In its earliest days, Vail was the hunting and fishing land of the Ute Indians. But in 1874, miners looking to get rich quick came to the Vail area after the news spread that there was gold and silver in the hills, driving out the Indians.

By 1943, the 10th Mountain Division - a highly specialized unit training for WWII combat in the Alps - was settling in to base camp in the Vail Valley. The snow-covered Rocky Mountains provided a perfect replication of all that would be encountered on Europe's highest peaks. This was the home of Peter W. Seibert, the man who went on to create Vail's great skiing experience.

Since the early days of Peter Seibert's brilliant vision and hard work, Vail has grown into a village of unparalleled beauty. Offering the best of the natural world harmoniously blended with he finest man-made comforts, Vail has become the playground for those who seek out life's finest pleasures and know how to enjoy every moment with family.

Vail Timeline

		Earliest known history		Ute Indians hunting and fishing ground
		1854		Irishman Lord Gore explores the area
		1874		Miners come to the mountains for gold and silver
		1939		Charlie Vail engineers Highway 6 project, lending the town his name
		1943		10th Mountain Division base camp established
		1954		10th Mountain Division veterans draft ski resort plans
		1966		Town of Vail incorporated
		1974		President Gerald Ford and family bring Vail to the front pages
		1979		The Sonnenalp's Faessler family brings Bavarian hospitality to Vail
		1980-present		Vail grows into an internationally-known year-round resort