The Best Mountain Vacation Adventures
By cmarks
Trade stifling city summers for fresh air in America’s best mountain destinations. Whether you visit California’s cerulean waters at Lake Tahoe, the storied mining town of Utah’s Park City, or the high altitudes of Vail and Breckenridge in Colorado, there are experiences aplenty for summer and fall explorers.
OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
Explore Park City’s astounding in-town trail network right outside your door at Marriott’s MountainSide. Follow Jenni’s Trail through aspen groves and wildflowers for sweeping overlook views of town, or rent a bike and pedal Park City’s award-winning trails.
In Vail, hike unspoiled terrain along Gore Creek — just steps away from Marriott’s StreamSide — or drive downtown to access nearly 350 miles of biking trails, including those leading to the seven legendary Back Bowls. You can also and see the Continental Divide on guided horseback tours between dramatic peaks in Breckenridge.
FESTIVALS AND LIVE MUSIC
Celebrate fall with food, drinks, and entertainment amongst the mountains. In South Lake Tahoe, you can taste farm-to-fork fare at Sample the Sierra™ — a September festival highlighting local restaurants — or sip locally brewed beers and ciders at Tahoe Brewfest.
At the Breckenridge Wine Classic, you can mingle with winemakers, or don your dirndl or lederhosen and hoist a pint during Breckenridge’s Bavarian-themed Oktoberfest. During Vail’s Oktoberfest, you can compete in stein-lifting, keg-bowling, and brat-eating contests at the town’s pedestrian plaza.
Favor music over spirits? Visit Utah for the Park City Song Summit, an intimate event focused on unplugged performances by singer-songwriters who wrote the hits you love.
HISTORICAL SIGHTS AND TOURS
Park City and Breckenridge were originally established as mining camps, and this pioneering spirit lives on in these revitalized boomtowns. See it in Colorado’s largest historic district, Main Street Breckenridge — a former Gold Rush basecamp transformed into a bustling community hub. After a day of exploring, sleep slopeside at Marriott’s Mountain Valley Lodge, which is a short walk away from nearby eclectic shops and eateries.
When you stay at Marriott’s Summit Watch, you can experience the heart of Park City’s Old Town, rich with mining history. Channel the past with a bird’s-eye view of historic Main Street from No Name Saloon’s rooftop patio, or taste craft cocktails at High West Distillery, Utah’s first post-Prohibition distillery. Learn mining lore at the Park City Museum or enjoy a dose of haunting history during a Park City Ghost Tour.
MOUNTAIN THRILLS
Hold on tight for extreme summer tubing on the same ski jumps used by Olympians for training at Park City’s Utah Olympic Park. Speed 25 miles per hour around loops and curves on Utah’s longest mountain coaster at Park City Mountain Adventure Park, or careen down the alpine slide’s 3,000-foot, luge-like track. When you’ve had enough adventure, take a dip in the pool at Marriott’s MountainSide.
In Vail, Colorado, you can soar through pinyon pines, sagebrush, and Western landscapes on Zip Adventures’ six zip lines, which get more exhilarating as you progress. You can also swim amongst Lake Tahoe’s Sierra Nevada or take an aerial tram ride up 2,000 feet to the pool and whirlpool spa at Squaw Valley’s High Camp Experience.
WATER ACTIVITIES
From Marriott’s Timber Lodge® or Marriott Grand Residence Club®, Lake Tahoe, take a short walk or drive to paddleboard on America’s largest alpine lake or bask in the sun on Lakeside Beach. Despite Colorado’s land-locked location, visitors can find excellent kayaking on Breckenridge’s Lake Dillon. Or if serene paddling isn’t your style, head to the 1,800-foot-long Breckenridge Kayak Park to practice paddling the rapids on 15 water features.