The Vail summer offers just as many activity options as a Vail winter, if not more. Once the snow melts on the slopes, you can take to numerous hiking trails and get a good workout while you enjoy stunning alpine scenery. Going horseback riding is also something that can be added to the list of Vail summer activities, and Jeep and ATV tours are popular. Kayaking and rock climbing help to round out the list of things to do during a Vail summer, and when you consider that hot air ballooning is a possibility as well, the sky really is the limit. There are also the numerous Vail summer events, which include the very popular Bravo! Vail Music Festival.

Vail Biking

Among the most popular activities that you can enjoy on Vail summer vacations is biking. Both road cycling and mountain biking are popular activities once the warm weather sets in, so you can go either way. There are almost 60 miles of roads and paths to suit all levels in Eagle County, and you can take your bike on one of the lifts if you wish to access the mountain biking trails on Vail Mountain itself. Bike rentals are available in good supply should you be without your own two-wheeled apparatus, and guided bike tours can be arranged with ease.

Vail Map

Vail Gondola Ride

Taking a gondola ride is easily one of the most rewarding things to do in Vail during the summer season. The gondolas, which carry skiers and snowboarders to the top of the mountain during the winter, are also in operation during the summer, and the views are sublime. While taking a summer gondola ride in Vail, you can admire the green pine and Aspen trees that blanket the mountainsides and indulge in views of Rocky Mountain peaks that are almost too divine to be true. Once the gondola reaches its end, it is possible to get off and indulge in some hiking. You can also visit a mountaintop restaurant and get lunch or visit Adventure Ridge and choose from a few mountain tour options. After you're done on the mountain, you can simply hop back on the gondola and head back down to the village.

Vail Golf Courses

Every summer, the Vail golf courses provide residents and visitors alike with world-class golfing opportunities. In Vail proper, the Vail Golf Club is an eighteen-hole, par-72 stretch that is set against the stunning backdrop of the Gore Range. Hills and a creek add depth to the course itself, as do natural wetlands. It's a blissful course to say the least, and if you don't have your clubs with you, a set can be rented. About six miles west of Vail, the Eagle-Vail Golf Course provides eighteen more holes that are worth keeping in mind, and you can also consider teeing it up at the challenging Beaver Creek course. Not far from the Beaver Creek Resort, the Club at Cordillera offers four more courses that are also not to be overlooked, and the options only increase if you are willing to branch out even further. A side trip to Denver to play one of its courses is an option, for example.

Vail Rafting

Vail rafting is about as rewarding as rafting gets, and you can also take to the area waters in a kayak if you wish. Guided trips for kayaking and rafting can last a half day or a full day, and there are two main rivers that serve as the waterways of choice. They include the Eagle River, which is just a few miles from Vail Village, and the Colorado River, which is about 35 miles away. The rapids on these rivers range from Class I to Class V, so you can surely get your thrills if that's what you're after.