Vail Nature Center
Vail Nature Center is a museum in Colorado, at a modelled elevation of 2,505 m. Mount of the Holy Cross stands 4,271 m to the south-southwest, 14 miles off. The nearest named place is The Discovery Center, a museum less than a tenth of a mile away. Top of the Rockies passes 4.8 miles off.
The story
Home Rule Municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States
Dates from 1966.
Wikidata Q747987, matched on coordinates and name (427 m apart).
What to expect
- Operated by
- Walking Mountains
- Seasonal
- summer;winter off
How to reach it
- 4.8 mi off the Top of the Rockies, National
- 21.1 mi off the Colorado River Headwaters, National
Overlooks nearby
- Cabin ruins · 18 mi
- Waterfall Overlook · 21 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Vail Mountain: 2.3 mi
- Ptarmigan Point: 2.8 mi
- Bald Mountain: 3.2 mi
- Lionshead: 4.3 mi
- Davos Peak: 4.9 mi
- Ford Park: 0.2 mi
- Roger Staub Park: 0.5 mi
- Parker's Green: 0.5 mi
- Pirateship Park: 0.5 mi
- Ted Kindel Park: 0.6 mi
- Hodgepodge: 0.2 mi
- Granite Landscape: 0.2 mi
- Spirit of the Skier: 0.4 mi
- The Ski Trooper: 0.6 mi
- Branching Pattern: 0.6 mi
- Northeast Entrance Rock Garden: 0.1 mi
- Aspen Grove: 0.1 mi
- Rocky Mountain Alpine Garden: 0.1 mi
- Saxifrage Garden: 0.1 mi
- Mountain Conifer Border: 0.1 mi
- Seibert Fountain: 0.6 mi
- The Edge: 0.6 mi
- John & Cissy Dobson: 0.6 mi
- Pete Seibert's Dream: 0.6 mi
- 10th Mountain Division: 0.6 mi
- The Discovery Center: 0.0 mi
- Museum and Gift Shop: 0.2 mi
- Betty Ford Alpine Gardens Education Center: 0.2 mi
- Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame: 0.6 mi
- Nature Discovery Center/Walking Mountains Science Center: 1.9 mi
- Bridge Street: 0.6 mi
- Imagination Station: 1.3 mi
- Thunder Cat Cave: 1.8 mi
- Holy Cross Adventure Course: 1.9 mi
- Forest Flyer: 2.0 mi
- Gilman: 7.6 mi
- Pando: 12.7 mi
- Holy Cross City: 16.7 mi
- Preston: 20.7 mi
- Climax: 21.1 mi
- East Vail Falls: 3.0 mi
- Booth Falls: 3.5 mi
- Willow Creek Falls: 12.0 mi
- Willow Creek falls: 12.0 mi
- Cataract Falls: 13.2 mi
- Target Bluff: 15.7 mi
- Eagle Roost: 17.2 mi
- Rocky Point: 21.9 mi
- Windy Point: 23.4 mi
- CDOT Rest Area: Vail Pass: 10.9 mi
- Edwards Rest Area: 12.1 mi
- CDOT Rest Area: Edwards: 14.4 mi
- Vail Nature Center: 0.0 mi
- Cucumber Gulch Preserve: 19.1 mi
- Frisco Bay Marina Beach: 15.2 mi
- Sweet Beach Cove: 16.2 mi
- Williams Fork: 20.8 mi
- Meadows Day Use Area: 22.0 mi
- Radium Hot Springs: 24.1 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 14.6 miles of Vail Nature Center. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount of the Holy Cross | SSW 208° | 4,270.5 m | 13.5 mi |
| Mount Jackson | SW 221° | 4,164 m | 14.1 mi |
| Mount Powell | N 8° | 4,141 m | 8.4 mi |
| Mount Silverthorne | E 84° | 4,072 m | 9.3 mi |
| East Thorn | E 84° | 4,065 m | 9.7 mi |
| Eagles Nest | N 4° | 4,057 m | 9.4 mi |
| Notch Mountain | SSW 205° | 4,030 m | 12.4 mi |
| Mount Valhalla | E 79° | 4,017 m | 7.8 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:10 | 18:42 | 19:18 |
| June solstice | 05:39 | 19:57 | 20:37 |
| September equinox | 06:54 | 18:29 | 19:04 |
| December solstice | 07:24 | 16:02 | 16:45 |
Local time (America/Denver).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Jun–Sep.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 18 | 21 | 29 | 37 | 46 | 54 | 59 | 57 | 50 | 40 | 26 | 18 |
| Precip in | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.7 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Vail, under a mile away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapOfficial siteOpenStreetMap element way/224523153
Day trips start here
- Vail · 0 mi
- Breckenridge · 20 mi
Take the scenic way to Vail Nature Center.
Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.