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Crowd calendar · 2026-27 season

Vail Mountain

Vail, ColoradoEpic PassEpic Local Pass

Tap a day to see why, then plan a trip around it.

QuietModerateBusyPacked 3"+ snow forecast

November 2026

SMTWTFS

December 2026

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January 2027

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February 2027

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March 2027

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April 2027

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Busy stretches to avoid

  • Thanksgiving weekendNov 25 – Nov 29
  • Epic Local and Epic Day Pass restricted peak dates (Vail)Nov 27 – Nov 28
  • Stifel Birds of Prey World Cup at Beaver Creek, nearby sister resortDec 3 – Dec 13
  • School holidaysDec 20 – Dec 25
  • Denver metro winter break (most districts Dec 21 to Jan 1; some run to Jan 4-5)Dec 21 – Jan 5
  • Christmas–New Year peakDec 26 – Jan 1
  • Epic Local and Epic Day Pass restricted peak dates (Vail)Dec 26 – Dec 31
  • School holidaysJan 2 – Jan 3
  • MLK weekendJan 16 – Jan 18
  • Epic Local and Epic Day Pass restricted peak date (Vail)Jan 16
  • Presidents' Day weekendFeb 13 – Feb 15
  • Epic Local and Epic Day Pass restricted peak dates (Vail)Feb 13 – Feb 14
  • Presidents' week school breakFeb 16 – Feb 19
  • Denver metro spring break (Cherry Creek, Douglas County, Boulder Valley, Aurora and others)Mar 15 – Mar 19
  • Denver metro spring break (Jeffco, Adams 12, Westminster, Adams 14 and others)Mar 22 – Mar 26
  • Easter weekendMar 26 – Mar 29
  • Denver Public Schools spring breakMar 29 – Apr 2

Beating the crowds

  • Tuesday to Thursday is quietest almost everywhere, and often cheaper.
  • Vail Village and Lionshead parking structures fill early on powder days and holiday weekends. Park free at Donovan Park (1600 South Frontage Road West), register your plate by scanning the QR code on the lot signs, and ride the free Town of Vail bus.
  • On heavy days the town opens signed overflow parking on North Frontage Road in West Vail, across from the West Vail Mall, with free bus service into the villages.
  • Westbound I-70 traffic on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons through the Eisenhower Tunnel and Vail Pass can add an hour or more. Driving midweek or early in the morning avoids most of it.
  • Mid-December through the Christmas-to-New Year weeks are the busiest stretch, with lift lines and packed village streets. Late January through February and March (before the Denver spring breaks) are generally less crowded.

Ski Vail Mountain for less

Get every cost per person with sources, the cheapest place to stay, quiet dates and a day-by-day plan. Takes about a minute.

Plan a cheap trip here

Places to stay nearby

The cheapest beds are usually a town or two down the road. Split a whole house with your group.

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This is a forecast from patterns: weekdays, national holidays, school breaks, pass blackout dates and events. Resorts don't publish lift-line data, so treat it as a guide. Snow forecast from Open-Meteo.

Vail Ski Resort Hours of Operation · vail.comVail Resorts 2026/27 Opening Dates announcement · news.vailresorts.comEpic Pass Restricted Peak Dates · epicpass.comEpic Pass 2026-27 details (Ski Magazine) · skimag.comVail Mountain Lift Tickets & Epic Pass 2026/27 (SnowStash) · snowstash.comVail Mountain Info · vail.com