Overall Rating

Beaver Creek

Beaver Creek4/514
Beaver Creek4 out of 5 based on 14 reviews
  • Recommend
    86%
  • Would Revisit
    93%

Beaver Creek - Reviews

Beaver Creek - Reviews

Beaver Creek

Steve
19/02/2023
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Snowboarder
  • Rider Level
    Expert
  • Rider Age
    18-35
  • Admin Rating
    4

Beaver Creek

Steve
19/02/2023
Beaver Creek is a hidden gem. Less well-known than its larger Epic Pass neighbors, Vail and Breckenridge, Beaver Creek is often overlooked despite having over 160 trails and 3,300 feet of vertical. Beaver Creek is a very accessible mountain, providing terrain options for skiers and snowboarders of all abilities. Best of all, the lift lines at Beaver Creek never seem to approach those of larger Colorado resorts. This means you spend more time skiing your favorite trails and less time waiting in line for them. And don't forget about the (free!) freshly baked chocolate chip cookies that arrive daily at 3pm at the base of the mountain. There is just something delightful about eating a warm cookie (or two) after a day on the slopes.

Beyond skiing, Beaver Creek punches above its weight in terms of the quantity and quality of other activities to enjoy. We highly recommend checking out the Vilar Performing Arts Center schedule to catch a concert or comedy show. Take a sleigh ride or snowshoe up to Allie’s Cabin for a delicious dinner on the mountain after the ski slopes have closed. Or, explore the art galleries and stores before visiting one of the many resort spas for some relaxation time. It is vacation after all!

Although there is not a huge selection of restaurants within the Beaver Creek Resort, we included some of our favorites below that will fit your palate and pocketbook. Beaver Creek has an active après scene, but quickly turns sleepy after the dinner crowd heads home. If you are looking for a bustling nightlife scene with bars that are busy into the late evening (and early morning), we would recommend a different resort.

Want to learn more about our favorites within Beaver Creek- check out our full review here:
https://www.findyourslope.com/beaver-creek/
See our video here

A good mountain

12/02/2022

Robert

Powder Puppy
Powder Puppy

Robert

Powder Puppy
Powder Puppy
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Expert
  • Rider Age
    51-70
  • Month Visited:
    February
  • Admin Rating
    4

A good mountain

12/02/2022
Beaver Creek is a larger-scale ski mountain with much to offer for everyone. Viewed by many as Vail's little sister, the Beav has its own feel and terrain that separates it from the more well-known sister up the valley. Much of the mountain is designed for blue cruising; Arrowhead, Bachelor Gulch, chunks of the main mountain all feature wide, well-groomed slopes with just enough rolls and dips to make it interesting. Even the "advanced" runs get the grooming treatment to make it steep fun for comfortable intermediates, older skiers and those building confidence. For bump skiers, Grouse Mountain is never crowded and offers some pretty steep big boys down such runs as Screech Owl, Ruffed Grouse, Osprey and more. Next to these runs are the Royal Elk Glades which offer a good steep pitch (not Telluride steep but...) through some nice trees when you are lucky enough to catch it on a powder day. Another "away" area is across the valley and East of the main part of the mountain in an area called Stone Creek Chutes next to, of all things, an upper-mountain beginner area.

You can't talk about Beaver Creek without mentioning the Birds of Prey area. A great part of the mountain used for international racing and some fancy-pants bumping. Peregrine, under the chairlift, is one great place for bumping - long, rhythmic, good pitch. Golden Eagle next door is the FIS downhill track which means they make a part of it hard as an ice rink and the rest of the year it stays that way. Once you get past the glacier, the run is a bunch of fun.

Snow: if truth be told, they do the best they can with what nature gives them (hey, at $200+/day Vail Assoc had better!) but nature doesn't always provide. When you get the shin- and knee-deep stuff this mountain is a lot of fun. The snow is what you expect in Colorado, meaning it runs the gamut from dry fluff to large, wet flakes that pack out immediately depending on the time of year.

Accommodations are brutal. Vail Assoc considers it a sale if you get a 1-bdrm for $550/night before taxes. Stay in Avon or down-valley.
See our video here

Good place on weekends to avoid massive crowds

17/09/2021

Tom Venezia

Powder Puppy
Powder Puppy

Tom Venezia

Powder Puppy
Powder Puppy
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Expert
  • Rider Age
    36-50
  • Admin Rating
    2

Good place on weekends to avoid massive crowds

17/09/2021
BC is no Vail or Breckenridge, and it is the exact opposite of Arapahoe Basin. But still, it can be a fun mountain for a day or two for an expert level rider. Great spot to go on the weekend if in the Summit/Eagle area as it will be the least trafficked.
See our video here

