Betty Ford Alpine Gardens

While I didn't come at the best time of year for blooms there were plenty to see and the colors of the trees made up for it. The variety of plants here is stunning and the information is really nice I always learn something when I come here. Mostly just being in amongst the trees and plants and the sound of running water in the various ponds and waterfalls throughout the garden are so soothing and relaxing it really is beautiful. If you have any stress or worries what a wonderful place to come and they just wash away.

Spectacular gardens, free and open to the public, dogs allowed if on leash. We visit these gardens every year and bring a picnic lunch. There is a park next to the Gardens with picnic tables. Also, a very informative visitor center and cute gift shop in a historic school house

Peaceful quiet park and alpine garden. There is a cool gift shop near the amphitheater. Bathroom is available in visitor center and kids playground. We really enjoy the nice stroll through the garden and it was raining for a bit so we sat by the garden bench and meditated till it stopped.

Absolutely beautiful garden! Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is a peaceful, stunning spot nestled right in Vail. It features a wide variety of alpine flowers and plants, many of which are labeled with informative signs that make the walk both relaxing and educational. The setting is serene, with lovely pathways, water features, and mountain views all around. It’s a great place to stroll, take photos, or just sit and enjoy the natural beauty. The gardens are very well-maintained, and the staff and volunteers are friendly and knowledgeable. There is also a small visitor center where you can learn more about alpine ecosystems and conservation efforts. Whether you are into plants or just looking for a peaceful break from the hustle of the village, this is a must-visit spot in Vail and it’s free!

Beautiful gardens! Nice place to enjoy a relaxing walk. Good for adults, kids and dogs. Picnic facilities and large playground. Plenty of parking and accessible by bus.

Beautiful gardens and amazing flower varieties. It is free to enter the garden. The nearby parking lot costs $2 an hour so if you can park somewhere else try to.

Gorgeous flowers everywhere in an ideal family environment. Tons of play areas with slides and swings for kids to enjoy. Serene walking paths for a nice stroll was paired with plenty of benches tucked into shady spots to read on your own or chat with a friend. The location set a 5 minute river walk from the heart of Vail Village maybe the quintessential perfect distance for old and young. Not so far it seems to aggressive to undertake but far enough away from the restaurant and store hubbub to be peaceful.

This was an unexpected gem during our day trip to Vail. So refreshing. If you want to learn about plants you can, if you just want to enjoy the beauty there are lots of benches tucked amidst the paths. If you want to chat with other plant lovers everyone was eager to engage in plant talk. The paths are easy to walk on. Think a stroll not a hike. It was relaxing to be in such a serene place. There is a quaint gift shop & ice cream cart at one end of the garden & a more museum type spot at the other end. We parked in the Vail lot(first hour free then $2/ hour) about a 10 minute walk from the garden along a creek. There is a fabulous playground at the park with a huge tree fort.

Absolutely beautiful garden! They had alpine plants from all over the world. Staff friendly too.

A nice free garden close to Vail Village and free parking by the Visitor Center - very scenic and easy walk along the waters. I went on Memorial Day and not much was blooming, but the weather was nice and it was a relaxing park area nonetheless. There's a kids' playground, an educational center with activities for kids, and a tool shed you can sign up to help garden! Great for families to enjoy and some good photo ops! You can breeze through quickly or take your time to enjoy and maybe have a picnic!

Beautiful flowers, lovely little trails and is so peaceful. The flowers are very just gorgeous and it's easy to get to from manor vail Lodge bridge. Cute park for kids too

Beautiful gardens and ponds, with lots of informational signs, and markers identifying the plants, flowers and trees. Just a short walk from the village. Free, but you are welcome to make a donation in the box.

It's pretty small, but it's really a nice collection of plants thoughtfully organized, easy to access, and free.

Great free park close to the village. Neat bridges and water features. Very pretty at Fall Color time. Definitely worth a trip. Easy walk from parking garage.

My husband, Krishna & I visited this beautifully planted garden some time back. But I'll never forget the time we spent in this little hidden gem!

My family really enjoyed walking through these gardens. Nicely landscaped and gorgeous views!!! No required donations but it's suggested to donate $5pp. It's definitely worth it.

Always a beautiful and well-maintained property with a naturally captivating ambiance. It never disappoints, nestled in the mountains and saturated with stunning colors and trees. A must-see if in the area!!

Beautiful free (they do ask for a donation) park when you're coming in to Vail from the East. The parking was a little confusing as I didn't notice the gardens specifically marked, but just park for the amphitheater. It's a short walk to the gardens. There are peaceful places to sit and relax or you can walk around and look at beautiful flowers.

A wonderful arboreal experience! The number of varied plants and trees is stunning and makes any day one of discovery. The significant plants are marked for identification. We usually spend a couple hours looking through the multi-tiered gardens.

