Surrounded by the 350,000 acres of the White River National Forest and located less than 100 miles west of Denver, Vail, Colorado was ranked the number one ski destination by Ski magazine for the 2006-2007 season. With 5289 skiable acres, 33 lifts, and 193 marked trails at the 8,120 ft base of the Vail Mountain, which peaks at 11,570 ft, Vail is the largest ski resort area in the U.S. and has become a year round vacation destination, offering a wide selection of vacation home rentals, cabins and resorts. Vail is served by Eagle County Airport, which is near Gypsum. Native Americans used to call the area near this airport the "hole in the sky" because storms seemed to avoid it.