Vail's Best Kept Secret

Considered one of Vail's best kept secrets, the Nature Center offers unique, world-class programs including plant and animal exhibits, wildflower and morning bird walks, evening beaver pond tours, a summer speaker series, a hiking club, fly fishing and stream ecology classes, art and photography in nature classes and campfire story telling with star gazing.

Hours of Operation

The Nature Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend and is located adjacent to Ford Park and across the street from the soccer fields.

Summer Programs, June 13th – September 22nd

NATURE TOURS
Beaver Pond Tours
Thursdays, 7pm
Beavers are one of the animals that define the Rocky Mountains and we often see them right here in Vail! Join a Walking Mountains naturalist at dusk to learn about and look for these amazing animal architects.
$5 Child / $10 Adult / $30 Family

Morning Bird Walks
TU & THURS, 8:30am
Join a Walking Mountains naturalist for a bird walk. On our morning walks we are likely to see warblers, western tanagers, grosbeaks, dippers and a host of others. Come to amble along the streamside of Gore Creek and watch for a variety of birds. $3/person | $2/Vail taxpayer

Wildflower Walks
M & W 11:30am, THURS 2pm
Wildflowers abound in the summer high country of Colorado. Join a Walking Mountains naturalist for a leisurely walk to learn about the flowers that carpet our mountain floors and about the places and conditions they need to thrive. $3/person, $2/Vail taxpayer

Vail Creekside Tours
Vail Nature Center Booth, Vail Farmer’s Market
Join a Walking Mountains naturalist for a walk along Gore Creek. You’ll learn about the special plants and animals living in this riparian ecosystem in the heart of Vail. You’ll also learn about some of Vail’s first residents as you make your way to the end of the tour at the historic Nature Center farmhouse building. Sundays, During Vail Farmer’s Market, call for times.

CAMPFIRES
S’mores and More
Fridays, 7pm
Join a Walking Mountains naturalist for a warm campfire, exciting stories of woodland adventure and the sweet smell of burning marshmallows. It’s sure to be a fun evening for the entire family!

STARGAZING
Tuesdays, 8:30pm
Each constellation has a story. Spend the evening with a Walking Mountains naturalist to identify the stars and hear their stories while you gaze into the dark and bedazzled night sky of the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Visit the Vail Nature Center website for more information. The Vail Recreation District charges a nominal fee to support Nature Center Operations.