Vail Valley is one of the most spectacular wedding destinations in Colorado, and it is genuinely one of the most dog friendly. From gondola-accessed mountain wedding decks to riverside resort properties to a private backcountry camp where the chef will cook your dog a catered meal, the dog friendly wedding venues in Vail Valley offer a range that almost nowhere else in the state can match.
We have worked weddings at every venue on this list. One of our very first wedding weekends happened at the Westin Riverfront Resort in the fall of 2023. Since thenm we have returned to the Vail Valley again and again. Through gondola rides and mountain thunderstorms and one unforgettable weekend with nine dogs at a single property.
Here is what it is actually like to have your dog at each of these venues, from someone who has been inside the day.
Vail is one of the most beautiful places in Colorado to get married, and it is one of the most dog friendly destinations in the state. If you are planning a wedding here and want your dog present for any or all of it, here are the five venues worth knowing about.
Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa, Avon (The Most Convenient Dog Friendly Wedding Venue in Vail Valley)
The Westin Riverfront holds a special place in our hearts. In October 2023, we supported a mini Aussie named Teddy through his humans’ wedding weekend at this property, one of our first ever. That weekend changed the way we looked at wedding support, and there is no more fitting place to start this guide.
The Westin Riverfront is the most convenient dog friendly wedding venue in Vail Valley. That convenience is a genuine advantage on a wedding day. The property sits along the Eagle River with direct access to a paved bike and walking path that runs through the valley. This provides immediate options for dog walks, exercise breaks, and decompression time throughout the day without ever getting in a car. The ceremony site backdrop is spectacular; the mountains frame the property in every direction.
As a dog friendly hotel, the Westin Riverfront has no restrictions on dogs for couples doing a wedding weekend. Your dog stays on property with you (or their concierge), wakes up in a familiar space on the wedding morning, and the entire logistics of moving a dog from accommodation to venue is eliminated. For destination couples managing a full wedding weekend, that simplicity is worth more than it sounds.
The venue itself is gorgeous without being fussy. Close enough to Vail Village to access everything the town offers, far enough removed to feel genuinely resort-like. The event staff is experienced and the property has handled enough weddings to make the day feel smooth and well-supported from every angle.
Plus the Pups dog logistics note: No restrictions, easy access to walking paths, dog-friendly hotel on site. Of all the venues on this list the Westin Riverfront has the lowest logistical complexity for dogs. If you want a bespoke Vail Valley wedding experience with your dog and you want the day or weekend to feel seamless from start to finish, this is the venue that delivers that most consistently.
Camp Hale (The Most Remote Dog Friendly Wedding Venue in Vail Valley)
Camp Hale is in a category of its own. Not just among dog friendly wedding venues in Vail Valley, but among wedding venues anywhere in Colorado. It sits at high elevation in the backcountry, surrounded by the kind of wilderness that makes you feel like, well, you’re in the middle of nowhere. It boasts a pristine mountain lake, open meadows, towering peaks, and my personal favorite: absolutely no cell service.
For the right couple, the no-service situation is not a drawback. It is the whole point. A wedding at Camp Hale is a full commitment to presence, to the people around you, to the landscape you are standing in. It is one of the most genuinely immersive wedding environments we have ever worked in.
For dogs, Camp Hale is as close to paradise as a wedding venue gets. The property has overnight accommodations that dogs can stay in on site, which means a full wedding weekend at Camp Hale keeps your dog in the same environment from arrival to departure. No hotel transitions, no unfamiliar spaces, no logistics of moving a dog between properties. They wake up in the mountains, spend the weekend in the mountains, and go home from the mountains.
The chef at Camp Hale can even prepare a private catered meal for your dog. We have experienced this firsthand. It is exactly as wonderful as it sounds and exactly the kind of detail that tells you everything about the culture of this venue and the couples who choose it.
Plus the Pups dog logistics note: Camp Hale is the most extraordinary dog-inclusive wedding venue we work at anywhere. The overnight accommodations, on-site nature, catered dog meal, no-service immersion. It requires an experienced handler who is comfortable in backcountry environments and can manage wildlife awareness throughout the day. We love every wedding we work at Camp Hale.
The 10th at Vail Mountain
The 10th sits mid-mountain at Vail and it is one of the most iconic wedding settings in Colorado. Getting there requires a gondola ride, which is part of the experience and genuinely one of the more memorable arrivals any wedding guest will ever make.
Dogs do need to ride the gondola, and we will help them load and unload. In our experience the gondola itself is not the challenge most couples anticipate. Dogs adapt to it quickly with a calm handler alongside them, and the ride becomes part of the story of the day.
