Fathom Favorites: Aspen

The best of everything in the Silver Queen city.

Photo by Olivia Klein, courtesy of Aspen Snowmass.

We’re swooshing down slopes that made the Rockies famous: Aspen, Colorado. The former miner’s town turned America’s chic ski haven is one of the most rewarding places to zip downhill. The high-altitude views are incredible (the town sits 7,908 feet above sea level) and the terrain (more than 5,600 acres of soft powder across four mountains) delights and challenges all skiers. Come summertime, the mountains come alive with endless hiking and biking trails, river dips, exhilarating rafting trips, and music festivals. 

Fathom Favorites are designed as easy-to-use, tightly edited lists. For Aspen, we’re sharing the glitz, the glamour, the hidden gems, the unparalleled mountain adventures, and the places to go a little wild in the wild west. 

Here’s where to go when you’re looking for:

• a cozy chalet to swirl fondue

• an Old West saloon bar crawl

• low-key après, free of champagne spray

• wildflower trails and picture-perfect picnics 

We also have a new roundup of ski essentials for the season ahead.

Let’s get to it.

Photo by Jake Wheeler, courtesy of Aspen Snowmass.

Activities 

Summer
Hit the Trails — savor the Rocky Mountains majesty on foot or two wheels. 
Bike to Woody Creek Tavern — Hunter Creek Trail river ride to BBQ delights.
Aspen Saturday Market — a picnic’s worth of popcorn, peaches, cheese.
Off-roading Jeep Tours — traverse wildflowers for sunset at Aspen summit.
Mountain-top Yoga — find peace among the peaks.
Labor Day Jazz Fest — three-day festival with acts from blues to beats. 

Winter
Ski — swoosh down four mountains: Aspen, Highlands, Buttermilk, Snowmass; all levels.
Hike Highland Bowl — strap skis to your back and reach the steep and deep.
Cross-Country Skiing — 60 miles of free horizontal gliding, snowshoe trails.
Powder Tours — best powder stashes along untracked glades and runs.
Alpine Coaster — wind through snowy forest at top speeds.
Ullr Nights — celebrate winter with tubing and fireside cocoa.

Mountain Trails and Nature Experiences
Cathedral Lake — 5.5-mile out and back with rewarding alpine lake dip.
Ute Trail — steady, steep uphill climb along the front of Aspen Mountain.  
Hike to Crested Butte — trek of a lifetime; 11-miles across Maroon Bells.
Paragliding — talk about a Rocky Mountain high.

And now for on-piste and off-piste dining, drinking, pampering, shopping and sleeping ….