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Aspen & the Maroon Bells

Located at the south end of the Roaring Fork Valley, Aspen is Colorado at its most sublime (the scenery) and glamorous (the people). Although you can get here over Independence Pass in summer, for most of the year the town is hemmed in by the towering Sawatch Range and the rugged Elk Mountains, with the only access via Hwy 82, south of I-70. Glenwood Springs, at the north end of the highway, is commonly referred to as 'down valley,' while Aspen is considered to be 'up valley.'

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Aspen & the Maroon Bells.

  • See

    Ice Age Discovery Center

    In October 2010, a bulldozer working near Snowmass unearthed the tusk of a female mammoth. Spurred by this unusual discovery, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science moved in for the next 10 months to conduct its largest-ever fossil excavation, resulting in the discovery of some 36,000 bones from 52 different Ice Age animals (including camels, sloths and mastodons – distant relatives of the mammoths). Five years later, the fossils were still being unpacked in Denver, but in the interim Snowmass set up this small discovery center with replica skulls and bones staffed by a paleontologist five days a week. Ground has been broken for a new museum close to the Snowmass gondola; it's projected to open in 2019.

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    Independence

    Just 16 miles east of Aspen, at the foot of Independence Pass, this gold-mining boom town turned ghost town started as a tented camp in the summer of 1879, when one lucky miner struck gold on the Fourth of July. Operated and preserved by the Aspen Historical Society, the site offers the chance to see the remains of the old livery, the general store and a miners cabin or three. After its population peaked at 1500 residents, the town fell away during the harsh winter storm of 1899, when supply routes were severed due to heavy snowfall.

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    Ashcroft

    The access point to the breathtaking Castle Creek Valley is the ghost town of Ashcroft, a silver-mining town founded in 1880. What remains are mostly miners cottages (log cabins with tin roofs), a couple of broken-down wagons stranded in the waist-high grass, a post office and a saloon. At its height in 1893 about 2500 people worked here, but the silver veins were quickly exhausted and by 1895 the town's population plummeted to 100 residents. To get here, drive half a mile west of town on Hwy 82 to the roundabout and follow Castle Creek Rd south for 12.2 miles.

  • See

    Aspen Art Museum

    This art museum's striking building features a warm, lattice-like exterior designed by Pritzker Prize–winner Shigeru Ban and contains three floors of gallery space. There's no permanent collection, just edgy, innovative contemporary exhibitions featuring paintings, mixed media, sculpture, video installations and photography by artists such as Mamma Andersson, Mark Manders and Susan Philipsz. Art lovers will not leave disappointed. Head up to the roof for views and a bite to eat at the cool cafe.

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    Christopher Martin Gallery

    Local artist Christopher Martin specializes in reverse glass painting, a technique that dates back to the Middle Ages. Stop by for a peek at his dynamic swirls of color on acrylic discs and rectangles.

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    Peter Lik

    Displays the work of the self-taught Australian photographer. Lik focuses on vibrant panoramic landscapes, with a fine selection of local Aspen shots that sometimes appear to be in 3D.

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    Boesky West

    Opened in 2017, this is the Western outpost of Marianne Boesky's Manhattan gallery, displaying the works of emerging artists over two floors.

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    Baldwin Gallery

    A two-floor gallery, the Baldwin opened in 1994 and specializes in contemporary American art. It's among the best in the Rocky Mountains.

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    Galerie Maximillian

    Come here for famous 20th-century names from Chagall to Lichtenstein, mixed in with works from contemporary American and British artists.