The Alpine Gardens is truly a local treat! The landscaping and dedication to plant placement is just breathtaking. I can't believe this place is donations only. It's such a treat to come here and walk the gardens. There is also an amphitheater, a very nice playground, an education center. There are many water features through out the grounds. The whole experience is very enjoyable especially in the summer when the plants are blooming. I highly recommend stopping by here when you visit Vail. It is worth your time.

Wasn't sure where to enter the garden. Just follow the signs to the parking lot and enter where it says Ford Park. Veer to the right after you pass the amphitheater. It's a short walk to the entrance to the gardens. I went the first week in October and the temp had dropped to 23 the night before. Although most of the plants were frozen the fall foliage was beautiful. Still very peaceful and beautiful.

This was an absolute treat to have walking distance from the lodge we stayed at. Though the space was small, it was so such a tranquil place with so many beautiful flowers and plants. There were even benches to sit and enjoy the scenery. It's also next door to the park and the outdoor theatre. We walked around a few times and sat down for awhile to enjoy the fresh air. This was my first time in Vail and there was so much to see. I'd definitely come back here and love on this garden some more. It is walking distance to so much of what Vail has to offer. I can't wait to visit again!

Absolutely beautiful. Its a short walk, and in the middle of the park, but so many different kinds of plant species, and some good photo spots. Love that it is FREE!

The Betty Ford Alpine Gardens were designed so that as you are enveloped in one, you can't really know what is around the next turn. But they were all spectacular. The statuary, sculpture, & elements of nature were blended seamlessly. I took each scene in silently, preferring to tour alone ~ though Docent-led Tours are available. It was a sunny 80-degree day with less than 20 people around. The paths gradually kept climbing to an altitude of 8,200'. Several water elements were incorporated, including ponds & stairway waterfalls. Colorful wildflower accents were interspersed throughout the gardens ~ Photos do not do them justice. I spent 2 hours here, & could have stayed longer.

Very nice facility with lots of resting places and shade. ADA accessible sidewalk and paths throughout. Small raised garden area with gift shop. Interesting art installment. Finding the place was an excruciating exercise in navigation. Small signs, not near any kind of entrance confused us. We actually went all the way around, over the river, following small sign posts that we concluded were for pedestrians and bicyclists but had no indication that they were. We found out later that the signage is regulated by the city. Not a good way to attract repeat visitors. Otherwise, a great place to visit!

Beautiful gardens well maintained. No fee free parking donations appreciated. Some low hills to climb. Stunning rock gardens and waterfalls.

The garden was easy to get to because the bus line that runs within Vail goes straight there. The bus fare is free and so is the entry to the garden . They do ask for donations which you can place in their donation box. I was there during off season so unfortunately their gift shop was closed. There are benches around the park where you can sit have a picnic, read or just relax. I enjoyed sitting by the little waterfalls... the sound was soothing. I just sat there admiring the Aspens changing color. I also noticed people riding their bikes and a playground for the kids. In front of the garden on the side there is also a mini trail that goes along a creek . It's about a five minute trek that has plenty of shade and places to sit. This is a great place to spend some time if you are waiting on a movie, wanting to take a walk after lunch or just have quiet time to ponder your thoughts.

The only access way is to park your car at Golden Peak lot right at the base of River Bahn express lift. It's just south of the Manor Ridge Lodge, address is: 595 Vail Valley Dr, Vail, CO 81657 From Manor Ridge Lodge walk directly east across Gore Creek via a wooden bridge to arrive at basketball court, playground, and the entrance to Alpine Gardens. Due to all the construction, we had to circle couple times to find this place but it's totally worth it and it should be the #1 attraction in Vail. Free admission with donations encouraged.

Absolutely gorgeous! The garden has multiple areas for children including a playground and many beautiful views for adults. It's also directly next to a river that you can splash around in. We had the luck of getting to listen to a rehearsal from the amphitheater in the garden. It's also free! I'll definitely make my way here again soon.

Every time while in Vail, this is a must see. A relaxing stroll through the varied gardens with lovely waterfalls makes for a perfect afternoon. The amphitheater was closed during the day but next visit will make sure to check out the timing for the free concerts! I wished my gardens looked liked this!!

Beautiful Garden with flowers. The best place to take pictures at! A must to check out when you are in town!

We stopped by to visit in early September.Maybe that is why the garden did not have many flowers. But we truly enjoyed the overall landscaping.

I visited the second week of July and everything was blooming. Amazing garden full of alpine plants. I saw spruces, conifers, prickly pears, columbines, rock plants, and more. I especially love the edibles section of this garden full of herbs and edible flowers. There's awesome sculptural plant artwork too. A must see for flora lovers when in Vail.

Free snowshoe rental! Where can you get anything for free in Vail? All they ask is a donation since the facility is run in volunteer work. You can snowshoe out the front door on a little loop trail, and can cross over to the groomed bike trails near the golf course to extend your snowshoe walk. They'll even give you a map to take with you on your guided hike. It's not a challenging hike but a nice alternative on a break from skiing. I'll have to come back in the summer to check it out!

