Our Top 5 Colorado Day Trips From Vail

You could easily spend your entire trip to Vail exploring the valley and the picturesque mountain town. That’s just where the adventure begins! Vail is also the perfect home base to explore other parts of this breathtaking region of Colorado. From 30 minutes away to two hours, we’ve rounded up our favorite day trips from Vail!

Vail Valley and the surrounding areas are full of countless outdoor activities and things like dining and shopping. We’ll send you everything you need to know to plan your trip right to your inbox with our complimentary Vail Vacation Guide! It’s the ultimate resource for your trip!

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We Recommend These Day Trips From Vail, Colorado

Frisco

About a 30-minute drive

Frisco is a small mountain town on the western side of the Dillon Reservoir. Whether you’re putting in a SUP or a kayak, the Frisco Bay Marina provides an easy access point into the water. The Frisco Adventure Park is a great family-friendly place for both winter and summer outdoor recreation. In the colder months, the area is extremely popular for Nordic skiing and snow tubing. In the summer, there are beautiful hiking and mountain biking trails, a disc golf course, and a skate park.

Silverthorne

About a 30-minute drive

Silverthorne, located on the northern side of the Dillon Reservoir, is a creative hub and an artist’s haven. Most notable, the Silverthorne Performing Arts Center is home to the professional Lake Dillon Theatre Company. The center and the town often host events from comedy nights to art walks to musical performances. The community has worked to make the town a work of art itself. With public art displays across the town, there is something beautiful and thought-provoking around every corner. There is a detailed map of all the displays around the area.

Leadville

About a 45-minute drive

Like any community in Colorado, Leadville has some world-class outdoor recreation to offer. However, its amazing history is what makes it one of our favorite day trips from Vail. In its prime, the city had a population of about 30,000 thanks to the Silver Boom in the late 1800s. Full of hotels, saloons, gambling halls, stores, boarding houses, and brothels, it was a perfect symbol of the “Wild West.” There are countless public figures, stories, and museums to discover in this entertaining mountain town.

Glenwood Springs

About an hour drive

Glenwood Springs is best known for its natural hot springs. The town features three springs to choose from. Glenwood Hot Springs Resort is the world’s largest mineral hot springs pool, Iron Mountain Hot Springs is the newest hot springs in the state, and Yampah Spa and Vapor Caves offers one of the few natural geothermal steam baths in the world. If you are traveling with kids, the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is a great family-friendly attraction in the area.

Aspen

About a two-hour drive

If you’ve heard of Vail, you’ve likely heard of Aspen. It’s another popular ski resort town within Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. It has a little bit of everything from history to arts to high-end restaurants and boutiques.