Iconic
Maroon Creek Valley
Maroon Bells Scenic Area
The twin Maroon Bells reflected in Maroon Lake form America's most-photographed mountains, with a timed reservation and shuttle system from Aspen Highlands.
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Active and restorative
Chase the peaks, then recover well.
Bookend the hard-charging days with deep recovery, in the thin, clean air of the high country.
Design This TripHike to Cathedral Lake or up Highland Bowl, then climb or ski-mountaineer with the IFMGA guides at Aspen Expeditions Worldwide, who have led the Elk Mountains since 1977.
Restore tired legs in the cold plunges and steam caves at RAKxa or the infrared sauna at The Little Nell spa, with clean mountain food at Element 47 to keep the rhythm grounded.
The adrenaline, on demand.
Tandem paragliding from Aspen Mountain delivers the rush, while gondola-served summit trails offer big views without the full grind. We sequence effort and recovery so they trade off cleanly.
What’s inside
- A hike to Cathedral Lake or up Highland Bowl
- Guided climbing or ski-mountaineering with Aspen Expeditions
- Tandem paragliding from Aspen Mountain
- Cold plunges and steam caves at RAKxa
- Clean mountain dining at Element 47
A sample rhythm
- 01
The big climb
Cathedral Lake or Highland Bowl with a professional guide.
- 02
The rush
Tandem paragliding, or a gondola-served summit ridge.
- 03
Recover
Cold plunges, steam caves and an infrared sauna session.
- 04
Refuel well
A grounded mountain dinner at Element 47.
The Aspenwe’d build in
The pieces that fit this trip.
On foot
America's most-photographed peaks, and beyond.
Summer trails climb from the twin Maroon Bells reflected in Maroon Lake to granite-cirque alpine lakes, with gondolas to shortcut the long ascents.
The Maroon Bells require timed reservations in season, with a shuttle from Aspen Highlands. We book your window the day it opens.
Signature hike
Maroon Bells
Crater Lake Trail
A classic moderate hike from Maroon Lake up to Crater Lake at the foot of the Bells, the signature short trek of the scenic area.
Visit official siteChallenging
Castle Creek Valley
Cathedral Lake Trail
A steep 5.5-mile climb through aspen groves and wildflower meadows to a granite-cirque alpine lake beneath 13,000-foot peaks near the Ashcroft ghost town.
Visit official siteLift-served
Aspen & Snowmass
Summer Gondola Trails
Ride the Silver Queen or Elk Camp gondola to access high-alpine summit trails, wildflower routes and the Sundeck without the long climb up.
Visit official siteTown overlook
Aspen
Ute Trail
A short, steep classic right out of town that climbs through scrub oak and aspen to a rocky overlook with sweeping views of Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley.
Visit official siteTrail directory
Aspen & Snowmass
Aspen Chamber Hiking Trails Guide
The local visitor authority's vetted directory of area trails by difficulty, from valley-floor strolls to demanding fourteener approaches.
Visit official siteOn the snow
Four mountains on a single pass.
One lift ticket unlocks Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass, from gentle beginner cruisers to the legendary hike-to Highland Bowl.
Holiday weeks and the powder months bring peak demand. We secure private instructors and snowcat days well ahead.
One pass, four peaks
Aspen & Snowmass
Aspen Snowmass (Four Mountains)
A single lift ticket unlocks all four mountains, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass, spanning beginner cruisers to legendary expert terrain.
Visit official sitePrivate lessons
Aspen & Snowmass
Aspen Snowmass Ski & Snowboard School
North America's largest family of elite instructors, fluent in 30-plus languages, offering fully customizable private lessons with priority lift access.
Visit official siteLuxury snowcat
Aspen Mountain backside
Aspen Mountain Powder Tours
Guided luxury snowcats access 1,500 acres of untracked bowls and glades on Aspen Mountain's backside, averaging 10,000 vertical feet with a wood-stove cabin lunch.
Visit official siteBackcountry guiding
Aspen
Aspen Expeditions Worldwide
A four-season professional mountain guide service operating since 1977, offering private backcountry skiing, ski mountaineering and avalanche education.
Visit official siteCurated luxury
Aspen Mountain base
The Little Nell Adventures
The hotel's adventure desk curates private guides, ski concierge service and exclusive snowcat powder days for its guests.
Visit official siteExpert terrain
Aspen
Aspen Highlands (Highland Bowl)
Home to the famed hike-to Highland Bowl, a 12,392-foot ridge of steep, in-bounds powder that draws strong skiers from around the world.
Visit official siteThe signature days
Whitewater, high passes and flight.
