Did you know that you can now soar like an eagle above Vail Mountain or coast through the White River National Forest just like a squirrel?

You can this summer, with Vail Resorts debut of their Epic Discovery for mountain lovers at two iconic resorts: Vail Resort in Colorado and Heavenly Resort in California. The new “off season” adventure presents the on-mountain experience in a unique, connected way to those who enjoy the cool air of the mountains during the summer. Epic Discovery provides a unique blend of big-time thrills, physical challenges and experiential learning of the Rocky Mountain environment.

“Epic Discovery will provide an avenue for our summer guests to experience our alpine settings in a new, immersed way,” said Chris Jarnot, Vail’s Senior VP and CEO in a press release. “For kids, it will be the ultimate playground in an alpine setting.”

This first-of-its-kind comprehensive on-mountain summer adventure is opened to guest who visit Vail and Heavenly this season, and will be ready at Breckenridge in Colorado next summer. The experience applies a “learn-through-play” approach to featured attractions that include the following:

Game Creek Canopy Tour is the ultimate outdoor experience at Vail Mountain in Colorado. The tour, led by interpretive guides, will immerse guests in the forest habitat using a variety of zip lines and aerial bridges that rise 300 feet above the valley floor, while teaching about the mountain environment.

Forest Flyer™ is a gravity-based alpine coaster that allows guests to sit on individual sleds while descending down the mountain on a raised track. Guests fly through the forest with full control of their speed using a hand brake.

Expanded Trail System includes a wildlife exploration trail featuring mountain plants and a series of installations which resemble a different animal ability.

Heavenly at Lake Tahoe 
Heavenly integrates a robust interpretive learning component created together with the Forest Service, the League to Save Lake Tahoe and The Nature Conservancy. Sally Gunther, Vail’s PR Manager, described it as “encouraging guests to be stewards of our natural environment.” Attractions opened at Heavenly this summer include:

Adventure Peak is opened this season at the top of the Heavenly Gondola that includes a kid’s ropes course, zip line, and a permanent rock climbing wall.

The Canopy Tour consists of zip lines and aerial bridges set among the trees at the observation deck of Heavenly’s Gondola. The guided tour will provide a unique perspective of the lake, mountains and forest.

The Alpine Coaster at Heavenly descends on a raised track natural rock formations and forest with incredible views of Lake Tahoe. Riders have full control of their speed.

Guided 4×4 Mountain Tours that allow guests to enjoy the views of Lake Tahoe, the Carson Valley and Desolation Wilderness from the cab of an SUV.

Breckenridge Ski Resort’s Epic Discovery, available next summer, emphasizes extensive environmental and interpretive programming and will feature adventure hiking zones, zip lines, canopy tours, ropes courses.

This is a new era for mountain resorts, taking full advantage of their topography and adding features to elevate the mountain experience for guests, not just in the winter, but in the summer months.   Full details on all the Epic Discovery activities, developments and ticketing are available on Vail, Breckenridge and Heavenly websites.