Trout
ACTIVELY GREEN BUSINESSES
Look for this icon next to businesses in Vail, indicating they are part of the Actively Green program. These businesses have greater efficiency and improved management processes to ensure they are a sustainable business.
What is Love Vail?
Love Vail celebrates the values we hold in common. A love for the natural world. A deep connection to the mountains. A belief in community, belonging, and a spirit of supporting one another. It is a movement rooted in the understanding that Vail’s future depends on both the health of our environment and the strength of our community. These two forces are deeply interdependent.
Need to Press Your Mountain Games Patch At Home?
If you weren’t able to have your patches pressed at the event, you can apply them yourself at home by following the directions below.
Pick Your Patch & Share the Love
Every patch tells a story. The mountain, the village, the gondola, the wildlife, the river. Love Vail is a reminder that how we show up here matters and that small, thoughtful choices add up to something worth protecting.
Beaver
I give wildlife space. They built the first homes in this valley. Beavers are nature’s engineers. Their dams create wetlands that shelter fish, birds, and amphibians, filter water, store moisture during droughts, and reduce flooding. By reshaping the land, beavers build healthier, more resilient ecosystems for everything that follows.
Columbine
I stay on the trail. Colorado’s state flower takes three years to bloom from a seed. One step off-trail can destroy years of growth. Alpine plants have short growing seasons and shallow roots — a single footprint causes real damage. Staying on trail protects wildflowers, nesting wildlife, and soil that takes decades to recover.
Clock Tower
I love being a part of it. This village has a heartbeat. In 1962, Pete Seibert and Earl Eaton climbed to the top of Vail Mountain and knew they’d found something special. What they built became a gathering place for the world — and it still is. A Green Destinations Top 100 site every year since 2017, Vail remains extraordinary for everyone.
Trout
I love these rivers. I care about our rivers, and I do my part to protect them. Gore Creek runs through the heart of Vail — and it needs our help. Never pour anything into a storm drain; it flows directly to the creek untreated. Rethink your lawn, reduce fertilizer use, and get involved with Eagle River Coalition cleanups and events.
Mountain Sun
I support clean energy. Vail runs on more than snow. I love that this town takes clean energy seriously. One hundred percent of Vail’s municipal electricity comes from renewable sources. Solar panels feed the grid. The bus fleet goes fully electric by 2032. Free energy audits and rebates are available to residents and businesses. The goal: cut emissions 50% by 2030. This town decided to do things differently.
Gore Range
I love mountain life. Vail was founded as a ski town and built on a love for mountain life. I love the access to adventure, incredible views, and wildlife. The Gore Range has watched over this valley long before Vail existed. Spanning Eagle and Summit counties, it shelters elk, black bear, mountain lion, and 150+ bird species. These peaks feed Gore Creek and define this community — and rising temperatures are putting all of it at risk.
Gondola
I welcome everyone. Vail is the most welcoming place I know. Vail had the first gondola in Colorado, and it’s been lifting people up ever since. Both the Eagle Bahn Gondola and Gondola One are designed to be accessible for everyone, whether you’re using a wheelchair or pushing a stroller. They provide easy access to skiing, hiking, dining, and sightseeing. Mountain views belong to all of us.
VAIL is CERTIFIED AS A SUSTAINABLE DESTINATION THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN IDEAL
Vail partnered with Walking Mountains Science Center and Sustainable Travel International to become the first sustainable mountain resort destination in the world and the first certified sustainable destination in the United States certified by a GSTC-Accredited certifying body, Green Destinations.
Care for Vail
Leave no Trace
The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace provide an easily understood framework of minimum impact practices for anyone visiting the outdoors. Take these with you when exploring the beautiful outdoors:
- Plan ahead and prepare
- Stick to the Trail
- Trash your Trash
- Leave what you Find
- Be Careful with Fire
- Keep Wildlife Wild
- Share Our Trails & Parks
