Purchase your lift tickets in advance; have them delivered to your lodge....save time & money!
Winter Activities
Skiing, Dog Sleds, Ice Skating and more!
Alpine skiing
With everything from glades and bowls to cliffs, chutes and groomers, this Aspen Snowmass ski resort features 3,128 acres of ski terrain, 90 runs and 23 lifts - adding up to miles of fun for beginner, intermediate and expert skiers.
Cross-country skiing
This graceful sport offers a chance to discover the area from a different viewpoint, whether you go on or off a prepared trail. Try prepared trails on the Aspen Golf Course, along the Maroon Creek or at the Ashcroft Ski Touring Center - or enjoy the peacefulness of a day skiing in the backwoods. The Snowmass Club Cross Country Center offers 80 kilometers of groomed tracks free of charge.
Backcountry skiing
During your vacation to this Snowmass, CO ski resort, take a hut trip in the backcountry, skiing to an alpine chalet that welcomes you with a wood-burning stove and all the accoutrements you need to be comfortable. Try the Alfred Braun system of six huts connecting Crested Butte and Aspen, or a variety of 10th Mountain Division huts, ranging from cabins located within a few miles of a trailhead, to backcountry shelters that are many miles from any other signs of civilization.
Snowboarding
Snowmass has become a snowboarder's paradise, with 78 snowboarding trails and two halfpipes (including North America's longest halfpipe), acres of terrain-park features and some of the best expert slopes in the valley. Visit the home mountain of Gretchen Bleiler, the 2006 Winter Olympic Games Silver Medalist in Women's Halfpipe and the 2005 X Games Women's Halfpipe Champion. Check out Snowmass and see why Gretchen rides this mountain!
Adult ski school
Whether you're trying skiing or snowboarding for the first time, a pro or somewhere in-between, the Aspen Snowmass ski company has the perfect lesson to help you reach your goals. And, with over 1,200 teaching pros across four mountains who speak a variety of languages, they teach it all - and they guarantee it!
Snowmobiling
Take a day off from skiing to spend a day in Colorado's high country, snowmobiling past frozen, blue-crystal waterfalls and unsurpassed snowy vistas. Leave from the T-Lazy-7 for an excursion up the Maroon Creek valley to see the famous 14,000-foot Maroon Bells. The ghost town of Lenado is another popular ride. Both of these guided excursions can include a lunch in the backcountry.
Ice skating
Glide across the ice at the Aspen Recreation Center or the Aspen Ice Garden public ice skating rinks.
Snowshoeing and snowshoe tours
Enjoy the serenity of the mountain as you experience the joy of snowshoeing. No special skills are required to enjoy this winter sport - just put on snowshoes under your hiking boots and start walking. A winter landscape is guaranteed to unfold in front of you! If you'd prefer, naturalist guides can take you along scenic trails featuring vistas of snow-covered crags and alpine valleys as they teach you the fundamentals of this age-old method of winter travel.
Dog sledding
There's nothing like the exhilaration and excitement of being pulled by a team of Siberian huskies through the snow-covered wilderness of the Snowmass Aspen area. Krabloonik Restaurant & Kennel, located on the slopes of the Snowmass Ski Area, features two-hour dog sled rides that end with a world-class lunch or dinner in the restaurant's rustic setting. This is one of the most exotic excursions in Snowmass, and if you are looking for an exquisitely romantic activity, huddle down with your loved one under the blankets for a star-lit ride to the best wild game restaurant in Colorado.
Snowcat dinner tours
Ride a snowcat up Snowmass Mountain to the rustic, yet elegant Lynn Britt cabin for an evening of Western mountain cuisine and entertainment. Perfect for families, groups and private parties, too. This is an activity that non-skiers love, as it gets them up on the mountain when they have it all to themselves.
Winter fly fishing
Experience some of the world's most renowned fly fishing in the Aspen Snowmass area, where gold-medal trout streams run through the valleys. There's nothing quite like casting your line into crystal-cold rivers on a crisp winter day during your Aspen ski vacation.
Mountain photography
Capture the stunning, snow-covered alpine scenery surrounding Snowmass ski resort at these hot photo spots:
- Top of the Elk Camp lift - Get a wide-open view of Pyramid Peak and the Maroon Bells, along with stunning views of the West Willow Basin on the backside of the Snowmass ski area.
- Top of the Cirque - Ride the Cirque Poma to the top, then ski to the high point directly ahead, where the views are 360 degrees.
- Cliffside, half-way down Sneaky's and Big Burn - Enjoy views of the rugged drainage between Garret's Peak, Mt. Daly and Mt. Sopris.
- Top of Sam's Knob - Take the Village Express lift straight to the top of Sam's Knob, where you'll have sweeping views of the Brush Creek Valley, Wildcat ranch and up the mountain to the Big Burn.
Ballooning
Soar over the spectacular Colorado Rocky Mountains in a hot air balloon and experience panoramic views of the rugged landscape, 14,000-foot peaks and wildlife in the alpine meadows below. You can go ballooning year-round, with each season presenting its own unique allure.
Historical tours of Aspen
Discover Aspen's fascinating history with the Aspen Historical Society's costumed guides, who give public and private tours of Aspen's historic West End and Downtown. Short tours to the ghost towns of Ashcroft and Independence are also available.
Aspen Art Gallery
Check out the Western Slope's finest contemporary art museum, housed in a historic brick building, which features year-round programming such as art workshops, free public lectures and docent tours.
2011/2012 Aspen/Snowmass Winter Brochure
So much to see and do at Snowmass!
Posted by RD on Trip Advisor 2011
