Vail Mountain is host to a number of activities; hiking is by far one of the most popular. You can choose to hike all the way up on foot on one of the trails, or you can purchase a round-trip gondola ticket instead.
During the summer season, the trail up Vail Mountain can sometimes be pretty muddy, as the foot trail is not paved. So if you’ve got your heart set on hiking, make sure you wear appropriate clothing and hiking boots that are well broken in and durable. Don’t wear anything you don’t want getting muddy!
For those less interested in scraping off dirt when hiking’s over, there’s the gondola. The Vail gondola has been recently refurbished, so you’ll have no qualms about stepping into the clear pod, which seats approximately 6 people at one time.
Round-trip gondola tickets aren’t exactly cheap, however. They can cost you anywhere between $12.00-$16.00, depending on the time of year. They’re pretty much self-serve as well. The hydraulic tensioning system constantly rotates the gondolas, which cycle at a fairly brisk clip, so there’s no time for dilly dallying once you decide to hop in the pod.
The ride up the mountain takes about 12-13 minutes, so with a 360-degree view looking out on the mountains around you and Vail Village below, there’s plenty of time to snap pictures and get your fill of the surrounding area.
Once you approach the top of the mountain, you’ll notice a little activity area. There’s sand volleyball and some play equipment for smaller children. If it starts to rain, there’s also a modest Vail museum you can visit, home to some of the mountain’s artifacts and general historical information. Don’t plan on spending a lot of time here, as it’s really not that interesting after about ten minutes!
If you didn’t eat lunch before you arrived, there’s a grill with outdoor seating that provides some lunching material.
Once you tire of the man-made structures on Vail Mountain, it’s time to do what you came here for ; go hiking! Around the near vicinity of the gondola station, you’ll see a paved hiking path going through the easily traversed areas of Vail Mountain. These can be traveled by people of all ages as well as by parents with strollers and some wheelchairs. However, for the true hiking aficionado, there are no trails. In fact, there’s warning signs where the trail ends stating that, although it is permissible to hike further, don’t expect anyone to come and help you if you’re lost or hurt. Try to travel in a small group if you plan on going for a serious hiking adventure.
This is not to say you shouldn’t meander off the trail on Vail Mountain. There’s plenty of wide open areas to explore, either alone or with the whole family. These are in plain view of the trail and really don’t pose that much risk.
Once you’ve finished your hike, it’s time to head back to the gondola station. The gondolas are staffed, and thus do not run 24/7, so pay attention to the hours it is open – you don’t want to get stranded on the top of the mountain with no good way of getting back down!
The gondola adventure is great for anyone who is a first or even second time Vail visitor. It does get a little pricey, though, so make sure you pick a day with nice weather to ride so you get the most out of your trip.
