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    Colorado, Usa · Epic

    Beaver Creek

    1,832 acres, 150 runs near Vail. Luxury resort, World Cup racing, Epic Pass access.

    Season 2025 - 2026
    Opens
    27 Nov 2025
    Closes
    29 Mar 2026
    Days open
    122
    Annual snow
    19ft
    The Overview
    MF
    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
    19ft
    Annual snow
    Epic
    Pass
    The Terrain

    150 runs across 1,832 acres skiable

    Beaver Creek spreads 150 runs across 1,832 acres skiable of terrain. It leans beginner at 38%, with 57 beginner runs to find your feet and 48 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.

    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 2025 - 2026
    27 Nov 2025
    Opens
    29 Mar 2026
    Closes
    122
    Days open
    19 ft
    Annual snow
    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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    Hotels and lodges near Beaver Creek, powered by Stay22.

    Latest News

    From the SnowStash desk

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    31 Aug 2026
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    26 Aug 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.