The US Forest Service has approved plans for a US$25m (€19.7m, £15.6m) mountain adventure theme park to be built in Vail, Colorado.

First announced in July 2012, the project is part of the 2011 Ski Area Recreational Opportunities Enhancement Act to allow ski areas to add summer amenities to existing ski resorts operating on federal land.

The Epic Discovery adventure centre will encourage learning through play, with Vail Resorts working with US charity The Nature Conservancy to bring scientific content to the eco-discovery experiences. As part of the charitable work, Epic Discovery will be contributing one per cent of all summer lift ticket and activity revenue toward forest restoration projects.

The plans include centres for education, a game creek with zip line tours, hiking and mountain bike trails, a family forest adventure park, an observation deck and an alpine coaster following the natural contours of the landscape.

The details behind the project are still subject to design review, but the approval by the Forest Service now means construction has been approved for Q3 of 2015, with a projected opening date of Q3 2016. Similar plans for nearby ski resorts Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood are also in the works, with plans due to be announced and submitted at a later date.