Beaver Creek, like Vail, is a mountain village situated in the Vail Valley in Colorado. It’s known as the slightly smaller, family-friendly, cozy component to Vail, situated about 13 miles west of the well-known ski destination. But, we’re here to show you Beaver Creek has its own excitement with attractions, adventures, art galleries, and more.
In addition to the variety of activities we offer here at Sage Outdoor Adventures that are close to Beaver Creek, the village boasts its own list of fun things to do. Check out a breakdown of our recommendations below.
Discover Outdoor Adventures Around Beaver Creek
Snowmobiling
We here at Sage offer snowmobiling tours near Beaver Creek on our own private mountain. If needed, we are able to pick you up at your lodging accommodations in Beaver Creek, Vail, or Avon.
Beginners are welcome on our two-hour snowmobile tours on custom designed trails on a network that is larger than the Vail ski area itself. Climb 2,400 vertical feet with views of seven mountain ranges and five different ski areas.
Our snowmobiling facility is about 30 minutes from Beaver Creek, and well worth the drive (or ride, if we end up picking you up at your location!). If you want stunning winter views, this is the activity for you.
Downhill Skiing
Of course we’d be remiss not to mention the Beaver Creek Ski Resort, a major ski center with world-class downhill skiing and snowboarding. Snowboarders, those traveling with children, and skiers who don’t necessarily need to ski all of Vail’s 5,000+ acres, will enjoy the nearly 2,000 skiable acres at Beaver Creek’s resort.
Beaver Creek Ski Resort not only has impeccably groomed trails, a renowned ski school, and summer activities like golf and gondola rides, but they have another unexpected perk: staff members routinely hand out freshly baked chocolate chip cookies at the base of the mountain. Now that’s something we all can appreciate, whether we’re vacationing with kids or not.
Cross-Country Skiing
Don’t discount cross-country, or Nordic skiing, particularly if you’re staying in Beaver Creek. The Beaver Creek Nordic Sports Center is technically in Avon, but it’s only a three-minute walk from the Beaver Creek Resort. This Nordic ski center offers tours and lessons on their winding trails that provide great views with a bit of elevation. Snowshoeing is also offered.
ATVing
Sage specializes in some of the best ATV adventures in Colorado. Our ATV tours take place seven miles north of Wolcott, about 30 minutes from Beaver Creek.
As with our snowmobiling tours, you can expect a vast stretch of land to explore – 6,000 acres of private land in addition to 14,000 acres of public land, to be exact. Come experience 20,000 acres of true Colorado terrain!
Hiking
There are three primary hiking trails around Beaver Creek to check out:
Allie’s Way
This 3.8-mile loop is considered a moderate to challenging hike and is popular for hiking, mountain biking, and walking. The Allie’s Way trailhead is located down the road from Allie’s Cabin, a restaurant with cozy cottage vibes.
Beaver Lake Trail
Parking for Beaver Lake Trail is on Elk Track Road, right near the Chapel at Beaver Creek, a well-known, beautiful church. This is a 6.3-mile, out-and-back trail, generally considered challenging, and is used for hiking and running.
Overlook Trail
Overlook Trail is a 6.2-mile, challenging hike popular for hiking and running. You can expect expansive views of Beaver Creek and a major elevation gain (read: it’s steep). Fortunately, there is a gondola at the Centennial Express Lift that you can take back down, if you wish, at no cost (there is a fee to go up).
Horseback Riding
If you’re looking for horseback riding in Beaver Creek it doesn’t get better than on our private mountain. Wide open meadows, aspen groves, and mountain lakes await just 30 minutes from Beaver Creek at our Wolcott ranch.
We do not do out and back, stay in single file, kind of horseback riding tours. Our horses are trained to journey through the Colorado wilderness side by side, and we love to blaze our own trails.
Whitewater Rafting
All of Sage’s guided whitewater rafting trips are near Beaver Creek, Colorado. The closest raft trips are the Lower Eagle and Upper Eagle; we meet at the base of Beaver Creek (the creek) in Avon, just seven minutes from Beaver Creek (the village).
The other closest trip to Beaver Creek is our Gore Creek trip. We meet for this whitewater rafting adventure at either the Vail Transportation Center or the Lionshead Welcome Center of Vail, both of which are just under 20 minutes from Beaver Creek.
Our other trips include the Upper Colorado, Shoshone, Shoshone Double Dip, and the Kayak Duckie Trip, which start at Sage’s outpost in Dostero, about 35 minutes from Beaver Creek. We also have an outpost in Buena Vista, about 1 hour and 30 minutes from Beaver Creek, which we use for our Brown’s Canyon and Numbers whitewater rafting trips.
Tennis
The Beaver Creek Tennis Center accommodates players of all levels and has five clay and two hard courts. They also also have a shop with clothing and tennis accessories, and they offer lessons. The courts are situated at the base of the mountain, for backhand strokes and squash shots with a view.
Fly Fishing
Yes, we do offer guided fly fishing trips, on rivers and streams like the Eagle River, Gore Creek, and Colorado River – all of these are not far from Beaver Creek.
Enjoy Arts, Culture, Dining & Entertainment in Beaver Creek
Vail Performing Arts Center
The Vail Performing Arts Center is actually located in Beaver Creek. This year-round theater presents concerts, comedy shows, and other performances. It’s one of those venues where there isn’t a bad seat in the house – there are 500 seats, making it just large enough to be accommodating, but small enough to feel intimate. And the acoustics are fantastic!
Restaurants
Like the rest of the Vail Valley, Beaver Creek has a variety of eateries suited for any palate. Check out Splendido at the Chateau for fine dining, the Black Diamond Bistro in The Charter for upscale Colorado fare, or Coyote Cafe for apres ski happy hour specials and great Mexican food – everything from the homemade salsa and chips to the margaritas is to die for.
Art Galleries
You don’t have to be an art buff to wander into a mountain village gallery and appreciate a piece of work or two. There are four art galleries in Beaver Creek within walking distance of one another:
C. Anthony Gallery
The C. Anthony Gallery showcases a wide range of work from several different artists, intending to be a one stop shop for all your visual art interests. This gallery operates under the belief that “great art touches the heart beyond knowledge.”
Horton Fine Art
Horton Fine Art highlights the art of Walt Horton among other creators. You’ll find a lot of animal imagery and nature in the exquisite paintings and sculptures, including horses, bears, and wolves.
The Sportsman’s Gallery & Paderewski Fine Art
The Sportsman’s Gallery & Paderewski Fine Art seeks to represent the best of traditional and contemporary fine art. You’re likely to see a lot of gorgeous landscapes and interesting takes on wildlife.
Tony Newlin Gallery
The Tony Newlin Gallery specializes in nature and wildlife photography, particularly of locations in Colorado, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and North American national parks; they also have a gallery in Telluride.
We hope you make the most of your vacation with all these fun things to do in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Be sure to keep Sage’s adventures near Beaver Creek in mind!
What to Expect on Our Winter ATV Tours in Colorado
“Until then, we are loving the warm weather, the mountains and the wildlife,” Sage founder, Darryl Bangert recently commented. “Mother Nature always does what she does. We do not put our desires over the reality of the vagaries of Nature, we embrace the world as it is, and it is stunning.”
