Vail may be best known for its epic skiing and legendary back bowls, but did you know that there are so many other fun activities that don’t involve skis? Many of these fun Vail winter activities are off mountain. Once upon a time, one of our favorite on-mountain activities was snow tubing at Adventure Ridge Vail, located at the top of Vail Mountain. Sadly, Adventure Ridge will again be closed for winter 2024 – 2025. But don’t fear. There are plenty of other fun winter activities.
Winter 2024-2025 Update: Vail Resorts does not plan to open Adventure Ridge Vail in the winter into the foreseeable future. They are moving away from offering these activities atop Vail Mountain during the winter. But don’t worry, in the meantime, there are plenty of other fun winter snow activities to do in Vail this winter.
Vail winter is a magical time of the year. Snow flakes fall upon evergreen trees light with twinkling lights. And, snow activities abound.
Insider Tip: Fast fun snow tubing can be found throughout the state of Colorado!
Don’t get me wrong. Sledding is still one of our favorite Colorado winter activities. Your path is unpredictable, and you are sure to get a good workout. There are plenty of really fun sledding hills in the Vail valley, all of which are free. That is, other than the procurement of a sled and your own two feet to get you up the hill. But I don’t typically have the energy for sledding after a ski day on the hill, and I would have the energy for Vail tubing. It is a luxury to be pulled up the hill and just soar down.
What should you wear for snow tubing? Warm clothes. We basically wore our ski gear but with winter boots instead of ski boots. And, hats instead of helmets. It can get cold at night on the mountain and you will be whizzing fast down a hill with air blowing in your face.
Epic Discovery Vail
A couple of years ago Adventure Ridge in the summer rebranded to Epic Discovery. If you think this area is fun in the winter, you should see it in the summer. There is so much more to do. The alpine mountain coaster operates year round. But I’d say it is most fun in the summer when it is warmer and greener out. There are multiple levels of ropes courses. You can zip line here, or head back in to Game Creek Bowl for an all-day zip lining experience. There’s a bungee trampoline. And, Walking Mountains runs a nature center where you can learn all about the wildlife natural to the area.
About the Vail Valley
The Vail Valley is more than just Vail Village and Lionshead Village. Just down the road is Beaver Creek. While there is no Beaver Creek tubing, it is the locals’ choice of resort for kids to learn to ski.
Most of the Vail valley hotels are in the Vail and Beaver Creek areas. There are some great places to camp and rent cabins, such as Piney River Ranch.
Be sure to check out our guide to visiting Vail in Colorado!
Wow! The view must be fantastic at that time of the day.