Birds of Prey Beaver Creek 2026: World Cup Race Schedule and Spectator Guide

Daron Rahlves reached the finish at Birds of Prey Beaver Creek in 1:39.59 back in 2003. A spectator today needs a shuttle and a five-minute uphill hike. Seven World Cup races end there, free of charge, across two December weekends. Parking at the base is limited, so the schedule comes first here and the ride comes right after it.

Birds of Prey 2026 Race Schedule

The Birds of Prey schedule hands the men two downhills in a row before a Super-G and a giant slalom. The women answer a week later with two downhills and a Super-G. All start times on the official Birds of Prey 2026 schedule are MST.

The nonprofit Vail Valley Foundation runs the Birds of Prey World Cup and gives it a mouthful of a name, the Stifel Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup, on the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup circuit.

The Birds of Prey Course

Bernhard Russi, a Swiss Olympic downhill champion, built the Birds of Prey ski course in the summer of 1997. The first races ran that same December. The steepest stretch of the 2,470-foot drop hits a 63% pitch, though the average is a friendlier 31%.

The 1999 World Championships gave Birds of Prey Beaver Creek its reputation. Hermann Maier and Lasse Kjus tied for super-G gold with identical times, and the men’s downhill on Saturday, February 6, 1999 pulled about 20,000 spectators. The Birds of Prey course history calls that the largest crowd in U.S. ski racing history.

Maier still holds the record at eight wins on this course. The fastest Birds of Prey downhill belongs to Daron Rahlves of the U.S. Ski Team, set during the 2003 races. Women raced speed events here for the first time in 2024, and 2026 gives them two downhills.

Watching the Races at Red Tail Stadium

How to watch Birds of Prey mostly depends on how much snow you’re willing to carry in your boots, since the stadium itself is free with concessions and restrooms on site.

Race shuttles leave the Covered Bridge in Beaver Creek Village often, and they cost nothing. After the drop-off comes a five-minute hike uphill on snow. The organizers want one hour of travel time from the resort base, so a slow breakfast becomes a gamble. The race day information page spells out the rest.

Skiers get a second route from Friday through Sunday when conditions allow, because the Centennial Lift (No. 6) tops out at a spot where you step off to skier’s left onto Red Tail Trail. The official page lists ski-in, ski-out access as not available, which makes the shuttle the plan nobody can argue with. Anyone skipping the hike can watch the broadcast on the big screen at the Beaver Creek Village ice rink.

The VIP tent sells its own tickets online. Event Registration sits in Ford Hall inside the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek, and 970-748-5901 reaches the desk. Dogs can’t enter the stadium or the ice rink unless they’re trained service animals.

Beaver Creek Parking on Race Days

Beaver Creek parking is limited on Birds of Prey World Cup days, and the organizers say so in plain words. They recommend the Elk lot and the Bear lot at the base of the resort. Race-day parking there is free for vehicles with five or more occupants, which rewards anyone who can recruit four friends.

The Villa Montagne and Ford Hall garages are free for three hours after 3 p.m. That helps an evening concert more than an 11:00 a.m. start. Core Transit offers a different escape. The Vail/Beaver Creek Express runs about every 20 minutes at peak times from the Vail Transportation Center and Avon Station.

Riders from Edwards leave a car at the Mountain Rec Field House and take the Valley or HWY 6 route to Avon Station.

Getting to Beaver Creek Village Without Parking

A chauffeur sidesteps the Birds of Prey Beaver Creek parking question by driving to the door of any property inside the resort. Our Denver to Beaver Creek car service drives I-70 from Denver International Airport in about two hours and twenty minutes. Our Eagle Airport to Beaver Creek rides take around 40 minutes after landing at Eagle County Airport.

Each price covers the whole vehicle. A 20% gratuity is added, so the $300 SUV from Eagle comes to $360. The $575 SUV from Denver comes to $690.

Après, Concerts and Fireworks Around the Races

Beaver Creek events don’t end when the last racer crosses the line. Birds of Prey Way hosts the men’s award ceremony and bib draw at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, December 4, 2026. The fireworks go off half an hour later. The women get the identical evening on Saturday, December 12, 2026.

• Fireworks follow both bib draws.
• Beers of Prey runs Saturday.
• Free bands play most afternoons.
• Illenium plays across the valley.

Beers of Prey starts at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 5, 2026, so the Super-G crowd has an afternoon plan. Nathaniel Rateliff sold out the Vilar Performing Arts Center for that night and the next. Illenium takes Dobson Arena in Vail on Friday, December 11, 2026, with limited availability listed.

Planning Two Race Weekends

The Beaver Creek World Cup leaves four open days after the men’s finale on Sunday, December 6, 2026. The women’s opener follows on Friday, December 11, 2026. Avon works as a base for the gap, since Avon Station connects to the Vail/Beaver Creek Express. Our car service to Avon handles the airport leg, so evenings stay free for the bands on Birds of Prey Way.

The gap still has entertainment. The Laughing Bones play on Wednesday, December 9, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. Rumours Colorado follows on Thursday, December 10, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. Mountains of the Moon then screens at the Vilar Performing Arts Center at 7:00 p.m.