Beaver Creek
1,832 acres, 150 runs near Vail. Luxury resort, World Cup racing, Epic Pass access.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
21 Nov 2026
Closes
11 Apr 2027
Days open
141
Annual snow
232in
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Beaver Creek's summit reaches 11,437 feet, dropping 4,040 vertical feet to a base at 7,398 feet across 150 runs spread over 1,832 acres near Avon, Colorado. Terrain splits 38 per cent beginner, 30 per cent intermediate, 24 per cent advanced and 8 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 232 inches. The resort carries Epic Pass affiliation. Twenty-six lifts, including thirteen quad chairs and one six-person chair, serve the mountain alongside one double chair, one triple chair, three gondolas and seven surface lifts.
Beaver Creek has built a reputation as one of Colorado's most polished, service-oriented luxury resorts, famous for touches like fresh-baked cookies distributed to guests at the end of the ski day. The resort's considerable World Cup racing heritage, hosting the Birds of Prey downhill course, gives it genuine standing among the sport's elite competitive venues.
Earl Eaton and John Burke first explored possible resort opportunities in the area from 1956, though serious planning and negotiations for Beaver Creek did not begin until 1970. The site was initially intended to help host alpine events for the 1976 Winter Olympics, with Denver as the formal host city, but Colorado voters rejected hosting the Games by a margin of three to two, citing transportation, development and environmental concerns.
In 1976, the US Forest Service granted Vail Associates permission to develop the site as ski terrain, with Colorado Governor John Vanderhoof's approval. Groundbreaking took place in July 1977, and Beaver Creek opened for skiing on 15 December 1980 with six chairlifts and a slopeside lodge, going on to host the 1989 Alpine World Ski Championships alongside neighbouring Vail. Adult daily tickets run from 189 to 295 US dollars.
4,042ft
Vertical
150
Runs
1,832 acres
Skiable
232in
Annual snow
Epic
Pass
The Terrain
150 runs across 1,832 acres skiable
Beaver Creek covers 1,832 acres (741 hectares) above Avon in the Vail Valley, with 150 runs. The base sits at 7,400 ft (2,255 m) and the summit at 11,440 ft (3,487 m), a vertical drop of 4,040 ft (1,232 m). Beginner runs account for 38% of the terrain, with 30% intermediate, 24% advanced and 8% expert. Average snowfall is around 232 inches a year. Beginner runs take the largest share, so it suits learners, while the Birds of Prey and Grouse Mountain zones give advanced skiers something to work with.
The Birds of Prey downhill course, which hosts World Cup racing and is served by the Birds of Prey Express, has steep, sustained runs such as Golden Eagle and Peregrine that hold fresh snow longer than the front side. Grouse Mountain delivers fall-line steeps, best on powder days, and Stone Creek Chutes is a hike-to zone of tight lines, cliff drops and deep snow. Intermediate skiers can explore Larkspur Bowl, Rose Bowl and the upper sections of Bachelor Gulch. Beaver Creek suits families, beginners and intermediates, with enough steeps to challenge advanced skiers for a few days.
Terrain split
150
runs
150 runs across 4 grades
Beginner57 runs · 38%
Intermediate45 runs · 30%
Advanced36 runs · 24%
Expert12 runs · 8%
Time it right
When to visit Beaver Creek
The 2025-26 season at Beaver Creek ran from 27 November 2025 to 29 March 2026, a roughly eighteen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 232 inches. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather and World Cup race scheduling.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to Beaver Creek's beginner-and-intermediate-weighted terrain. As an Epic Pass resort within the Vail Resorts network, Beaver Creek draws substantial visitation from Epic Pass holders alongside a genuinely luxury-focused visitor base drawn to the resort's exceptional service standards.
The resort's Birds of Prey World Cup downhill course continues to draw ski racing enthusiasts and spectators during the competitive season. School holiday periods bring substantial family visitation given the resort's considerable beginner-weighted terrain and renowned children's programming. The daily cookie tradition remains a beloved, distinctive touch throughout the season.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations and World Cup racing is not confirmed in available resort information. Since opening in December 1980 following the failed 1976 Olympic bid, Beaver Creek has continued to build on its purpose-built, luxury-focused foundations. The resort's polished service reputation remains central to its seasonal identity.
Season 2026 - 2027
21 Nov 2026
Opens
11 Apr 2027
Closes
141
Days open
232 in
Annual snow
The record
Historical snowfall at Beaver Creek
Daily snow reports at Beaver Creek go back to 2025, 2 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
10 in
Snowiest day
24 Jan 2026
6 in
This winter · 2026-27
so far
113 in
Typical winter
average of complete seasons
Winter totals
in
Past wintersThis winter
Getting there
Getting to Beaver Creek, and where to stay
Beaver Creek sits near Avon, Colorado, in the Vail Valley, with a base elevation of 7,398 feet and a summit at 11,437 feet across a 4,040-foot vertical drop over 1,832 acres. This setting places Beaver Creek within the same broader valley as its considerably larger neighbour, Vail.
Avon and the resort's own purpose-built village provide substantial luxury lodging, dining and shopping directly at the base, giving Beaver Creek a genuinely self-contained, high-end destination-resort character. The broader Vail Valley surrounds the resort with extensive additional amenities.
Interstate 70 provides direct access to the resort via Avon, connecting to the broader Colorado highway network. Winter driving conditions on this route can include snow and ice, though the well-travelled interstate is regularly maintained given the valley's status as a major destination corridor. Complimentary village transportation connects the base area to surrounding lodging.
Eagle County Regional Airport, a short drive away, and Denver International Airport, roughly two hours distant, both serve the resort, with Eagle County offering particularly convenient access for visitors flying directly into the Vail Valley.
