Beaver Creek

First envisioned as the site for the 1976 Winter Olympics, Beaver Creek Ski Resort has long been known for its world-class terrain. While the Olympics never happened at Beaver Creek, we can safely say the world seriously missed out. The resort’s first season was in 1980, and was planned by the same team that developed Vail. Situated under Grouse Mountain 10 minutes west of Vail, Beaver Creek Ski Resort has incredibly varied terrain, as well as a beautiful, European-inspired mountain village. 

The site of Beaver Creek Mountain was originally known for homesteaders and lettuce farming. Long before Vail existed as a mountain or town, Beaver Creek had a thriving farming industry, supplying the entire country with fresh lettuce. This remained the case until Vail’s thriving economy made it a perfect place for developing a companion ski resort. Beaver Creek quickly earned its own place in the spotlight as the three-time host of the Alpine World Ski Championships and the top choice of high-profile figures like Gerald Ford for ski trips. 

Over the course of the 4 decades of operation, Beaver Creek has grown a lot. Originally, the Arrowhead mountain was a separate, private mountain resort, and Bachelor’s Gulch was undeveloped. Eventually, Beaver Creek bought Arrowhead, and in the early 2000’s, the Bachelor’s Gulch lift was developed and connected all three areas to form the mountain we know today.