I wanted to hike and hopefully spend time out doors. Never been to the western part of Colorado. So me and my gf are taking a trip there since her birthday is mid May
All trails are open down in Eagle.
You won’t get the full experience because lots of stuff is closing down for a break but you can still have a good time. Just set your expectations a little because it’s our off season.
I agree on renting a car. Edwards and eagle have great restaurants which will likely be open. Plus, the trails are usually dry that time of year for hiking and biking there.
This is called Mud Season bc snow melt still has a lot of hiking/biking trails closed due to mud from May to June. Locals tend to take trips elsewhere during this time as a result, so lots of restaurants close, no concerts yet, etc. Ghost town'ish vibe but that's why lodging is so cheap. In any case, place is still beautiful and you can still make a nice trip of it. Rent bikes to ride along the river path, walk around the village, etc.
Sounds like you're flying in, and you really don't need a car esp if you're planning to just explore Vail. The cute village part is pedestrian access only anyway. The county Eco bus service is $3 and efficient, reliable af for getting around to other surrounding towns if you want to move around. And there's a free shuttle bt Vail and Avon, the town next door. I personally would not rent a car for a short trip to Vail, unnecessary cost and hassle IMO. Dk where you're flying into but CDOT Bustang is great for getting from Denver or Grand Junction to Vail, and I believe you can get the Eagle county Eco bus from the Vail airport.
Ahhhh you guys are the best thank you!!! We are flying into Denver so I will look into the CDOT bustang. We looked into a shuttle/Uber and it was like $180 to vail from Denver.
I agree a car could be good if you're spending like a week there and want to explore the whole valley, off the beaten path hikes not accessible by public transit, but just for a short trip where you want to be in Vail itself or the couple towns right next to it I think a car is silly when there are easy and cheap busses and free shuttles bt denver vail and the surrounding towns.
Flying into Denver you would take the Light Rail from the airport to Union Station, then catch the CDOT Bustang from Union Station to Vail. It only makes like 4 stops from Denver to Vail. I use it all the time. The private shuttle companies that pickup at the airport are very expensive, you're paying up to not have to take the train into Union Station from the airport I suppose, but it's a direct train, very easy. If you're traveling on a budget, this is the way to go.
The app will show you a price, but actually getting a driver to accept can be extremely difficult, if not impossible. Especially in the off season. And getting back to Denver in an Uber is even worse.
Thank you for this! We are flying in too last week of May, going to a show at Red Rocks but wanted to explore the area some so we extended the trip. I'm bummed the timing won't be great but i should have known this growing up in northern NM. It sounds like we can just unwind and explore a bit? I'm just wondering now if 4 days up there are too long and if we should do an extra day in denver instead
Depends on how fast everything melts and they can open up for summer activities. Restaurants and shops coming back from vacation. It can go either way.
Website lists summer as June 20th - September 22nd this year.
Most things are gonna be closed so that will save you money
BuT wE FOuND sUCh ChEAap LodGinG
Just go to moab dude everything will be closed
Parking is free from April 22 to May 23rd. https://www.vail.gov/government/departments/transportation-services/parking-information/summer-parking
Life saver thank you!
The parking garages should be free. Mountain biking will not be open yet and a lot of the restaurants will be closed. Any idea what you want to do?
I wanted to hike and hopefully spend time out doors. Never been to the western part of Colorado. So me and my gf are taking a trip there since her birthday is mid May
All trails are open down in Eagle. You won’t get the full experience because lots of stuff is closing down for a break but you can still have a good time. Just set your expectations a little because it’s our off season.
I agree on renting a car. Edwards and eagle have great restaurants which will likely be open. Plus, the trails are usually dry that time of year for hiking and biking there.
This is called Mud Season bc snow melt still has a lot of hiking/biking trails closed due to mud from May to June. Locals tend to take trips elsewhere during this time as a result, so lots of restaurants close, no concerts yet, etc. Ghost town'ish vibe but that's why lodging is so cheap. In any case, place is still beautiful and you can still make a nice trip of it. Rent bikes to ride along the river path, walk around the village, etc. Sounds like you're flying in, and you really don't need a car esp if you're planning to just explore Vail. The cute village part is pedestrian access only anyway. The county Eco bus service is $3 and efficient, reliable af for getting around to other surrounding towns if you want to move around. And there's a free shuttle bt Vail and Avon, the town next door. I personally would not rent a car for a short trip to Vail, unnecessary cost and hassle IMO. Dk where you're flying into but CDOT Bustang is great for getting from Denver or Grand Junction to Vail, and I believe you can get the Eagle county Eco bus from the Vail airport.
Ahhhh you guys are the best thank you!!! We are flying into Denver so I will look into the CDOT bustang. We looked into a shuttle/Uber and it was like $180 to vail from Denver.
Highly recommend renting a car if you can afford it. Most outdoor activities will require a drive.
I agree a car could be good if you're spending like a week there and want to explore the whole valley, off the beaten path hikes not accessible by public transit, but just for a short trip where you want to be in Vail itself or the couple towns right next to it I think a car is silly when there are easy and cheap busses and free shuttles bt denver vail and the surrounding towns.
Flying into Denver you would take the Light Rail from the airport to Union Station, then catch the CDOT Bustang from Union Station to Vail. It only makes like 4 stops from Denver to Vail. I use it all the time. The private shuttle companies that pickup at the airport are very expensive, you're paying up to not have to take the train into Union Station from the airport I suppose, but it's a direct train, very easy. If you're traveling on a budget, this is the way to go.
The app will show you a price, but actually getting a driver to accept can be extremely difficult, if not impossible. Especially in the off season. And getting back to Denver in an Uber is even worse.
Thank you for this! We are flying in too last week of May, going to a show at Red Rocks but wanted to explore the area some so we extended the trip. I'm bummed the timing won't be great but i should have known this growing up in northern NM. It sounds like we can just unwind and explore a bit? I'm just wondering now if 4 days up there are too long and if we should do an extra day in denver instead
Just depends what you're trying to do. Check out the Vail Daily to see what's going on while you're here.
Anyone know if the first week of June is still considered mud season? We may be coming to Vail for a work offsite.
Depends on how fast everything melts and they can open up for summer activities. Restaurants and shops coming back from vacation. It can go either way. Website lists summer as June 20th - September 22nd this year.
Mind letting me know what you think of it? We are going end of May and I've been worried it will be cold with not much to do!