater. It's a short walk to the gardens. There are peaceful places to sit and relax or you can walk around and look at beautiful flowers. read more

My family really enjoyed walking through these gardens. Nicely landscaped and gorgeous views!!! No required donations but it's suggested to donate $5pp. It's definitely worth it. read more

The Alpine Gardens is truly a local treat! The landscaping and dedication to plant placement is just breathtaking. I can't believe this place is donations only. It's such a treat to come here and walk the gardens. There is also an amphitheater, a very nice playground, an education center. There are many water features through out the grounds. The whole experience is very enjoyable especially in the summer when the plants are blooming. I highly recommend stopping by here when you visit Vail. It is worth your time. read more

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Beautiful flowers, lovely little trails and is so peaceful. The flowers are very just gorgeous and it's easy to get to from manor vail Lodge bridge. Cute park for kids too read more

Wasn't sure where to enter the garden. Just follow the signs to the parking lot and enter where it says Ford Park. Veer to the right after you pass the amphitheater. It's a short walk to the entrance to the gardens. I went the first week in October and the temp had dropped to 23 the night before. Although most of the plants were frozen the fall foliage was beautiful. Still very peaceful and beautiful. read more

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This was an absolute treat to have walking distance from the lodge we stayed at. Though the space was small, it was so such a tranquil place with so many beautiful flowers and plants. There were even benches to sit and enjoy the scenery. It's also next door to the park and the outdoor theatre. We walked around a few times and sat down for awhile to enjoy the fresh air. This was my first time in Vail and there was so much to see. I'd definitely come back here and love on this garden some more. It is walking distance to so much of what Vail has to offer. I can't wait to visit again! read more

Absolutely beautiful. Its a short walk, and in the middle of the park, but so many different kinds of plant species, and some good photo spots. Love that it is FREE! read more

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A wonderful arboreal experience! The number of varied plants and trees is stunning and makes any day one of discovery. The significant plants are marked for identification. We usually spend a couple hours looking through the multi-tiered gardens. read more

The only access way is to park your car at Golden Peak lot right at the base of River Bahn express lift. It's just south of the Manor Ridge Lodge, address is: 595 Vail Valley Dr, Vail, CO 81657 From Manor Ridge Lodge walk directly east across Gore Creek via a wooden bridge to arrive at basketball court, playground, and the entrance to Alpine Gardens. Due to all the construction, we had to circle couple times to find this place but it's totally worth it and it should be the #1 attraction in Vail. Free admission with donations encouraged. read more

The Betty Ford Alpine Gardens were designed so that as you are enveloped in one, you can't really know what is around the next turn. But they were all spectacular. The statuary, sculpture, & elements of nature were blended seamlessly. I took each scene in silently, preferring to tour alone ~ though Docent-led Tours are available. It was a sunny 80-degree day with less than 20 people around. The paths gradually kept climbing to an altitude of 8,200'. Several water elements were incorporated, including ponds & stairway waterfalls. Colorful wildflower accents were interspersed throughout the gardens ~ Photos do not do them justice. I spent 2 hours here, & could have stayed longer. read more

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Very nice facility with lots of resting places and shade. ADA accessible sidewalk and paths throughout. Small raised garden area with gift shop. Interesting art installment. Finding the place was an excruciating exercise in navigation. Small signs, not near any kind of entrance confused us. We actually went all the way around, over the river, following small sign posts that we concluded were for pedestrians and bicyclists but had no indication that they were. We found out later that the signage is regulated by the city. Not a good way to attract repeat visitors. Otherwise, a great place to visit! read more

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The garden was easy to get to because the bus line that runs within Vail goes straight there. The bus fare is free and so is the entry to the garden . They do ask for donations which you can place in their donation box. I was there during off season so unfortunately their gift shop was closed. There are benches around the park where you can sit have a picnic, read or just relax. I enjoyed sitting by the little waterfalls... the sound was soothing. I just sat there admiring the Aspens changing color. I also noticed people riding their bikes and a playground for the kids. In front of the garden on the side there is also a mini trail that goes along a creek . It's about a five minute trek that has plenty of shade and places to sit. This is a great place to spend some time if you are waiting on a movie, wanting to take a walk after lunch or just have quiet time to ponder your thoughts. read more