It's Where I'll Always Stay When Skiing At Vail / BC

15/04/2021

Brandon

Powder Connoisseur
Powder Connoisseur

Brandon

Powder Connoisseur
Powder Connoisseur
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Snowboarder
  • Rider Level
    Advanced
  • Rider Age
    18-35
  • Month Visited:
    January
  • Admin Rating
    5

It's Where I'll Always Stay When Skiing At Vail / BC

15/04/2021
In the Coyote Glades
The snowstake never lies
Hot tub was just a few cold steps away
Awesome base village
We decided to do our yearly Guys Trip to Beaver Creek this year because it’s one of the few Colorado ski resorts that we hadn’t been to yet. Overall it was a great decision. We opted to stay in the town of Avon opposed to Beaver Creeks main village due to the absurd prices for lodging up there and with the gondola that goes right into Avon it didn’t seem like we were missing out on anything. Our condo had a shuttle that picked us up right outside our front door and took you to the gondola where you could ride that over to the Lower Beaver Creek Mountain Express lift which would finally drop you off somewhere that you could ski down from. Or you could take a second shuttle up to the Beaver Creek base village. To me this system was a bit more of a pain then the ski in / ski out or short walk that we were used to but compared to the prices of staying in Vail or up at Beaver Creek Village this was well worth it.

One huge perk of skiing at Beaver Creek is the short lift lines compared to nearby Vail. We decided it would be smart to ski at Beaver Creek on the weekend days when Vail typically has historically awful lines and then hit Vail on Monday and Wednesday. I highly recommend doing the same. BC has a wide range of runs to choose from. The mountain is laid out a bit weird with many of their greens up at the top and blues and blacks down lower on the mountain but the runs are well marked and its easy to navigate. The blacks off of Birds of Prey lift were steep, well groomed and fast as hell. We had a mixed group of riders with us this time so the tree run Jack Rabbit Alley was a blast because the pitch wasn’t too steep and you could bail out onto the green if you were in over your head. There was a surprisingly good amount of soft snow in there considering its right off a popular lift and there hadn’t been much new snow lately. It was also a very dry year to date so only 2-3 of the named tree runs were open. Another one being the Coyote Glades off Bachelor Gulch which somehow had 12+ inches of untouched snow and some fun challenging dips and woops through the trees that we lapped numerous times. One huge pain for boarders is the Primrose catwalk. If you were boarding on the Beaver Creek side and wanted to get back over to the Bachelor Gulch side you had to take the Primrose catwalk which just drags on for forever, and theres no way to cut it shorter by skiing down to a lift and going back up hoping to be further down the catwalk.

The resort is very kid friendly as evident by the fact that 2 members of our group were scolded for using curse words in the lift lines. As far as value goes, any local would tell you that when lift tickets are 200$ a day theres no way it’s a good value. However, for the out of town powderhound that’s looking for a good week of skiing and scoring deep stashes I would say Beaver Creek is a decent value. Especially when compared to Vail, and for the fact that pow stashes last a decent length of time and the short lines mean youll get plenty of turns in. Unfortunately for us the low snowfall year meant non of the more extreme terrain was open for us. I was really hoping to explore Stone Creek Chutes and Royal Elk Glade. I gave the resort only an average snow score mostly because when it did snow, Vail and Breck always seemed to be scoring higher snow totals. Also, due to covid they were implementing a reservation system for lunch which we quickly became huge fans of. No stalking around the lunch room hoping someone leaves, and families aren’t allowed to just hangout at their table all day. Get your lunch, eat it within 45 mins cause after that they’re kicking you out. Also it’s worth pointing out that the village at Beaver Creek is one of the prettiest base villages I’ve been to. With the ice rink in the middle and lots of these huge super comfy couches around it with firepits in the middle of each one, it was an awesome place to hangout after a day of skiing.
See our video here

More of a country club than a ski area

Pallavicini
23/10/2019
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    N/A
  • Rider Level
    N/A
  • Rider Age
    N/A
  • Month Visited:
    January
  • Admin Rating
    2

More of a country club than a ski area

Pallavicini
23/10/2019
Beaver Creek is not a mountain to overlook.
It has excellent terrain, fast lifts and better fall lines /powder stashes than Vail.
However unless you are a 1%er, the vibe is totally wack.
Everyone seems to impressed with the free cookies and forgets about $200 lift tickets.
See our video here

Perfect for families

Bruno
08/02/2019
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Snowboarder
  • Rider Level
    Advanced
  • Rider Age
    36-50
  • Month Visited:
    January

Perfect for families

Bruno
08/02/2019
Beautiful, glamorous, comfortable and very, very convenient!!
Skiing at Beaver creek and avon is a pleasure for few people. It is a bit more expensive than the other resorts but it paysback! Every part of the city is easy walkable and you get the slopes eithin no more than 8 minutes. Many hotels are ski in ski out. There are many small buses driving you everywhere and for free. Judt amazing.
See our video here

Hard not to like BC

Nicholas Oddy
17/08/2015
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Intermediate
  • Rider Age
    36-50

Hard not to like BC

Nicholas Oddy
17/08/2015
Beaver Creek goes out of its way to make you feel welcome and comfortable. From the ski valet service that kindly carries your skis from shuttle to the slopes, right through to the friendly customer service at every interaction. It helps if it a foot of fresh snow falls the day that you ski there however I found the entire experience to be very positive.