The setting at the top is exposed and open in the way that all on-mountain venues are. The ceremony happens against a backdrop of the Gore Range and the Vail Valley stretching below in every direction. Mountain afternoon storms are always a possibility in Colorado summers and this is worth discussing with your concierge in advance, particularly if your dog has any weather sensitivity. However, dogs are allowed inside The 10th!
Plus the Pups dog logistics note: The gondola is simpler than it sounds and we handle the loading and unloading with your dog. The on-mountain exposure means weather planning is non-negotiable for dogs with anxiety. The setting is extraordinary and the day feels genuinely special in a way that is hard to replicate anywhere else in the valley.
Vail Mountain Wedding Deck
The Vail Mountain Wedding Deck is exactly what it sounds like: an elevated outdoor deck perched on the mountain with views that stretch across the entire valley. It is intimate, spectacular, and genuinely unlike any other ceremony setting in the area.
Like The 10th, access requires the gondola. And like The 10th, the setting is fully exposed with no covered rain contingency for the ceremony itself. The mountain restaurants offer shelter when weather requires it, and an experienced concierge always has a real-time weather eye throughout the day.
For dogs, the Wedding Deck experience is all about the handler’s ability to manage an open, elevated, and occasionally windy environment with confidence. A dog who is calm with their handler and has had proper acclimation time before the ceremony begins will do beautifully here. The views alone make the effort worth it.
Plus the Pups dog logistics note: Same gondola process as The 10th, same weather awareness requirement. The deck itself is smaller and more intimate than other on-mountain venues, which can actually work in a dog’s favor since the crowd is contained and the energy is more manageable. A confident handler and a calm dog make this one of the most memorable ceremony settings in Colorado.
Beaver Creek Wedding Deck at Spruce Saddle
Spruce Saddle at Beaver Creek is the valley’s other extraordinary on-mountain wedding option, and it brings its own distinct character to what a mountain ceremony can feel like. Beaver Creek has a more intimate, village-like feel compared to Vail, and that extends to the wedding experience on the mountain. The setting is breathtaking and the surrounding alpine landscape at Spruce Saddle is genuinely world class.
The gondola access at Beaver Creek follows the same process as the Vail venues. Dogs ride up with their handler and our team manages the loading and unloading from the moment you arrive at the base. Once on the mountain the day unfolds at elevation with the same open exposure and the same need for weather awareness that defines all three of the on-mountain venues on this list.
For couples who have been considering both Vail and Beaver Creek and are not sure which mountain feels right, the dog experience at the ceremony level is largely comparable. The difference is in the overall resort character and aesthetic. Beaver Creek has a warmth and a village intimacy that Vail’s larger scale does not always offer.
Plus the Pups dog logistics note: Gondola access handled by our team, same open mountain exposure as the other on-mountain venues, same weather planning requirement. Spruce Saddle has a slightly more contained ceremony environment than the Vail Wedding Deck which some dogs respond to well. The Beaver Creek village setting also offers more immediate access to covered spaces if weather requires a quick transition.
What Every Couple Should Know Before Choosing a Dog Friendly Wedding Venue in Vail Valley
Every venue on this list welcomes dogs. Before you commit to bringing yours, here is what we tell every couple based on our experience working across all five properties.
Colorado mountain weather changes fast
This applies to every outdoor venue in the valley but it matters most at the three on-mountain venues where there is no covered ceremony contingency. Afternoon storms build quickly at elevation. If your dog has any weather sensitivity, this is the conversation to have with your concierge before the wedding day, not during it. We monitor conditions throughout every mountain wedding and always have a plan.
Elevation affects dogs too
Vail sits at 8,150 feet. The mountain venues are higher still. Dogs acclimate to elevation the way humans do, and a dog who has just traveled from sea level needs time to adjust before a high-stimulation wedding day. If you are bringing your dog to a Vail Valley destination wedding, plan to arrive a day or two early and give them time to settle into the altitude before the wedding day begins.
The gondola is not as complicated as it sounds
We hear this concern from couples regularly. Our team handles the loading and unloading at every gondola venue on this list. Dogs adapt quickly with a calm handler alongside them. By the time the gondola reaches the top, most dogs have already decided the ride is completely unremarkable.
Water and wildlife awareness at backcountry venues
Camp Hale specifically requires awareness of both. The lake is accessible for dogs but water-loving breeds need active management to keep the day on track. Colorado wildlife including bears, moose, and elk are present at elevation and in the backcountry. An experienced handler knows how to manage these variables without drama. It is simply part of working in this environment.