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Absolutely gorgeous! The garden has multiple areas for children including a playground and many beautiful views for adults. It's also directly next to a river that you can splash around in. We had the luck of getting to listen to a rehearsal from the amphitheater in the garden. It's also free! I'll definitely make my way here again soon. read more

Betty Ford Alpine Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Vail, Colorado

Every time while in Vail, this is a must see. A relaxing stroll through the varied gardens with lovely waterfalls makes for a perfect afternoon. The amphitheater was closed during the day but next visit will make sure to check out the timing for the free concerts! I wished my gardens looked liked this!! read more

Beautiful gardens well maintained. No fee free parking donations appreciated. Some low hills to climb. Stunning rock gardens and waterfalls. read more

Beautiful Garden with flowers. The best place to take pictures at! A must to check out when you are in town! read more

Betty Ford Alpine Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Vail, Colorado

I recently spent an afternoon in the gardens when visiting Vail. The gardens are very pretty and relaxing. There are a lot of benches that face the most amazing views. It is a great place to enjoy nature and learn about high altitude plants and Colorado's amazing climate. There is a play ground for the kids that is very nice and a big grassy park. Also, there are several art pieces that are neat to see. The gardens are free to visit and you can even take the free shuttle from Vail Village to the Vail Mountain ticketing office, then the gardens are a short walk away. Once you get to the gardens, there is a little schoolhouse that has some historical information about Vail and the surrounding area too. There is a $5 suggested donation, but the garden is free. Also, there is a kids garden and they even have gardening tools so the kids can learn about gardening. I highly recommend visiting the gardens when in Vail during the summer. read more

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We stopped by to visit in early September.Maybe that is why the garden did not have many flowers. But we truly enjoyed the overall landscaping. read more

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Free snowshoe rental! Where can you get anything for free in Vail? All they ask is a donation since the facility is run in volunteer work. You can snowshoe out the front door on a little loop trail, and can cross over to the groomed bike trails near the golf course to extend your snowshoe walk. They'll even give you a map to take with you on your guided hike. It's not a challenging hike but a nice alternative on a break from skiing. I'll have to come back in the summer to check it out! read more

Gorgeous garden area to walk around, enjoy the beautiful outdoors, sit on a bench to people watch, etc. There are also public restrooms nearby. A lovely place to stop by and relax! read more

I visited the second week of July and everything was blooming. Amazing garden full of alpine plants. I saw spruces, conifers, prickly pears, columbines, rock plants, and more. I especially love the edibles section of this garden full of herbs and edible flowers. There's awesome sculptural plant artwork too. A must see for flora lovers when in Vail. read more

This was recommended to us while traveling through beaver creek with kids. It's an absolute must while in the area. Cool playground, Lots of nature for kids to explore, interesting hay structures my kids could have played in for hours.... what a special place! read more

Very nice - it's not super-easy to find; we basically walked past the tennis courts and down behind the amphitheater to find it. Due to the location, we weren't sure what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised to find this beautiful garden with no admission charge. (However, donations are encouraged, and you should happily give if you can.) I loved the complete focus on the native plants - there was no attempt to force in some landscape that didn't belong in the area. It really opened your eyes to the large number of gorgeous flowers and greenery that belong right there in Vail. And for all the non-native plant lovers, the pots they decorate with around the park are filled with gorgeousness. It was extremely easy to get around the gardens (and we found the easier way to get to it by just going around the tennis courts). But it was worth the walk! read more

First of all, Betty Ford Alpine Gardens are FREE!! Woohoo! I love places that charge just donations. The gardens are beautiful. I loved the natural stairs and the waterfalls. There were tons of varieties of columbines as well. It's the perfect place to relax and enjoy a beautiful day! read more