The Vail Lacrosse Shootout: Colorado's Summer Classic

When the high school season wraps in May, Colorado lacrosse doesn't stop — it moves to the mountains. The Vail Lacrosse Shootout is the state's marquee summer tournament, drawing teams from across the country to Vail every summer. For Boulder County families, it's a roughly two-hour drive up I-70 and one of the best lacrosse weekends of the year, whether you're playing or watching.

What the Shootout Is

The Vail Lacrosse Shootout is one of the longest-running lacrosse tournaments in the United States, held in Vail, Colorado at altitude in the heart of the Rockies. It's a multi-week event spread across late June into early July, with games played on fields throughout the Vail Valley.

The combination of high-level competition and a mountain-resort setting is what makes the Shootout distinct. Teams treat it as both a serious tournament and a summer trip, and the atmosphere reflects that.

The format follows a familiar tournament arc: teams play pool-play games over the opening days, and the top finishers advance to bracket finals, with championship games staged on Vail's main Ford Park fields. Because the masters, elite, and youth brackets each run on their own windows across the multi-week event, the same fields host very different games from one day to the next — part of why the Shootout draws spectators who aren't connected to any one team.

Divisions for Every Level

One reason the Shootout has lasted so long is its breadth. Recent editions have run roughly seven divisions on the men's side and three on the women's, with teams spanning everyone from high schoolers to players in their seventies and eighties. The lineup typically includes:

• Elite and open divisions — top club and college-age players competing at a high level
• High school and U19 divisions — younger players getting tournament experience against out-of-state competition
• Masters divisions — adult brackets that step up by decade: Masters (30+), Supermasters (40+), Grandmasters (50+), and Zenmasters (60+), with a 70+ Pastmasters bracket fielded on request in some years
• Women's divisions — dedicated brackets for women's field lacrosse

That range means a Boulder County player can find a fit at almost any age, and a parent who played in their younger years can still suit up in a masters bracket. The older masters brackets and the elite/high-school divisions often run on different days, so check the official divisions page for the current year's exact list, dates, and registration windows before you plan a trip around a specific bracket.

Why It's Worth the Drive

For players in the CHSAA high school pipeline, summer tournaments like the Shootout are where a lot of development happens. The spring season is short in Colorado, and the Shootout gives players competitive reps against teams they'd never see during the school year.

For families just watching, it's a low-pressure way to see good lacrosse outdoors in one of the most scenic settings in the country. Bring sunscreen and water — the altitude and summer sun in Vail are no joke.

Watching as a Spectator

Games are played on fields throughout the Vail Valley, with marquee matchups on the well-known Ford Park fields in Vail. Watching is the easy part — the logistics come down to parking and mountain weather.

Parking in Vail is paid in summer and fills up fast. The Town of Vail parking page lists current rates, event-day pricing, and the free in-town bus; parking in a structure and riding the bus to the fields is usually less hassle than chasing a field-side spot. Pack for altitude: Vail sits above 8,000 feet, so bring sunscreen, a hat, and more water than you think you need, plus layers for the afternoon mountain storms that roll through most summer days. A folding chair and a card or cash for parking round out the kit.

Planning Your Trip

Vail is about two hours from Boulder via US-36 and I-70, traffic permitting — and that drive backs up on summer weekends, so leaving early pays off. Summer is peak season in the valley, so lodging books up well in advance. Because games run across the Vail Valley and into nearby towns, lodging in Avon or Edwards a few minutes down I-70 can be easier to find (and cheaper) than Vail Village itself. The tournament site lists field locations and the daily schedule once brackets are set, so confirm exactly where your bracket plays before booking a room.

If you're registering a team or entering a division, do it early — popular brackets fill, and entry deadlines fall well before the games begin. Build in time to acclimate, too: visiting flatland teams often feel the altitude in the first game, and an extra day in the mountains beforehand helps.

More Info

• Vail Lacrosse Shootout — official schedule, divisions, registration, and field locations

The Shootout is the headline event of Colorado's summer lacrosse calendar, but it's not the only place to keep playing once the school season ends. For year-round options closer to home, see our guide to box lacrosse and the local programs that run through the off-season.