Beaver Creek Resort

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Beaver Creek
Location:	Colorado, USA
Nearest city:	Avon, Colorado
Coordinates:	39°37′53″N 106°31′18″W / 39.63139, -106.52167 (Beaver Creek)Coordinates: 39°37′53″N 106°31′18″W / 39.63139, -106.52167 (Beaver Creek)
Top elevation:	11,440 feet (3,490 m)
Base elevation:	8,100 feet (2,500 m)^[1]
Skiable area:	1,625 acres (6.58 km²)
Runs:	148 total 19% beginner 43% intermediate 38% expert/advanced^[1]
Longest run:	Centennial - 2.75 miles (4.4 km)
Lift system:	17 total (2 gondolas, 10 high-speed quad chairs, 2 triple chairs, 3 double chairs)
Terrain parks:	4, 1 half-pipe
Snowfall:	310 in/yr (7.87 m/yr)

A Beaver Creek Village view.

Bubbling fountain in the village center.

Beaver Creek Chapel.

View at the Beaver Creek Village.

Beaver Creek Resort is a major U.S. ski resort near Avon, Colorado, run by Vail Resorts. The resort is comprised of three villages, the main Beaver Creek Village, Bachelor Gulch, and Arrowhead to the west. It is the sister resort of Vail, Colorado. Beaver Creek is a regular host of Alpine skiing World Cup events.

When George Townsend first settled in the valley in 1881, he knew he'd found something special- an exceptional mountain, lined with aspen groves and beautiful vistas. In 1972, Vail continued his vision by purchasing the land and began designing a resort. Beaver Creek Resort was first envisioned by Peter Seibert, co-founder and former owner of Vail Resort. In the 1970s, Seibert tried to convince the Denver Organizing Committee to hold the 1976 Winter Olympic Games' alpine events at the yet to built ski resort. However, when Denver backed out from holding the Olympic Winter Games, his plans of building the resort collapsed. When Vail Associates was purchased by Harry Bass, oil tycoon of Golaid Oil, he continued with Seibert's dream of building Beaver Creek and during the 1980-1981 ski season, Beaver Creek opened along with the first hotel property, The Charter at Beaver Creek. Bass invested heavily in the resort by building a very costly state of the art European village. However, he didn't calculate the effect that most of the condos that were built would remain empty during the ski season as their new owners didn't need the income of renting them out, causing merchants to back out from opening up new shops. In 1985, Bass sold Beaver Creek and Vail Associates filed for bankruptcy a few years later. In 1989, the resort hosted the World Ski Championships. For the last several years Beaver Creek has hosted the Visa Birds of Prey ™ World Cup Downhill Ski race which brings together hundreds of athletes as they compete to be named World Champion.

Beaver Creek is home to the annual AEI World Forum. Each June, a select group of business leaders, government officials, scholars and former heads of government gather in Beaver Creek to explore the most critical economic, social, and security issues facing the United States and the world community. Senior U.S. cabinet officers and legislators provide candid briefings on important policy initiatives. Heads of major international corporations discuss business and financial developments. Government officials from Europe, Asia and the Americas debate international strategic and economic issues in a private, informal atmosphere, far removed from the distractions of day-to-day business. The AEI World Forum has been held annually since 1982, under the sponsorship of the American Enterprise Institute and the Vail Valley Foundation. The 2008 World Forum will once again be held June in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Coming at a time of critical choices in U.S.and international politics, not to mention a pivotal presidential election year, the 2008 World Forum will provide exceptional insight into policies and personalities shaping national and world affairs. World Forum participants meet in plenary sessions and at small workshops led by prominent business leaders, public officials and AEI scholars. The discussions are informal, off the record and carefully structured to be provocative and informative.

The resort is known for its upscale family-oriented accommodations, great terrain and a Robert Trent Jones Jr. Golf Course. The Beaver Creek Golf Club, nestled against the slopes of Beaver Creek Mountain, is one of the longest established golf courses in the Vail Valley. Opened in 1982, the course was designed by noted course architect Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and is known and respected for its long, narrow challenging fairways and its stunning scenery.

For the past 4 years, in between golf seasons, Beaver Creek has worked to re-shape all of the bunkers on course, aligning them more closely with their original design, and in the process installing a new drainage system and new sand for better playability. Additionally, the clubhouse restaurant formerly known as Holden's has undergone a face lift and reopened as the Rendezvous Club.

The town hires extensively from the East Coast, Australia, South America, and Argentina to fill its large seasonal employee rosters. Vail Resorts (formerly Vail Associates) is the corporation that owns Beaver Creek mountain, as well as Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly, and Vail Mountain.