Gorgeous garden area to walk around, enjoy the beautiful outdoors, sit on a bench to people watch, etc. There are also public restrooms nearby. A lovely place to stop by and relax!

This was recommended to us while traveling through beaver creek with kids. It's an absolute must while in the area. Cool playground, Lots of nature for kids to explore, interesting hay structures my kids could have played in for hours.... what a special place!

Beautiful respite in vacation. They have had a drought so plants weren't at their peak. Gardeners were so polite and tried to be no obtrusive. Intriguing wine sculptures you could wander into. Amazing unusual plants to observe. A must see when you are shopped out.

Very nice place to hang out in the spring/summer time. Pretty landscape and plants ... bring your food and have a pick-nick.

I recently spent an afternoon in the gardens when visiting Vail. The gardens are very pretty and relaxing. There are a lot of benches that face the most amazing views. It is a great place to enjoy nature and learn about high altitude plants and Colorado's amazing climate. There is a play ground for the kids that is very nice and a big grassy park. Also, there are several art pieces that are neat to see. The gardens are free to visit and you can even take the free shuttle from Vail Village to the Vail Mountain ticketing office, then the gardens are a short walk away. Once you get to the gardens, there is a little schoolhouse that has some historical information about Vail and the surrounding area too. There is a $5 suggested donation, but the garden is free. Also, there is a kids garden and they even have gardening tools so the kids can learn about gardening. I highly recommend visiting the gardens when in Vail during the summer.

Beautiful world class gardens that showcase alpine flora! The education center provides programming for adults and children which is just adjacent to a children's playground. The staff is helpful and knowledgeable. Restrooms can be found at multiple buildings. If you are visiting Vail in the spring/summer/fall it's a must see. I'll be back every time. It's so relaxing.

Very nice - it's not super-easy to find; we basically walked past the tennis courts and down behind the amphitheater to find it. Due to the location, we weren't sure what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised to find this beautiful garden with no admission charge. (However, donations are encouraged, and you should happily give if you can.) I loved the complete focus on the native plants - there was no attempt to force in some landscape that didn't belong in the area. It really opened your eyes to the large number of gorgeous flowers and greenery that belong right there in Vail. And for all the non-native plant lovers, the pots they decorate with around the park are filled with gorgeousness. It was extremely easy to get around the gardens (and we found the easier way to get to it by just going around the tennis courts). But it was worth the walk!

There were so many gardens to see and the sights were just breathtaking.

First of all, Betty Ford Alpine Gardens are FREE!! Woohoo! I love places that charge just donations. The gardens are beautiful. I loved the natural stairs and the waterfalls. There were tons of varieties of columbines as well. It's the perfect place to relax and enjoy a beautiful day!

Love love love this place! It's absolutely stunning, we even went in the late Fall and it's still beautiful. The walk spaces are cleaning and classic and the art work pieces are great! I cannot wait till I get to visit again.

Walking the trails during Fall is breath-taking. Great place to exercise in pure nature. Lovely

We went in August after reading up on the place and its Summer flowers. I'm a professional landscape photographer and we were staying in Winter Park for 10 days. The Gardens were quite difficult to find and once there in the Ford Park locating the actual Gardens required asking one of the workers. Poorly marked signs. Once at the Gardens there were few flowers. There are more flower varieties at Winter Park Village. The only positive thing is that the Gardens are for free, which recalls the old adage, you get what you pay for.

Free. Classy. Beautiful. A surprising diversity of flora and a few cool benches on which to just kick it and read a book. Adjacent to a park that the grommets go utterly ape-shit for, lots of stuff to climb on... Truly one of the summertime gems of the Valley.

A lovely small garden nestled in Vail. Catch sunrise yoga practice in the green space, oogle at a wedding taking place, catch a nap on one of the many benches among the alcoves, or detour your bike ride back to the village. Donations wanted, but optional. Lovely.

Free to visit. Great looking flowers and sculptures. There are some garden snakes there, which kinda freaked me out but it was pretty cool. There are some birds and chipmunks which are cool. There are some split trees that double as benches there also.

I was a frequent visitor to the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens during my recent month long stay in Vail. We visited in June, and the gardens were in full bloom! On my first visit, I was surprised to find that the gardens were smaller and more compact than I had expected, but fabulous non-the-less. There are several vertical levels to the gardens, as they are build into the side of the mountain, as well as multiple water features including a couple of ponds and a large waterfall that cascades down three of the garden tiers. There are many shaded benches and tucked away spots to sit and enjoy the serene surroundings, a perfect spot to read, sketch or paint, journal, or visit with a friend. The flowers are well labeled, which is a bonus for Colorado locals who want to check out ideas for their home gardens. The gardens are a 5-10 minute walk from the nearest parking lot, but fully accessible for wheelchairs. The gardens are a must stop if you are in Vail during the summer months! You could meander through the gardens in an hour to 90 minutes, but plan for a longer visit if you want to sit and linger. Admission is free, but donations are accepted in a box at the entrance if you'd like to donate.