Family Travel: Visiting Vail in the Summer with Kids #Colorado

Colorado in the summer is perfection. Crisp, cool air, mountain vistas, playing outside without sweating… what’s not to love? We visited Vail, Colorado, with our family when the Bear was just a toddler and today I’m sharing our favorite things to do in the area with kids. Vail is famous for winter ski slopes and luxury vacations. We managed to have a frugal vacation in the area during the summer and it was awesome. Here are our favorite things about visiting Vail in the summer with kids.

Visiting Vail in the Summer with Kids

1) Explore Vail Village.

I describe Vail Village as the Disney version of Switzerland in Colorado. It is clean, pristine, and fabulous. The shopping is out of control, and there are tons of fun restaurants. The library is great and even has regular story times throughout the week. You can ride the ski lift up for awesome mountain views, though we found this terrifying with a toddler. Walking around the village is a simple way to entertain the family and there are often street fairs and festivals going on during the summer. Creeks to play in, shops to peruse, and fun restaurants to try, make Vail a great family destination.

2) Visit neighboring towns.

We took little drives to the neighboring towns around Vail and too many fun things to do. Vail is a great jumping off point for day trips and adventures around the valley.

3) Hike and have an adventure at Piney Lake.

Piney Lake (pictured above) is the prettiest place I’ve ever been. It is a steep drive up curvy mountain roads above Vail, but is totally worth it. If you don’t have 4 wheel drive you may want to rent a jeep to go up. Once on top there is a restaurant and store, canoe rentals for the lake, and the most glorious hike you’ve ever seen. Go early, bring a picnic, and stay all day.  I want to go back to Vail just to go here again. Don’t miss it.

4) Play on the Pirate Ship Playground.

The pirate ship playground is just awesome. It is huge, well built, and fun for all ages. If you have kids this is a must do. The creeks surrounding it are perfect for rock throwing and wading as well. We visited the pirate ship every day of our trip.

You can find rental condos in the area for much less than the hotels in the village. We stayed a few miles away and were able to cook at home and relax on our deck during naps. Grocery stores in the area are a little pricey, but still cheaper than dining out every meal. You can read more of our frugal family travel tips here. Read about how we hike with kids here.

Where is your family headed this summer?

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