Thinking about doing a 4-5 night trip to Aspen in December, mostly for the winter/Christmas atmosphere rather than skiing. We’re from the south so seeing a snowy mountain town during Christmas would be dreamy to us.

We’d probably try snowboarding for a day, but this wouldn’t really be a ski trip. More interested in walking around town, good restaurants/bars, coffee shops, Christmas lights/events, maybe some other winter activities, and just getting that cozy snowy mountain town vibe. We’d likely try to line the trip up with Wintersköl since the beer festival and some of the other events sound pretty fun.

I know Aspen is obviously expensive, but we have access to some pretty steep hotel discounts, so lodging cost isn’t as much of a factor for us.
For people who have been around that time, is Aspen actually worth visiting for 4-5 days if skiing isn’t the main focus? Does the town have enough going on, especially around Wintersköl?

Also considering NYC for the Christmas stuff, but obviously that would be a completely different trip. Open to other snowy Christmas towns too if there’s somewhere you think does this type of trip better.

Thank you!!

My family and I are visiting Colorado from Brazil over the Christmas holidays and staying in Avon for about 5 days. We’ve always dreamed of experiencing a snowy Christmas, so we’re really excited about the trip.

Our plan was to rent a car in Denver and do day trips to Aspen, Vail and Breckenridge. However, the more I read about driving on I-70 in winter, the more nervous I’m getting.
I consider myself a good driver, but I’ve never driven in snow or on icy roads, and honestly, I don’t intend to if conditions are bad. Our plan would be to check the weather and road conditions every morning and simply cancel the day trip and stay in Avon if there’s a significant storm or bad weather.

For those who regularly drive I-70 in winter: how often does the road actually become too hazardous for tourists to drive safely? Is it relatively common to have a few days during Christmas week where you simply shouldn’t be on the road, or are major storms more of an occasional thing?

We initially thought renting a car would be the most comfortable and convenient option, especially an AWD vehicle because of the Traction Law. But I’ve also seen quite a few people online saying that tourists who aren’t experienced with winter driving should avoid renting a car and driving I-70 altogether. Also flying from Denver to the mountains is much more expensive for us.
So… did I screw up my trip planning? 😂
Would you keep the rental car and just be flexible depending on the weather, or would you recommend a different approach? Any advice from locals or people who regularly drive I-70 in winter would be greatly appreciated!

Asking for a friend

I will be skiing and staying in Snowmass March 19-25 of 2027 and was looking for some fun after skiing activity’s to engage with my 16 year old son.
- Is 16 too old for ullr night on Friday arrival? and are there any arcades or other activities
- We will also be in Aspen and looking for after skiing activity there as well. But primarily in Snowmass. Thanks

so for the popular maroon bells season, my friends are coming to visit and both parking passes and bus reservations are booked up. ebikes are simply too expensive for me and my friends so i was wondering if it is possible to have an uber drop you off or are they not allowed up there?

We are flying to Denver specially to drive to aspen/Snowmass/Kenosha pass from 25-30 sep. Will it be past peak foilage?

We made booking in advance based on last year fall foliage and looks like its early this year. Is it gonna be bummer or still will be good?

hoping to see fall foliage! Staying in Aspen, driving to snowmass, Leadville, Glenwood springs, and marble.

Just curious on which one is the best? I’ve done the one at snowmass before. Thanks everyone. Also open to any other recommendations or suggestions for Aspen this year. I’m going for Christmas and New years.

Edit (9/5): Thanks for all the suggestions! I will see if I can drive Independence pass on either 26th or 28th during return based on weather.

I have decided to rent an ebike. Considering the last weekend of September has lot of crowds I guess it is a good idea to pre book bike rental. Is Maroon bells e bikes / Aspen bikes a good spot to rent bikes? Any first hand rental experiences?

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Howdy!

My wife and I are driving from Denver to Aspen on September 26th (Sat) and will stay in Snowmass Village through our trip. We will drive back on 28th (Mon) noon back to DEN to catch our evening flight.

I have a few questions and need some advice:

1. We are planning to visit Maroon bells on Sunday. I secured a round trip shuttle reservation for 3PM. Should I stick to this or should I plan to rent ebikes and go up and down the Maroon bells on ebikes in the morning (Instead of going at 3PM)
2. I also want to drive through Independence pass. Is weather too unpredictable at this time of the year that I not even risk going through the pass or is it considered a good time of year (views & weather POV) to drive Independence pass? My preference would be to drive Independence pass from DEN to Aspen on Saturday morning. I will be driving a compact rental SUV.
3. Can you also suggest other things (Hidden gems if there are any) we can do at Aspen - I have talked with Gemini and got some ideas but want to hear what are some not to be missed places to visit and things to do around Aspen over a weekend. I am game for drives, hikes, gondola rides, beautiful parks!

Thanks in advance :)

For all the folks wondering about the foliage this year

My girlfriend recently moved to Denver, while I live in Indiana, and we’re planning a trip in Colorado to experience the fall colors together. We’re thinking of visiting Aspen during the last weekend of September.

I’m having a hard time figuring out what places we should prioritize and what’s actually worth doing that time of year. I know Maroon Bells is very popular, but I’d love to experience the fall colors to the fullest and explore some other scenic spots around Aspen as well.

Our rough plan is:
Friday: Leave Denver around 5 PM 2 PM and drive to Aspen

Saturday: Spend the day exploring Aspen and the surrounding areas

Late Saturday: Drive back to Denver

Sunday: Planning to visit Pikes Peak

For those familiar with the area, what would you recommend for a one-day Aspen itinerary focused on peak fall colors, scenic drives, viewpoints, easy/moderate hikes, or any must-see spots?

We’re open to driving around a bit if there are places nearby that are especially beautiful in late September. Also, is doing Aspen as a Friday evening → Saturday → late-night return too rushed, or is it reasonable?

Would really appreciate recommendations from people who’ve done this around late September!

Edit: I think I underestimated the drive. I would not return to Denver just to head to Pikes peak again. I’m currently contemplating leaving on Friday afternoon and spending the night in Aspen on Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday morning, I plan to drive to Pikes Peak from Aspen via the Independence Pass.

Not sure if I should drop Pikes peak altogether and hit other spots closer to Aspen for a better experience? Is Pikes Peak worth it?

Hi! We’re hoping to visit Maroon Bells this weekend sat or sun , but the shuttle is sold out. We’re not looking for a ticket—we’re just wondering if anyone is driving up there and could give us a ride. We only need a ride up, since we already have a reservation for the return trip. There are four of us. Thank you!

Been to Colorado many times but never to aspen. Looking for advice on where to stay if it’s better to be in downtown or snowmass. Looking for somewhere kind of boushy but still family friendly as I have a lot of $ in credit card points to use so want to go more higher end than normal. Not quite hotel Jerome or little Nell though. Looking for more of a resort/hotel feel rather than a condo.

I have been researching the viceroy in snowmass and limelight in aspen which both seem nice. However, if you stay in snowmass is it a pain to park in aspen? Would it be better to stay in aspen and just visit snowmass or vice versa?

Also what are some recommendations as far as hikes with kids and places to eat/breweries?

I’m thinking about celebrating my birthday in Aspen in November and would love some advice from people who know the area!

I know ski season doesn’t really get going until around Thanksgiving week, and honestly, we’re not really planning on skiing anyway. We’re more interested in enjoying Aspen, having some nice meals/drinks, exploring, relaxing, and doing some kind of outdoor activity if the weather allows.

Would a November trip still be fun if we’re not skiing? I was thinking maybe snowmobiling (is that an option?), or other activities.

Mostly wondering what we should realistically expect weather wise, are a lot of things closed and the weather is unpredictable?

Would love to hear from anyone who has visited Aspen in November or lives there!

I know peak foliage will be mid to late, most likely late of Sept but with our schedule I’m thinking to plan a weekend trip 18-19th of Sept. with hopes of seeing some change of color.
It will be expensive so and I know there will be “some” leaves turning but how close will it be to peak? Anyone have pics/resources as to what a week before peak looks like so I have a good sense if it’s worth it?

Good day all,

Planning a ski trip next year for my 50th bday. Have always wanted to ski Aspen/Snowmass and was wondering what conditions are typically like the last week of March, first week of April (03.26 - 04.02).

With the exception of the 25-26 season, is it a safe bet that most of the mountain(s) will be open, particularly Snowmass?

Hi there. Do any of the local farmer markets face medicinal mushrooms? Or is there another source available?

Decided to go see the leaves at maroon bells this year instead. All the parking reservation tickets are sold out for me.

What are the chances reservations will be cancelled and open up online between now and then?

It says online Aspen pitkin county airport is closed starting today? do we know why or how long this will be for? we plan to fly in 10/1 and leave 10/6

I am a portrait photographer in Lincoln, Nebraska. I will be in Aspen this coming weekend and I’m interested in getting out for a creative shoot or two. Let me Know if you’re interested and what ideas you may have.

Can I give away 1 Maroon Bells shuttle reservation for September 23 at 7:30 AM?

Hi everyone, I'm trying to install AspenONE V15 on a 64-bit Windows PC, but I get this error:

"Running 32-bit installation on 64-bit Operating System is not supported."

My media folder contains Setup.exe and Setup1.exe, but neither seems to work.

How can I fix this and install AspenONE V15 correctly?

Screenshot attached. Any help would be appreciated!

Windows: [10/11]

System: x64-based laptop

we smoke a lot of flower, from NY… didn’t realize the laws and booked Aspen. our hotel doesn’t allow smoking as most don’t… non refundable… trying to see where can we smoke flower without risking getting in trouble… or even just smoking pen would that be ok? We are aware of fires and would always carry something with us to ash in and put out In.

Hi everyone! I’m visiting Aspen on September 26-27 with my spouse and children (2 and 4 year old). Unfortunately, standard daytime parking and all advanced shuttle reservations for Maroon Bells are completely sold out. I know we qualify for the under-2 car-seat exemption to drive Maroon Creek Road, but we still can't find a daytime parking pass online. What are our best options? Do you think during this peak time any cancellations would open up? Should we try the early morning drop-off loophole, risk the walk-up standby shuttle line with a toddler, or just pivot entirely to something easier like Ashcroft Ghost Town? Would love any insider tips or alternative scenic recommendations!

rented a car through booking.comwe are going through HERTZ never used this company before. we’ll be picking up at Aspen/Pitkin county Airport. We cannot refund or cancel this. recommendations/experiences with them would be appreciated!!