Vail Snowmobiling: Where to ride

Vail, Colorado is known for world class skiing, but no winter vacation to Eagle County is complete without experiencing the phenomenal snowmobiling that can be had in the Vail Valley of Colorado.

Can You Snowmobile Near Vail Mountain Resort?

The short answer is no, you cannot. There is no snowmobiling allowed near the resort. There are however a few riding areas within 20 to 40 minutes depending on road conditions. The most popular spot is known as Vail Pass which offers close to 60,000 acres of pristine forest and tree line terrain in the Vail Pass Recreation Area. Other spots near Vail include the Piney Lake Region (a little more difficult to access than Vail Pass) as well as riding in the region known as Sylvan lakes which is a solid 40 minutes outside of Vail. Sylvan Lakes is a very remote region and should really only be ridden with a local who has backcountry expertise.

How Do You Access Vail Pass Snowmobiling?

There are three access points to Vail Pass. If you have your own machines, the Vail Pass summit along I-70 offers parking with spots for trailers for $10/day. There is also limited free parking along Highway 24 known as Tennessee Pass near Camp Hale. Download our Vail Pass Skiing Map here which indicates the parking locations. The third and BEST option is to rent snowmobiles from RMAR from our Red Cliff location or park with your own machines and trailer on the Red Cliff side of Shrine Road which provides direct access to Vail Pass. Lunch or dinner at Mango’s Mountain Grill will be one of the highlights of your snowmobiling day on Vail Pass.

Where is the Best Place to Stay When Snowmobiling Near Vail?

There are multiple hotels and vacation rentals in and near Vail that can serve as your base camp. Sonnenalp Vail and Lodge at Vail are just a few of our favorites. Rocky Mountain Adventure rentals offers pick up and drop off services to and from lodging or can refer you to a transportation company. For those of you who are looking to do more snowmobiling than skiing, your best lodging option is the Green Bridge Inn located in Red Cliff. The Green Bridge Inn is directly across the street from our RMAR Red Cliff location and the famous Mango’s Mountain Grill. 

Rocky Mountain Adventure Rentals offers snowmobiles for all levels of riders and we pride ourselves on the high quality of our sleds. Our Timbersled Snow Bike rentals are ideal for intermediate/advanced riders of dirt bikes and can handle any terrain and any condition. Our Timbersled Snow Bikes are built using a KTM 450 SXF Body.  Learn more about Timbersled Snow Bike Rentals