Build skills at the Kids Adventure Zones at Vail and Beaver Creek
Banked turns, twists, trees and other obstacles help kids learn while having fun
Skiing and snowboarding offer an adventure for kids, but take note of some of the Kids Adventure Zones on Beaver Creek and Vail Mountain to not only entertain the little ones, but also challenge their skills on the slopes.
There are dozens of Adventure Zones throughout Beaver Creek and Vail Mountain. Ripperoo is the mascot for Vail and Beaver Creek Children’s Ski and Snowboard School. Look for Ripperoo’s face as the icon on the trail maps at Beaver Creek to indicate a Kids Adventure Zone. On the Vail Mountain trail map, look for the yellow smiley face icon to indicate a Kids Adventure Zone. These areas are designed to help children build their confidence and take their skills to a whole new level while having fun.
In addition to the Kids Adventure Zones, look for the Ske-cology signs on both mountains. Ske-cology signs are indicated on the trail map with a pinecone icon. Ske-cology educates youth about mountain safety and mountain ecology. Make it a contest to find all the Ske-cology landmarks within a certain area on Vail or Beaver Creek to learn about the ecosystem and wildlife.
Parents, take stock of your own skiing or snowboarding ability to make sure you are good enough to handle the twists and turns you may find in some of these Kids Adventure Zones. In many cases, you can ski alongside the Kids Adventure Zone on an adjacent trail and meet your kids as they pop out at the bottom of the attraction.
The Kids Adventure Zones are an entertaining way to spend the day while your kids are building skills. Scan the QR code for the trail map or print one out from vail.com and beavercreek.com to plan your next adventure.
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Look for these classic Kids Adventure Zones the next time you’re on Vail or Beaver Creek Mountain:
Beaver Creek:
- Jack Rabbit Alley: Skier’s left of the Red Buffalo trail, just below the Red Buffalo Express (No. 5)
- Slanderous Sam’s: Between Booth Gardens trail and the Red Buffalo Express (No. 5), take the Old Trail and ride through wagons and teepees
- Mystic Maze: Skier’s left of the Powell and Piney trails, between the Sheephorn Skills Zone and Red Buffalo Express (No. 5)
- Tombstone Territory: Skier’s left of Cinch just below Spruce Saddle Lodge, before Latigo trail
- Bear Cave: Skier’s right of Cinch, near the lower Rose Bowl entrance
- Gold Mine: Skier’s right of Cinch, before Bridle trail takes you down to Rose Bowl
- Ripparoo’s Retreat: Skier’s right of the Gold Dust run, look for two aspen glades called Big Bark and Little Bark
- Buckaroo Bowl: Below the Haymeadow Express (No. 1) where you can find race gates and banked turns
- Sourdough’s Slide: Skier’s left off of Primrose between Gunder’s and Cabin Fever trails on Bachelor Gulch. Look for the “faces” on the trees with eyes made of marble and some spooky smirks.
Vail:
- Bear Claw Glade: Skier’s right of Boomer trail near the Sourdough Express (No. 14)
- Buckskin Glade: Near the top of Ramshorn and skier’s left of Mountain Top Express (No. 4)
- Chaos Canyon: From Mid Vail, this fun zone is located skier’s right of Upper Lion’s Way. Three routes take you to Gitalong Road and down to Avanti Express (No. 2)
- Magic Forest: Skier’s right side of top of Minnie Ha Ha trail below the Little Eagle (No. 15)
- Sherwood Forest: Skier’s right side of Practice Parkway
- Porcupine Alley: Skier’s left side to Cub’s Way between the Columbine Trail and the top of Born Free Express (No. 8)
- Wild Woods: Off of Eagle’s Nest Ridge, skier’s right between Pickeroon and Lodgepole trails
- Coyote Escape: Skier’s right of Simba on your way down to Pride Express (No. 26)
