Piney Lake
If you want to get off the beaten path, there’s no more magical spot than Piney River Ranch. Just 12 miles north of Vail Village (about a 45-minute drive, sometimes replete with moose sightings), it’s a popular spot for canoeing and stand up paddleboarding (SUPing), hiking, camping and wildlife viewing with the added bonus of spectacular views of the peaks of the Gore Range. Piney River Ranch rents canoes and SUPs, and you can take a leisurely tour of the lake before heading to the restaurant for some pulled pork or carnitas tacos and a beer on the porch.

Compared to the Maroon Bells with less crowds and more activities and a restaurant, Piney Lake is the ultimate mountain paradise.

Sylvan Lake State Park
​Sylvan means a peaceful, wooded place and that’s what visitors will find at this beautiful park surrounded by the White River National Forest. Stunning mountain scenery, abundant recreation, wildlife to watch and top-notch fishing and hiking provide year-round diversions.

Anglers can try for rainbow, cutthroat, brook and brown trout in the lake and creeks. Hikers will find more than seven miles of state park trails and easy access to the national forest. Picnickers can stake their claim to a spot along the shoreline.  Canoeists, kayakers, paddle and electric motor boaters enjoy the 42 acre lake. Overnight visitors can choose to camp, stay in a cabin or lounge in a yurt .

Summer and fall in the Vail Valley makes for the perfect weather to go camping and it’s a great way to fully immerse yourself in the beauty of nature. Colorado is a mecca for campers and the Vail Valley boasts these excellent locations:

• Piney Lake
• Sylvan Lake
• Flat Tops Wilderness

In the fall months, the daytime temperatures remain warm, however the nighttime temps begin to drop and it can be quite chilly. Make sure to pack enough layers and a warm sleeping bag.

Before making a campfire, check the local wildfire warnings. Dry summers in Colorado leads to man made wildfires due to campfires and smoking. After your trip, remember to pack out your trash. We are all asked to use Leave No Trace principles to protect the local flora and fauna.

Just a few miles up on Vail Pass or Tennessee Pass, meandering up a dirt road maintained by the US Forest Service, or finding your favorite camping spot, it is easy to escape the light pollution to enjoy the night sky filled with meteor showers. Intermediate and expert photographers will enjoy capturing the fullness of the Milky Way from May to October every year.

Beginner Hikes:

• Eagle’s Loop (Vail Mountain): Short ridgetop loop with great views of Mount of the Holy Cross. 1 mile (1.6 km), 15–20 minutes.
• Nature Valley Complimentary Hike (Beaver Creek): in Beaver Creek: Easy guided hike. Begins at the top of Centennial Express (Meet at Spruce Saddle)

Intermediate Hikes:

• Berry Picker (Vail Mountain): This trail winds down from Mid-Vail or Eagle’s Nest to Vail Village or Lionshead. 3.2 miles (5.1 km), 2–3 hours one way
• Upper Piney Trail (Vail, CO): The trail is mostly in open meadows above the Piney Lake and Piney River before entering aspen groves and becoming a bit rougher before reaching the cascading falls at just under 3 miles.
• East Lake Creek Trail (Edwards, CO): The trail climbs steeply from the trailhead through aspen groves for the first mile, then climbs more gradually following along BoothCreek. At mile 2, the trail passes 60 foot Booth Creek Falls.
• Eagle Lake (Eagle, CO): There are majestic views of the Sawatch Mountain Range, Burnt Mountain, and William’s Mountains. There are excellent wildlife viewing opportunities for such animals as deer and elk.
• Beaver Lake (Beaver Creek Mountain): This trail follows Beaver Creek as you hike through aspens and thimbleberry on an old wagon trail then onto single track up through coniferous forest to the Holy Cross Wilderness boundary.