Avon Ski Guide

Where does Avon sit and how do you reach the slopes?

Avon sits in the floor of the Vail Valley in Colorado at around 7,400 feet, about eight miles west of Vail and roughly two miles below Beaver Creek, and its key advantage is direct lift access despite not being a mountain village. The Riverfront Express gondola rises from the riverfront in Avon up to Beaver Creek Landing, which means you can reach the Beaver Creek slopes from town without driving, a genuine ski convenience for a valley base at this price.

From Beaver Creek you get one of Colorado's most polished mountains, known for immaculate grooming, excellent tree skiing and a strong family and intermediate offering, and Vail, only eight miles east, opens up its enormous back bowls and vast terrain on the same Epic Pass. Avon therefore puts two major resorts within easy reach, one by gondola and the other a short drive or bus ride away.

The trade off is that Avon itself is a town, not a slope side village, so apart from the gondola corridor you are not stepping straight onto the snow. For most of Beaver Creek's terrain you ride the gondola up and the lifts above it, and for Vail you travel the short distance east. That is a small price for the savings and the town amenities, but it is not the same as walking out of a slope side lodge.

What is Avon like as a town?

Avon is a real working town rather than a manicured resort village, and that is exactly its appeal for value travelers. It has supermarkets, a good range of restaurants, everyday shops and services, and a riverfront area by the gondola, so a family can stock a condo, eat well without resort prices and have proper amenities on hand, which the polished but pricey villages above do not match.

What Avon lacks is the curated, pedestrian village charm and slope side buzz of Beaver Creek or Vail Village. The atmosphere is practical and local rather than chocolate box alpine, and the liveliest dining and apres ski are up at the resorts. People who want character and a walkable resort core will prefer to stay on the mountain and pay for it, while people who want value, space and convenience will appreciate what Avon offers.

The town also has its own low key winter life away from the slopes, centered on the riverfront and a small lake that hosts community events, ice skating and easy walks, which gives non skiers and families with young children somewhere to fill an afternoon without driving up to the resorts. It is modest rather than glamorous, but it adds to the case for Avon as a practical valley base.

Where should you stay in Avon?

Stay near the riverfront and the gondola in Avon if ski access matters most, since lodging by the Riverfront Express lets you ride straight up to Beaver Creek, and choose condos and apartments farther into town for the best value. Avon has everything from full service riverfront hotels to roomy family condos and more affordable inns, a wider price range than the resorts above.

A Vail Valley ski week is not cheap wherever you sleep, and even based in Avon a family trip with lift passes, lodging and meals typically lands in the $4,000 to $8,000 per person band once flights and an Epic Pass are counted, with Avon meaningfully undercutting the same week booked slope side in Beaver Creek or Vail Village. Self catering condos are the smart value play here, letting families cook and spread out while still riding the gondola to the snow.

How do you get to Avon?

Avon is unusually easy to reach for a Colorado ski base, with the small Eagle County airport only about a thirty minute drive west and Denver International around two hours east, giving you both a quick regional option and a major hub with wide flight choice. The quick Eagle County transfer is a real advantage over many Colorado resorts that sit much farther from an airport.

A car or shuttle is useful for moving between Avon, Beaver Creek and Vail and for the airport run, though local and valley buses also connect the towns. Many visitors fly into Eagle County for the short transfer when schedules allow and into Denver when they want cheaper or more frequent flights, accepting the longer mountain drive in exchange.

Is Avon right for your trip?

Skiing near Avon

These resorts are within reach of Avon, each with our full review:

• Beaver Creek. The polished, family friendly mountain directly above Avon, reached by the Riverfront Express gondola and known for grooming and tree skiing.
• Vail. One of North America's largest resorts, eight miles east of Avon on the same Epic Pass, famous for its huge back bowls.

Common questions