Vail Summer Travel Guide - Catheryn Grivna

Colorado is an incredible place to visit any time of year. Many people think of heading to the mountains during the winter months so they can ski, but there are so many amazing things you can do during the summer months as well.

The crisp mountain air is so refreshing, so it’s a great place to spend time outside and go on a hike. The views are spectacular, and it’s a great place to visit if you’re looking to relax.

Vail is a wonderful town to visit whether you’re traveling with adults or children. It’s very family friendly and there’s plenty of activities for both kids and adults. Also, there are some incredible restaurants in Vail, so you definitely won’t go hungry on your trip.

In this guide, you’ll find all of my recommendations for what to do when visiting Vail over the summer months. There really is something for everyone and you really can’t go wrong no matter what you decide to do. Cheers!

Table of Contents

How To Get There

We drove all the way from Houston to Vail, but if you’re not in the mood for a road trip, there are other options.

The closest airport to Vail is Eagle County Airport. This is about 30 minutes from Vail. The only issue with this airport is that the only direct flights are to/from Denver and Dallas.

You could also fly into Denver International Airport and drive 2 hours to Vail.

Where to Stay

We stayed at the Vail Marriott Mountain Resort, and I loved the proximity to the town. There’s a free shuttle you can take into town or you can walk to town (about 1 mile). Not only does this hotel have a great location, but they also have a beautiful view of the mountains. Our room had a balcony that faced the slopes, and it was so relaxing to wake up to that view.

If you are looking for some other options for places to stay, I’d recommend checking out some of these hotels listed below:

Where to Eat

There’s no shortage of amazing restaurants in Vail. You can pretty much find any type of food here. We were impressed with almost every restaurant we dined at, so you really can’t go wrong. Some of my recommendations are listed below.

Sweet Basil (D)
- This is the perfect spot for a date night or if you’re looking for a more sophisticated dinner.
Mountain Standard (L/D)
- This place is pretty casual, but they have an incredible menu. This seems to be one of the most popular places in town. Make a reservation!
Root and Flower (D)
- This is an amazing wine bar that has incredible food and small plates. They also have an incredible cocktail list. I wouldn’t come here with kids, but it’s great for adults.
Alpenrose (L/D)
- This is a great spot for a casual lunch or dinner. I loved the ambiance here and the food was incredible. Be sure to order one of their big pretzels with mustard!
Red Lion (L/D)
- This place was extremely casual, so I’d recommend it more for lunch. They have typical bar food including onion rings, burgers, fries, sandwiches, nachos, etc. The perfect place to re-fuel after a long hike!
Pepi’s (L/D)
- We had drinks here a couple times and loved it. Every time we stopped by they had live music in the bar area.
Fall Line Kitchen (L/D)
- We had drinks here and loved it. I can’t speak to their food, but the menu looked great. This is a great location if you want to people watch and watch the crowds walk by.
El Segundo (L/D)
- We had margaritas here, and I was impressed. This place has a great location right on the river, so it’s perfect for people watching. I’d highly recommend if you are craving Mexican food!

For sweet treats and ice cream:

What To Do

Hiking

There are so many amazing hikes you can do if you’re visiting Vail during the summer months. We hiked the Berrypicker Trail, and that was pretty challenging for us. It is 6.1 miles if you decide to go all the way up and back down. The nice thing about this hike is that there is a gondola you can take up or down. We decided to hike up and take the gondola down. If you’re with kids, I’d recommend taking the gondola up and hiking down instead.

Here are some other hikes we considered:

Shrine Ridge Trail (4.3 miles)
Piney River Falls (5.9 miles)
Booth Falls Trail (4.2 miles)
Whitney Lake Trail (5.7 miles)

Other Outdoor Activities

If hiking isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other outdoor activities to enjoy. We didn’t have time to do any of these ourselves, but we would have if we stayed longer.

Shopping

There are TONS of cute shops and boutiques in Vail. There are also some chain stores like Lululemon, Patagonia, The North Face, etc.

I’d recommend checking out some of these shops listed below:

Cocktail Bars & Breweries

One of my favorite hobbies is to sit on a patio, drink a cocktail and people watch. There are so many amazing places to do just that when you’re in Vail.

Here’s a list of places I’d recommend if you’re looking to grab a drink: