Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Aspen sits at nearly 8,000 feet at the head of the Roaring Fork Valley, ringed by some of the highest mountains in Colorado.
This guide covers the town's historic core, its mountains, the Maroon Bells and the scenic drives and ghost towns nearby. You will also find advice on food, where to stay, when to come and how to get around a valley where parking is scarce and free buses are excellent.
Aspen packs a lot into a small area. Four ski areas, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass, are all within a short bus ride, and together they offer terrain for every level, from gentle beginner runs to the steep hike-to terrain of Highland Bowl.
The town itself has unusual cultural depth for a place of its size. The Aspen Music Festival and School fills the summer with concerts, the Aspen Institute hosts lectures and the Aspen Ideas Festival, and the Wheeler Opera House and the Aspen Art Museum keep a year-round calendar.
Aspen's downtown is laid out on a tidy grid at the foot of Aspen Mountain. Most of it is walkable in a few minutes, and it rewards slow wandering.
Built in 1889 by Jerome B. Wheeler, a partner in Macy's who invested heavily in Aspen's mines, the Wheeler Opera House is a red sandstone landmark on the corner of Hyman Avenue and Mill Street. It still hosts concerts, comedy and film screenings.
The Wheeler Opera House opened in 1889, during Aspen's silver mining boom. Photo: This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please mentio…, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Aspen Art Museum focuses on contemporary art, with rotating exhibitions rather than a permanent collection.
The Aspen Art Museum building, designed by Shigeru Ban, is wrapped in a woven wooden screen. Photo: This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please mentio…, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Silver Queen Gondola rises straight from the edge of downtown to the summit of Aspen Mountain, at about 11,200 feet. In winter it carries skiers to some of the steepest and most classic runs in the valley; note that Aspen Mountain has no beginner terrain.
The Silver Queen Gondola climbs from downtown Aspen to the summit of Aspen Mountain. Photo: This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please mentio…, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Next to Rio Grande Park on the north edge of town, the John Denver Sanctuary is a peaceful garden where lyrics from the singer's songs are engraved on large boulders beside the river.
The John Denver Sanctuary displays song lyrics engraved on boulders beside the Roaring Fork River. Photo: This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please mentio…, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Maroon Bells are two fourteen-thousand-foot peaks with dark red, layered rock faces that reflect in Maroon Lake on calm mornings. They sit in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness of the White River National Forest, about ten miles southwest of town.
The classic view is from the shore of Maroon Lake, a short, mostly flat walk from the trailhead. The Maroon Lake Scenic Loop, under two miles, circles the lake and offers different angles on the peaks.
For a closer view of the Bells, follow the Crater Lake Trail, a roughly 3.6-mile round trip that climbs gently through aspen groves and boulder fields to a small lake at the base of the peaks.
Crater Lake sits at the base of the Maroon Bells along a popular trail from Maroon Lake. Photo: Whyleesaa, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Some of Aspen's best experiences lie just outside town, along the valleys that radiate out from it.
Colorado State Highway 82 climbs east from Aspen over Independence Pass, crossing the Continental Divide at about 12,095 feet. The road is open seasonally, typically from late spring until the first heavy snows of autumn, and is closed in winter.
Independence Pass on Colorado State Highway 82 crosses the Continental Divide east of Aspen. Photo: Daniel Case, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
On the way up the pass, the remains of the Independence mining camp, founded in 1879, sit in a high meadow. Weathered cabins and an interpretive trail tell the story of the miners who lived here through brutal winters.
Independence is a preserved mining camp from the 1880s along the road to Independence Pass. Photo: Jeffrey Beall, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
South of town, Castle Creek Road leads up a quieter valley to Ashcroft, a silver boomtown of the early 1880s that once rivaled Aspen. A handful of preserved buildings remain, managed by the Aspen Historical Society, set against a wide mountain backdrop.
Ashcroft is a former silver mining town in the Castle Creek Valley south of Aspen. Photo: John Holm from Leadville, CO, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Snowmass, about twenty minutes from town, is the largest of the four ski areas, with long, cruising runs ideal for families and intermediates, and in summer it runs lift-served hiking, mountain biking and family activities.
Snowmass is the largest of the four ski areas in the Aspen area. Photo: jofwooster, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Aspen's dining scene is far larger than its population would suggest, ranging from high-end restaurants to slopeside cafes and casual bars.
The pedestrian malls and the streets around the gondola hold most of the restaurants, and many offer bar menus or happy hours that make eating out more approachable.
Popular dishes to try in Aspen
Downtown Aspen suits travelers who want to walk to restaurants, galleries and the Silver Queen Gondola, and it is ideal if you do not want a car. The West End is quieter and residential, within walking distance of the Aspen Institute campus and the music tent. Snowmass Village offers more ski-in, ski-out lodging and condos, often at better value, and suits families.
Where to stay in Aspen
Summer, from mid-June through August, brings warm days, cool nights, wildflowers and a packed cultural calendar, including the Aspen Music Festival and School, the Aspen Ideas Festival and the Food and Wine Classic.
Ski season usually runs from late November into April, with the most reliable snow and busiest weeks from mid-December through March.
Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, just a few miles from town, has direct flights from several major hubs, though weather and its mountain approach can cause delays and cancellations, especially in winter.
Once you arrive, you rarely need a car. The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority runs buses throughout the valley, with free routes within Aspen and between town, the ski areas and Snowmass.
Ease into the altitude with a walk through downtown and the West End, a visit to the Aspen Art Museum and a stroll around the John Denver Sanctuary.
Take an early shuttle from Aspen Highlands to the Maroon Bells.
Drive east toward Independence Pass, stopping at the Grottos and the Independence ghost town before reaching the summit.
Head to Snowmass for lift-served hiking or mountain biking in summer, or a full ski day in winter.
Need a ski rental shop, a guide service or a cafe near the gondola?
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