Where to stay
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Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Utah Snow Storm Builds Early-Season Base Ahead of November Openings
Rain down low, snow up high, and a snow report full of zeros that mostly means ‘not updated yet’. Utah’s first proper storm of 2026-27 is rolling through the Wasatch, Snowbird’s snow stake is closing in on 10 inches, and Brian Head is five days from opening day. Early November snow rarely looks like much, but it is the layer every November opening date is built on. Here is where it stands.
1 Nov 2026
Sierra Nevada Halloween Storm: Dodge Ridge Forecast to Lead With 19 Inches
Halloween weekend brings a wet, windy storm to the Sierra Nevada. Our five-day forecast has Dodge Ridge on top with 19 in, followed by Bear Valley at 15 in and Mammoth Mountain at 12 in, with most of it landing on Saturday. A winter weather advisory covers the Tahoe Basin and Mono County until 7 AM Sunday, gusts could reach 47 mph and the freezing level swings between 4,900 and 8,700 ft, so some bases will see rain. A dry spell follows from Monday.
31 Oct 2026
Lake Louise Opens Early on 1 November With Juniper Express and Easy Street
The Rockies get their first lift-served turns of the season early. Lake Louise opens Sunday 1 November, five days ahead of schedule, after a cold October and round-the-clock work from the snowmaking and mountain crews. Terrain is limited to Juniper Express Chair and Easy Street, with two small terrain parks and the beginner area for lessons. Opening-day tickets are over 60% off, with prices rising as more lifts open. First chair is at 9:30 am under the resort’s new lift hours.
31 Oct 2026
Kitzbüheler Horn Summit Cable Car to Be Replaced After 70 Years
A Tyrolean summit lift that has been carrying guests up the Kitzbüheler Horn since 1955 is on borrowed time. Its licence runs to 2045, but a new inspection rule has made refurbishment uneconomic, so Bergbahn AG Kitzbühel will spend around €15 million on a replacement on the same line. It should hold roughly 100 people and keep running in winds that would stop today’s lift. Building starts in autumn 2027, which makes this winter and next summer the last chances to ride the old one.
30 Oct 2026
What’s New in Japan Skiing This Winter: Niseko Gondola, a Private Resort and a Bigger Ikon Pass
Niseko Village is replacing a lift from the early 1980s with an eight-person gondola, Tsugaike gets a six-person chairlift, Madarao joins the Ikon Pass and Togari opens Asia’s first private ski resort. Here’s what is actually new in Japan skiing for 2026/27, plus what is still a year or two away.
30 Oct 2026
Wolf Creek Opens on Halloween Weekend as Colorado’s Early Season Gathers Pace
Colorado’s early-season dominoes keep falling. Arapahoe Basin opened on Wednesday, Keystone follows on Friday, and now Wolf Creek is joining in on Saturday 31 October, just in time for Halloween. A storm on 23 and 24 October left 20 inches of natural snow in the San Juans, and three lifts will turn from 9:00 am, covering about 30% of the mountain. Expect rocks, unmarked obstacles and open water, but also Local Appreciation lift tickets at $73 for adults.
30 Oct 2026
Keystone Resort Opens for 2026/27 With More Than Two Miles of Skiing
Keystone is next. After Arapahoe Basin claimed the first chairlift skiing of the season on Wednesday, Keystone opens on Friday 30 October at 9:00 am with more than two miles of snowmaking-built terrain on Schoolmarm and Silver Spoon, plus free donuts, coffee and a live DJ. Last year the order was reversed, when Keystone squeezed in a three-hour afternoon session to beat A-Basin by a day. Snowmaking has been running since 15 October.
29 Oct 2026
Beaver Creek Installs 16 Automated Snow Guns on Birds of Prey Ahead of Record World Cup
Beaver Creek is getting ready for the biggest Birds of Prey ever, and this time it is not leaving the snow to chance. Crews started making snow on 27 October with 16 newly installed automated guns on the lower third of the course, after last December’s warm spell forced a downhill off the schedule. Seven races across two weekends run from 3 to 13 December, the most the course has hosted since its 1997 debut, and the guns start themselves whenever the weather allows.
29 Oct 2026
Beaver Creek Lift System
Beaver Creek runs twenty-six lifts: one double chair, thirteen quad chairs, one six-person chair, one triple chair, three gondolas and seven surface lifts, serving 150 runs across 1,832 acres. This extensive, high-end network reflects the resort's origins as a purpose-built development rather than an organically grown ski area.
The original six chairlifts installed for Beaver Creek's 15 December 1980 opening, following groundbreaking in July 1977 under Vail Associates, established a considerably more polished infrastructure than typical of ski areas developed decades earlier, benefiting from the resort's origins as a near-Olympic-calibre venue.
The thirteen quad chairs and three gondolas now distribute the bulk of skier traffic across Beaver Creek's beginner-and-intermediate-weighted terrain, supporting the resort's reputation for exceptional grooming and guest service. This substantial lift count relative to the resort's acreage reflects decades of investment aimed at minimising lift lines and maximising the luxury guest experience.
Since Vail Resorts assumed ownership as part of Vail Associates' broader operations, continued investment has supported this twenty-six-lift network as part of the Epic Pass system. Specific recent individual lift replacement projects are not confirmed in available resort information. Beaver Creek's extensive, high-capacity lift infrastructure remains central to its luxury service reputation.
26lifts across 6 types
3
Gondolas
1
6-Person Chair
13
Quad Chairs
1
Triple Chair
1
Double Chair
7
Surface Lifts
Beaver Creek lift system
Beaver Creek is served by 26 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.
More Beaver Creek intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.