Vail is a resort in Colorado (United States) skied between 2475 and 3527 metres, with 5,317 acres of skiable terrain and 32 lifts.
Vail is in Colorado, United States, with the base at 2475 m and the top at 3527 m.
Vail has announced that it opens on November 13, 2026 for the 2026/27 season. The date is published by Vail Resorts, and the resort can still move it if the snow does not arrive; whatever date is current is kept at https://www.caranva.app/en/esqui/fechas-apertura/vail.
Vail is expected to close for the 2026/27 season on April 19, 2027. The real date depends on how the snow holds up at the top (3527 m) late in the season, and the resort usually announces it only a few weeks ahead: the up-to-date version is at https://www.caranva.app/en/esqui/fechas-apertura/vail.
It changes daily and the resort itself publishes it every morning: snow depth by altitude, open runs and open lifts. The Vail daily report and forecast are at https://www.caranva.app/en/nieve/usa/vail, and the live cameras at https://www.caranva.app/en/webcams/esqui/vail. When it blows hard, the most exposed lifts are usually the upper ones (3527 m), so it is worth checking before driving up.
Between 2475 and 3527 metres, a vertical drop of 1052 m. That difference is why the snow is not the same across the whole resort on the same day: the upper slopes hold up better late in the season, while the lower part, at 2475 m, is the first to feel rain or warm weather. That is why the Vail report is read by altitude band, at https://www.caranva.app/en/nieve/usa/vail.
5,317 acres of skiable terrain, 278 runs and 32 lifts, between 2475 and 3527 m. North America measures its size in acres rather than kilometres of piste, and that is the figure the resort itself publishes in its fact sheet.
On Caranva you book the full kit for Vail — skis, boots and poles, or a snowboard if you prefer — at https://www.caranvasports.com/products/ski-rental-vail: you pick the dates and give your height, weight, shoe size and level, and the gear is waiting assembled with the bindings set to those figures. You pay online, you skip the sizing counter, and you can swap the gear in the shop if something does not fit. The alternative is walking into a shop at the resort on a first-come basis, which over a bank holiday or at Christmas means queuing for whatever is left.
18% of Vail's terrain is beginner level, according to the breakdown the resort itself publishes. That share tells you far more about whether it works for a first time than the overall size of the ski area: a huge resort with 5% easy terrain makes a worse first day than a small one with 30%.
The resort breaks its terrain down like this: Beginner 18%, Intermediate 29% and Advanced 53%. The difficult terrain sits mostly up high, to 3527 m, which is where the snow keeps best and where visibility goes first in bad weather.
Yes. The live Vail webcams, with piste conditions and the snow report, are at https://www.caranva.app/en/webcams/esqui/vail.
In the same valley or the next one: Beaver Creek (2,000 acres, up to 3487 m). Comparing their top altitudes helps when snowfall is scarce: the ones that top out higher tend to open earlier and hold on longer at the end of the season.