Beaver Creek Resort rises above Avon in the Vail Valley with 2,082 acres of skiing, a heated, escalator-equipped village and a tradition that wins over every first-timer: free warm chocolate chip cookies handed out at 3 p.m. every afternoon.

Beaver Creek opened for the 1980-81 season and has grown into three connected villages, Beaver Creek, Bachelor Gulch and Arrowhead, linked by lifts and ski-in, ski-out trails. The numbers are big: a summit of 11,440 feet, a base of 8,100 feet, 24 lifts, 167 trails and an average of 323 inches of snow a year. Gentle groomers run all the way down to the village, while the steep, gladed terrain of Grouse Mountain and the Birds of Prey area keeps experts busy.

The resort’s most famous run is Birds of Prey, a men’s downhill course designed by Olympic champion Bernhard Russi and first raced in 1997. It drops 2,470 vertical feet, and Beaver Creek has hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships three times, in 1989, 1999 and 2015. Off the snow, the pedestrian village has outdoor fire pits, an ice rink, shops, restaurants and the Vilar Performing Arts Center. If you are skiing nearby, compare it with our guide to Vail Ski Resort, about 15 minutes away on I-70.

Insider tip: Time your last run to land at the base of Haymeadow or Centennial Express by 3 p.m. for the cookie handout, and plan an evening in the village after dark, when the lights, fire pits and snowy trees are at their best.

Beaver Creek opens for the 2026-27 ski season on November 25, 2026, with an opening-week Holiday Market November 27-28 and the Tree Lighting and Ice Spectacular on November 28. The Birds of Prey World Cup races follow December 3-13: men’s downhill December 3-4, super-G December 5 and giant slalom December 6, then women’s downhill December 11-12 and super-G December 13. Watching is free. Check beavercreek.com for schedules and lift updates.