Aspen's active days range from rafting the Roaring Fork to a backcountry Jeep climb above 11,000 feet, tandem paragliding and a sunrise hot-air balloon.
Original outfitter
Aspen & Snowmass
Blazing Adventures
Aspen's original whitewater outfitter since 1973, running Roaring Fork rafting trips plus backcountry Jeep tours and hot-air balloon experiences.
Visit official siteBackcountry 4x4
Aspen & Snowmass
Blazing Adventures Jeep Tours
Rugged guided 4x4 tours climb above 11,000 feet on routes like Taylor Pass and Gold Hill for history, geology and panoramic Elk Mountain views.
Visit official siteTandem flights
Aspen Mountain
Aspen Paragliding
Established in 1990 and among the first schools cleared to launch from a ski resort, offering tandem flights with the highest-rated certified pilots.
Visit official siteGuided climbing
Aspen
Aspen Expeditions Worldwide
Professional IFMGA-trained guides lead rock, alpine and ice climbing across the Elk Mountains and beyond, guiding since 1977.
Visit official siteSunrise balloon
Aspen & Snowmass
Above It All Balloon Co.
Year-round sunrise hot-air balloon flights drifting roughly an hour over the Roaring Fork Valley and surrounding peaks.
Visit official siteHeritage flights
Aspen & Snowmass
Unicorn Balloon Company
A long-running ballooning operator offering scenic sunrise flights over the Aspen and Snowmass valleys.
Visit official siteSpa and recovery
Cold plunges, steam caves and ski-in saunas.
Aspen's hotel spas are built for restoring tired legs, from the region's only ski-in/ski-out spa to a sprawling destination sanctuary with rooftop hot tubs.
Ski-in/ski-out
Aspen Mountain base
The Spa at The Little Nell
The region's only ski-in/ski-out spa, recognized by ELLE among the best spas, with treatment suites featuring infrared and halotherapy saunas.
Visit official siteDestination wellness
Aspen Mountain base
RAKxa Wellness Spa at The St. Regis Aspen
A sprawling destination spa with treatment rooms, steam caves, cold plunges and rooftop hot tubs framed by Rocky Mountain views.
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Downtown
Yarrow Spa at Hotel Jerome
Hotel Jerome's intimate spa blending mountain botanicals and locally inspired rituals in a refined historic setting.
Visit official siteModern recovery
Aspen Mountain base
AWAY Spa at W Aspen
W Aspen's contemporary spa focused on detox, recovery and post-slope restoration with bold, energetic design.
Visit official siteSlopeside restore
Snowmass Village
The Spa at Viceroy Snowmass
A ski-in/ski-out spa in Snowmass Base Village with a relaxation lounge, eucalyptus steam and treatments built around restoring legs after a day on the mountain.
Visit official siteHydrotherapy circuit
Aspen Mountain base
Remede Spa heritage at the St. Regis
The St. Regis's long-running spa tradition centers on a signature hydrotherapy circuit, mountain-botanical rituals and rooftop soaking under the peaks.
Where to eat
A Michelin star, and decades-deep classics.
Aspen's tables run from the region's only Michelin-starred tasting menu to a French bistro running since 1987 and a backcountry cookhouse reached by sleigh.
Michelin-starred
Downtown
Bosq
Chef Barclay Dodge's intimate, seasonally driven tasting menu is the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Aspen and the broader mountain region.
Visit official siteGrand Award cellar
The Little Nell
Element 47
The Little Nell's flagship dining room, Michelin-recommended and celebrated for a Wine Spectator Grand Award cellar of more than 600 references.
Visit official siteNobu Japanese
Downtown
Matsuhisa Aspen
Chef Nobu Matsuhisa's original Colorado kitchen since 1998, serving omakase and signature new-style sushi inside a historic Main Street Victorian.
Visit official siteClassic French
Downtown
Cache Cache
A beloved French bistro running since 1987, where locals book ahead for consistent classical cooking and a deep wine list rather than trend-chasing.
Visit official siteAlpine destination
Ashcroft
Pine Creek Cookhouse
A legendary backcountry restaurant 12 miles up Castle Creek, reached by sleigh or ski in winter, serving alpine gourmet game and fish beneath the Elk Mountains.
Visit official siteMichelin-recommended
Downtown
Prospect at Hotel Jerome
Hotel Jerome's Michelin Guide-recommended restaurant, an elegant all-day room that anchors Aspen's most historic gathering place.
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Adventure & Wellness
Let’s design it around you.
Share what you can already picture. A concierge fills in everything still open and sends back a plan, not a quote.