Location: Aspen
Top Things to do in Aspen
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What to do and see in Aspen, Colorado (CO): The Best Things to do
Everyone knows Aspen as a top-notch winter resort town. But outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy it in the summer, too, when the mountains become a perfect setting for hiking, biking and horseback tours. Some may be surprised to find it’s a top romance destination—but after all that outdoor exercise, who wouldn’t want to repair to a luxurious hotel room or a cozy, firelit bar?
Restaurants in Aspen
1. T-Lazy-7 Ranch
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 580 reviews
Back in the early 1900s, Had and Lou Deane were a colorful pair who raised cattle, horses, and a family on their rustic mountain ranch just outside of Aspen. Their parents and grandparents were Aspen’s founding fathers and earliest settlers. Today T-Lazy-7 is as busy as ever with the fourth and fifth generations of the Deanes running the ranch. Guests enjoy this mountain paradise for weddings and events, while recreational enthusiasts take part in snowmobile tours, horseback riding and fly fishing. T-Lazy-7 Ranch’s past is as rich as its future is bright, and we’re looking forward to many more years of wonderful mountain memories ahead.
Reviewed By kaitB8292FQ - Bilbao, Spain
The tour was breathe-takingly beautiful and I would highly recommend this adventure! Elyse & Burger were incredible guides - very kind, patient, knowledgeable and friendly. As a first time snowmobile driver, I had lots of fun on the ride with my family as well as the guides. We totally lucked out and were able to drive over to Maroon Bells for an awesome view of the Maroon Peak, which was a huge highlight for us!! THANK YOU Elyse & Burger for a wonderful wonderful adventure in Aspen!
2. Maroon Lake Scenic Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 429 reviews
Reviewed By Haejung - Napa, United States
Our first time in Aspen. Beautiful time of the year to experience fall. You must make time to visit Maroon Lake when here. You do have to make a reservation to get on the bus where it drops you off to the park. You really can’t drive to it & recommended to take the bus. Do bring your own drinks & food. Once you’re in the park, no stores there selling anything. Bring your own bathroom toiletries. We’re not much of big hikers but do wear hiking shoes if you plan on hiking to Crater Lake! Do invest in a walking stick for the Crater Lake. Hike to Crater Lake takes about 1 hour & 20 min for people like us. You’ll want to give yourself some time for round trip. Last bus leaves at 5 pm and they don’t wait. No cell service or order Uber per bus drivers. We booked 12:45 bus ride & managed to walk around Maroon Lake & Crater Lake & got back by 4. If you don’t want to do lot of hiking, easy walk around the Maroon Lake is perfect. It is beautiful here now with fall colors. So glad we did it!
3. Rio Grande Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 320 reviews
Reviewed By AshleyVirtue
My husband and I just walked the Rio Grande Trail all the way from the John Denver Sanctuary (that was our starting point and a GORGEOUS and inspirational way to start the walk) to Woody Creek Tavern, about 8 miles away. It was a long walk but stunning. Most others we saw were biking the trail. I think very few people walk it. The first mile and a half of the trail were the most scenic. You're in Aspen walking right between the rushing river and some gorgeous real estate. If you're only interesting in walking about 3 miles I recommend starting at the JD Sanctuary (we spend about 45 minutes there, relaxing, taking pictures and reading the inspirational quotes and lyrics written on the rocks) and walking for a mile and half and then turning around and heading back. If you're up for a grander adventure, you can walk the whole 8 miles to Woody Creek Tavern where you'll want to catch an Uber/Lyft or Taxi back to Aspen (about $18). We, of course, had to stop in the Tavern and have a beer or two, and a bowl of chips before catching our ride. : )
4. Independence Pass
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,695 reviews
Reviewed By 688juddc - Aspen, United States
Everyone should check out the Continental Divide and Independence Pass - also a fantastic bicycle ride up from the Aspen side - best early in the day or in the off-seasons, due to narrow sections and sometimes heavy traffic. There are a lot of places to pull off and admire the scenery, take pics, or go for a little hike - especially alongside the creek, at the Grottos - where there's a plunge pool (not safe in times of heavy water runoff). Also several camping sites exist closer to the Aspen side where the scenery is all amazing...
