Beaver Creek may have built a reputation as a winter wonderland, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have just as much to offer in the summer! As the snow clears out, the trails open up, and nature comes to life, you’ll discover a whole other side to the magical mountain town. While winter is ideal for snow sports, summer gives you the chance to have exciting adventures throughout Beaver Creek’s many beautiful parks. You can hike, bike, and climb all through the season! But with so many parks, how can you decide where to begin? We’ve curated a list of can’t-miss parks around town so that you can have the best, most adventurous summer ever!
White River National Forest
In Beaver Creek, summer wilderness exploration is largely centered around White River National Forest. Home to 11 stellar ski resorts, 10 mountain peaks that tower more than 14,000 feet high, and eight unique wilderness areas, odds are that you are familiar with White River National Forest even if you don’t know it by name. Beaver Creek Ski Resort is one of many revered attractions located within the forest’s 2.3 million acres. Other major ski resorts in this influential recreational area include Vail, Breckenridge, and Keystone.
White River National Forest is stunning and diverse. It can be hard to know where to explore! Luckily, we have a few go-to spots.
Vail
For travelers based out of Vail, Eagles Nest Wilderness and Sylvan Lake State Park are the most popular parks. Eagles Nest Wilderness is ideal for hikers seeking rugged terrain, while Sylvan Lake Park is great for outdoors enthusiasts seeking tranquility.
Eagles Nest Wilderness
Eagles Nest Wilderness stretches across 133,496 acres and includes 180 miles of trails. If you’re an avid hiker, then you should visit. Top trails include Booth Falls (moderate, 4.2 miles, out-and-back), Berrypicker Trail (hard, 7.9 miles, out-and-back), and Upper Piney River Falls Trail (moderate, 5.9 miles, out-and-back).
Sylvan Lake State Park
Sylvan Lake State Park is centered around a 42 acre lake, so most of the recreation is water-based. Top activities include fishing for rainbow, cutthroat, brook, and brown trout; kayaking; and canoeing. If you’d rather go for a lakeside walk, check out Sylvan Lake Trail. We recommend bringing a picnic lunch to enjoy at one of the 12 lakefront picnic sites.
Beaver Creek Village
There are a number of fantastic hikes that those wishing to stay local to Beaver Creek can enjoy. For instance, there’s Beaver Creek Village Lunch Loop Hike- which is an easy-to-moderate 3.1 mile loop that begins right in the heart of Beaver Creek Village. It doesn’t get more local than that!
Holy Cross Wilderness
When we’re looking for solitude, we love hiking in Holy Cross Wilderness. Holy Cross Wilderness is a 123,409 acre wilderness area containing rugged ridge lines, glacier-carved valleys, spruce-fir forests, and many beautiful bodies of water. It is primarily a hiking and backpacking destination. If you’re a skilled hiker, then you should check out the difficult, 6.3 mile out-and-back Beaver Lake Trail. There’s also the intense 10.5 mile Mount of the Holy Cross Trail or the peaceful but challenging 9.2 mile Missouri Lakes Trail. More trails in Holy Cross Wilderness are listed on AllTrails.
Glenwood Canyon
Beaver Creek hikers would be remiss if they skipped nearby Glenwood Canyon. This 16 mile canyon is home to everything from hiking trails to river rafting routes. Here, you can tackle Glenwood Canyon Trail, which is rated as an easy trail but that rolls on for an impressive 15.4 miles. This quiet trail is great for fishing, hiking, and biking.
Avon
In neighboring Avon, CO, there are a number of outdoor spaces where you can engage in casual or extreme recreation.
Harry A. Nottingham Park
Harry A. Nottingham Park is a 42 acre park where families can enjoy a calm day of lake activities such as fishing, pedal-boating, swimming, and stand up paddle boarding. There are also picnic tables, barbeque grills, athletic fields, play equipment, and more.
Whitewater Park
At Avon’s Whitewater Park, you can get an adrenaline rush participating in the commercial raft trips, ranging from Class IV-III, that run on sections of the Eagle River. People also commonly participate in freestyle kayaking. It is an exciting place to visit!
Do you have a favorite park or outdoors space in or near Beaver Creek? Share it with us in the comments!
