Commando Run Trailhead at Vail Resort
Elevation: 8, 220 feet
Hutski.com map: For parking in Vail follow current signs and regulations, most of this route is on our Vail map.
USGS 7.5 min map: Vail East
10th Mountain Huts map: None
GPS: 382 011 E, 43 88 862 N
Huts accessed: Shrine Mountain Inn
The Vail Trailhead for the Commando Run is not signed, but it's fairly easy to find.
Follow I-70 to the main Vail Exit (Exit 176) at Vail Resort. Take the exit, then turn immediately right (S) into a traffic circle. Turn east out of the traffic circle on the frontage road and drive .4 miles E (upvalley, toward Vail Pass) to an intersection marked with an oversized stop sign. Turn right (S) here and follow Vail Valley Drive .4 miles to parking at the Golden Peak Children's Skiing Center at the base of lifts 6 and 12. During winter Vail parking is highly regulated, so check the parking rules when you get there.
You can skin climb up the ski area from here to start the Commando Run in Mill Creek. This is a grueling start for such a nice tour, so consider accessing the Commando Run from the Vail ski lifts. There has been talk for years of a one-ride ticket for just that purpose, so check for this option.
To reach the Commando Run from the lifts you can get into Mill Creek from the top of lift 6; or take a more roundabout route, finally using the Orient Express Lift to reach the west ridge of Siberia Peak.
In the summer you can ride the Vail Gondola most of the way up the mountain, then hike the ridge to Siberia Peak. Cyclists can take their bike up the Gondola and ride across the ski area to the Mill Creek Road.
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