The excellent lift infrastructure serves a midsized mountain with plenty of variety for all levels. Lift lines were reasonable even for a powder day during peak season. Relly enjoyed being able full ski at full pace on the many long fall line groomers. Refreshing after having to feel conscious of your speed at Vail due to the ever watchful eyes of ski patrol and the slow down signs.

The mountain is ideal for a short stay with plently of challenging terrain to keep you interested. The village is upscale but I found the people to be welcoming and unpretentious. Love the vibe of BC and will definitely return.
See our video here

Expensive and slightly overated

Daniel Sherwin
18/06/2015
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Snowboarder
  • Rider Level
    Advanced
  • Rider Age
    18-35

Expensive and slightly overated

Daniel Sherwin
18/06/2015
Beaver Creek shares a lift pass system with resorts like Vail and Breckenridge. It has some excellent long pistes and tonnes of moguls for those who love them. Off-piste options can be somewhat limited with a propensity for the backcountry gates to be closed at the top of the mountain. Ungroomed slopes are somewhat limited due to their location relative to the servicing lifts - whilst advanced and steep in places, they track out very quickly and fail to take full advantage of the mountain due to the necessity to traverse back to the nearby lifts for a reasonable portion of the run.

All in all, Beaver is a pretty good mountain with a lovely village but it is exceptionally expensive. This contrasts poorly with the similarly priced Vail up the road which provides better dispersion of patrons and hence greater snow longevity and with Breckenridge with is both cheaper and more open to backcountry. Colorado offers better options for the adventurous and hardcore.
See our video here

Middle-ground for Colorado

Greg
22/10/2012
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Expert
  • Rider Age
    18-35

Middle-ground for Colorado

Greg
22/10/2012
Beaver Creek is a middle of the road kind of resort relative to other places in Colorado. They do participate in a multi-pass ticket, which gives you access to Vail and other resorts as well, which is awesome.

Beaver creek does not have some of the knock your socks off features of some of the other resorts, but they are also a little more affordable.

It is great for families and overall a great place to ski.

The snow quality is usually very good from my experiences. The crowds are not great, but not bad either. I will hit Beaver Creek from now on either when they have specials or as a one day trip using a multi-pass just for a change of scenery.

Pros: Not bad crowds for Colorado, fairly affordable, lots of amenities, great proximity to Vail and some other resorts. Not too-too far from Denver.

Cons: Sometimes will not be enough if you are a serious skier looking to hit extreme terrain. You could only ski a few days there. Good nightlife - VAIL - there is a shuttle.

Most suitable to: Families, couples, friends, groups, almost everyone except extreme skiers.
See our video here

Better than I expected...

Jason
21/10/2012
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Expert
  • Rider Age
    36-50

Better than I expected...

Jason
21/10/2012
When I visited Beaver Creek, I didn't have high expectations. I had this vision that it was merely a "little brother/sister" to the nearby larger mountain resorts like Vail (as I had heard it described). But I was definitely pleasantly surprised.

When I visited Beaver Creek, they didn't have much fresh snow in recent days. But one of the things that impressed me most about Beaver Creek was that they do a great job of grooming the runs, so you get great skiing even when there has been a dry spell. I don't know the exact stats, but they must be able to groom more terrain than other Colorado resorts. I'm normally not a guy who brags about groomers, but when there is a dry spell, you certainly appreciate a good groomer run with a 80'ish waisted carving ski.

The intermediate runs were somewhat crowded, but I found almost nobody on the advanced/expert terrain.

As for accommodation and apres, this place is luxurious. You don't have to go "all out" when you go to Beaver Creek, but if that's what you are looking for, this place is hard to beat. A Ritz Carlton at a ski resort? Yep. And if you are into 5-star restaurants? They got em.

I think Beaver Creek is a great place for families or couples that might not be "expert" level, but that are looking for a great all-round location with high-end accommodations.

Pros: 1) Luxurious resort accommodation options, 2) Great restaurants, 3) Awesome groomers (yep, I said it), 4) Great conditions on the slopes even after a dry spell

Cons: 1) Maybe not the choice for expert level skiers looking for crazy terrain
See our video here
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