Beaver Creek in the Summer

We are thinking of taking a family vacation to Beaver Creek or Aspen this summer. I am a Starwood fanboy, so we are looking at the Westin Beaver Creek. St. Regis Aspen is also under consideration. Looking for advice on things to do in the summertime in a ski town. Is there enough going on to entertain us for a week, or are we going to be bored at the hotel?

Thanks

If you are outdoor oriented and enjoy hikes, fishing you will have lots to do. There are scheduled events (wine, sports etc) that you can check to see see if any fall when you are there. The mtns of CO in the summer are even nicer than the winter. PM if you want more info.

Do you like to hike, bike, eat, whitewater raft, play golf, tennis, dip in a hot springs, attend an outdoor concert, hot air balloon, 4WD to a ghost town or drink?
Aspen would be my choice over Beaver Creek. Vail is nice in summer too.

I would second the Aspen or Vail comment. Beaver Creek is great for winter skiing (not nearly as crowded) but not a lot going on there in the summer. Summer action is mainly in Vail and Aspen.

Plenty to do in both Aspen / Beaver Creek if you enjoy outdoors activities (hiking, golfing, biking, concerts, fishing, rock climbing, rafting, etc.)…as others mentioned.

The Westin in Beaver Creek is in a good location (although it would be even better if it was actually in Beaver Creek instead of Avon) and provides easy access to I-70 to head over to Vail (about 15 - 20 minute drive). If you are into fishing, this area has some of the best fly fishing in the state (Blue River, Gore Creek) and you could easily daytrip over to Breckenridge for a day (30 - 45 minutes)…their Main Street has some good shops and a much different vibe than Vail/Beaver. Depending on when you go, there are a lot of fun art festivals, wine & spirits events, and holidays (fireworks in the mountains on the 4th of July). Fly into Eagle/Vail if possible, although it is only about 2.5 hours from the Denver airport.

Aspen / Snowmass is more remote so your options of day-trips are more limited (it will take you at least an hour to get anywhere of significance, so you will likely spend most of your time in Aspen), but the quality of accommodations and dining are a tad better. The Maroon Bells are nearby and definitely worth hiking around (this is one of the prettiest mountain views IMO). Flying into Aspen allows you to avoid I-70 which can get crowded on weekends or during summer holidays. There isn’t a lot for young children (Ice Age discovery center is the only thing that comes to mind), but tweens/teens might enjoy some of the outdoor activities is they enjoy being active. You could drive over to Grand Junction / Palisade to the wineries (~2 hours each way), but you likely wouldn’t enjoy it as much as you could given the drive back would be in the waning daylight.

My takeaway is that if you are comfortable doing one activity per day (e.g. go for a 3 hour hike, go to art galleries, rafting trip, golfing, etc.) then you will enjoy your time regardless of which location you choose (a week shouldn’t be tough, especially when day 1 & 7 aren’t full days due to travel). If you constantly need to be on the move on vacation, seeing lots of sights, driving all over the place, etc. then Vail/Beaver is probably your best bet…I think Aspen is great, but probably only for 3-4 days (unless you want to just unplug, relax, eat & drink well, and not worry too much about running around).

Not sure I’d agree that day trips from Aspen are at least an hour away. Maroon Bells, Ashcroft, Independence Pass, Independence ghost town, Lost Man Lake, Smuggler mine/trail, Aspen Mountain, Ajax, Aspen Gondola, Conundrum Trail, Snowmass Village, the Frying Pan River, Ruedi Res, Old Town Basalt…are all within 20-30 minutes from town. Add downtown Aspen, Carbondale, some remote hotsprings, Mt Sopris, The Redstone Inn and the town of Redstone to the mix and days worth of activities are minutes away.

That’s fair, I was thinking Palisade (2 hr), Leadville (1.5 - 2.5 hrs depending on route) in the event the weather wasn’t ideal for outdoor activities, as well as comfort level of driving in the mountains. But I’m also a Front Range guy, so I am likely biased towards Vail / Beaver as I have spent far more time in that area.

Either way, lots to do in both locations, well worth spending time in Colorado.

Thanks everyone