5. Maroon Bells
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2,540 reviews
Reviewed By raharrington85 - Omaha, United States
Our visit to Maroon Bells was a highlight of our vacation in the Aspen area. The park is close to Aspen, but you need reservations in advance to see this very popular attraction (start at the Aspen Chamber of Commerce website—excellent site for any Aspen visit!) TIP: study the reservation system, and ensure you grab your spot as soon as offered—the reservations sell out. You have two types options to reach the park—choose the shuttle option and read/follow the reporting instructions. Do not park illegally at the shuttle pick-up. The police, shuttle, and park services work in smooth coordination to manage the traffic and get you to and from the park. You’ll arrive at the main lake after a short, picturesque bus ride; the drop off has ample bathrooms and a park office. Jaw-dropping pictures are just a short walk from the drop-off; lake, mountains, and wildlife (we saw a moose within minutes). You can choose various trails to explore the area, designing the hike for your own desires and abilities—we chose the Crater Lake trail, a rocky, medium hike route to another beautiful lake with great views of the Bells. TIP: bring water, layered weather wear, sunblock, sturdy shoes, and snacks. Consider bringing bear spray (we did—this is bear country). Expect a fair amount of people traffic at the main drop-off site and along popular trails. Don’t miss the final bus in the afternoon or risk a long walk back to the pick-up site. Don’t miss a visit to the Maroon Bells—highly recommended.
6. Aspen Mountain / Ajax
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 564 reviews
Known as "the athlete's mountain," expert skiers flock to its challenging slopes.
Reviewed By GeauxTravel13 - New Orleans, United States
We came in for lunch once we got off the plane & had champagne, truffle fries and burgers! It was the perfect toast to an amazing stay! The menu was very accommodating to all diets! We also had the French onion soup and burrata salad! Yum!! The staff was quick and accommodating to any request. We sat outside where the skiers came off the mountain so it was great people watching. It was also dog friendly which was so nice to see also! We where hoping our flight was going to be canceled so we could attend the dinner and movie night- truffled popcorn was served!!! Can’t wait to return and enjoy more great food & people watching!
7. Silver Queen Gondola
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 421 reviews
For great views of the surrounding area, hop aboard this popular gondola that takes 18 minutes to get to the top of Aspen Mountain.
Reviewed By F1281XUstephens
Even though the price is a bit high- it's a really long gondola ride- went way further than I thought- so you get pretty good bag for your buck. At times the wind caused our gondola to sway from side to side which was a bit exciting/scary. Good social distancing practiced. Views from the top are actually perhaps not quite as dramatic as you would think given how high and long the ride to the top is- but there is lots of space and places to sit and drink. Well worth the money and time.
8. Crater Lake Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 258 reviews
This easy, one-day hike from Maroon Lake is a great outing for the entire family.
Reviewed By frnklw - Providence, United States
If you are at the Maroon Bells, take this hike, only 3 miles round trip, as it is easy and less crowded. We passed a deer while hiking, only about 4 feet away from us.
9. Buttermilk Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 322 reviews
Buttermilk is one of the best places in Aspen to learn to ski, brush up on your skills or just relax and take in the stunning scenery.
Reviewed By U725PSalanh - San Diego, United States
My family of 5 came here on our last day at Aspen/Snowmass. We had skied at Snowmass and Aspen Mountain the last few days so we wanted to try out this smaller resort. My kids (all in their early 20's) and I are good skier and my wife is intermediate so we decided to go there so she will have more easier terrain. There's only 3 main lifts but they are all plenty long enough. The Summit Express takes 9 minutes to reach the top so the runs are plenty long enough to get to the bottom. We were pleasantly surprised that there were plenty of great runs with plenty of speed. Basically this resort offers great runs even for good skiers. My wife really enjoyed this mountain a lot, as it offered more green runs than the other local ski resorts. The view at the top is just spectacular, offering a breathtaking view of the Colorado Moutains. We had lunch at the Cliffhouse and the food was very good. Prices were decent compared to the other ski resorts.
10. The John Denver Sanctuary
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 700 reviews
The John Denver Sanctuary is an open space and park which is open to the public for FREE from dawn to dusk. There is no fencing around the area and no tickets are required for entry to the Sanctuary and surrounding trails.
Reviewed By stijntailly - Waregem, Belgium
The John Denver Sanctuary is a small piece of one of Aspen's municipal parks and is dedicated to one of my all-time favorite singers, the late John Denver, a conservationist and author of Rocky Mountain High and Country Roads, the state songs of Colorado and West Virginia, both of which I have visited. Aspen isn't terribly big, so ditch your car and walk over to the peaceful park. The sanctuary itself consists of a number of stone slabs with the lyrics of some of John Denver's most well-known songs on them. The singer-songwriter was a long-time Aspen resident. The sanctuary is not all that much, but if you are a fan of John Denver, it should not be missed by any count.
