Autumn aspen forest in colorado mountains
Aspen · United States

Best Things to Do in Aspen & Snowmass

Fourteener reflections at the Maroon Bells, gondola rides up Ajax, e-biking to Woody Creek, ghost towns and four ski mountains.

Under three metres of winter champagne powder, during July's wildflower and classical music season, or beneath September's canopy of golden aspen leaves, these ten experiences define a trip to Aspen.

  1. Visit the Maroon Bells & hike the 5.8km round-trip trail to Crater Lake. Ride the morning electric shuttle from Aspen Highlands (or rent an e-bike) to see the twin 4,300-metre peaks of Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak mirrored in Maroon Lake.
  2. Ride the Silver Queen Gondola 1,000 vertical metres to the summit of Aspen Mountain ('Ajax'). Glide 14 minutes up from downtown to 3,417 metres (11,212 feet) for panoramic Elk Mountain views, disc golf, summer bluegrass concerts and lunch at the Sundeck.
  3. Rent an e-bike to coast down the Car-Free Rio Grande Trail to the Woody Creek Tavern. Follow the rushing Roaring Fork River 8 miles downhill along an old 1880s railway bed to Hunter S. Thompson's legendary watering hole.
  4. Drive over the Continental Divide on 3,687-Metre Independence Pass & explore The Grottos Ice Caves. Open late May to early November, Highway 82 climbs above the treeline past waterfalls, granite boulders and the 1879 Independence Ghost Town.
  1. Ski, snowboard or hike across All 4 Mountains: Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Highlands & Buttermilk. One lift ticket and free 15-minute RFTA shuttle buses link 5,700 acres of terrain across four distinct mountains.
  2. Walk through the 1880 Ashcroft Silver-Mining Ghost Town & dine at Pine Creek Cookhouse. Drive 20 minutes up scenic Castle Creek Valley to step inside preserved 1880s log saloons and cabins.
  3. Stroll Downtown Aspen: Free Aspen Art Museum, 1889 Wheeler Opera House & West End. Visit the rooftop café of Shigeru Ban's woven-wood art museum with free admission.
  4. Walk the song-carved boulders of the John Denver Sanctuary & raft the Roaring Fork River.
  1. Hike Smuggler Mountain Overlook (45 Mins from Town) or Alpine Cathedral Lake.
  2. Sip an 'Aspen Crud' milkshake at 1889 J-Bar (Hotel Jerome), see September Golden Aspens or January's X Games, and soak in Glenwood Springs.

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