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.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Aspen attractions

1. Galerie Maximillian

9.14 MILES

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

2. Christopher Martin Gallery

9.14 MILES

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…

3. Aspen Art Museum

9.17 MILES

This art museum's striking building features a warm, lattice-like exterior designed by Pritzker Prize–winner Shigeru Ban and contains three floors of…

4. Wagner Park

9.18 MILES

A patch of green just off the Mill St mall, edged with cedars and a couple of shimmering aspens, and views of the Red and Aspen mountains. American…

5. Baldwin Gallery

9.25 MILES

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

6. Boesky West

9.26 MILES

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

7. Peter Lik

9.29 MILES

Displays the work of the self-taught Australian photographer. Lik focuses on vibrant panoramic landscapes, with a fine selection of local Aspen shots that…

8. Rio Grande Park

9.47 MILES

Aspen’s biggest public park runs along the river and is bisected by the Rio Grande Trail for 2.1 miles. The park is home to an enticing skate park,…