Plan Your Activities

Photos courtesy of Lisa A. DuBoi

​Recreation

With more than 300 days of sunshine a year, Aspen is truly a year-round destination for outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers! Whether it’s downhill skiing in untouched snow or hiking through dense aspen groves, we’ve got all that your adventurous heart desires. Our epic powder days in winter turn to amazing rafting come spring and summer. Warm days lead adventurers to endless trails to hike or bike, outdoor concerts, water sports and cultural pursuits. No matter how you choose to spend a day in Aspen (downhill or cross-country skiing, dog-sledding, horseback riding, mine exploring or fly-fishing) there is an unforgettable outdoor activity right at your doorstep in Aspen.

Dining & Nightlife

The quality of Aspen dining wins accolades year after year. With everything from fresh sushi to comfort foods like truffle mac ‘n’ cheese, our chefs aim high to please. Travel by SnoCat, gondola or sleigh and enjoy an exceptional evening at one of our off-the-beaten-track eateries in winter. Or take your meal outdoors in summer and dine al fresco beneath clear alpine skies. If one thing in Aspen transcends time, it’s our legendary nightlife. Afternoons are spent sipping a locally handcrafted ale or browsing our amazing art galleries. After dining at one of our award-winning restaurants complete the night with dancing, billiards or wine tasting at our lively clubs and bars.

Arts & Culture

Thanks to Aspen’s modern founders, Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke, The Aspen Idea of nurturing mind, body and spirit is firmly established in our community. Local calendars are packed with music and dance performances, lectures and art exhibits, offered by some of the most celebrated names in the world, as well as remarkable, homegrown talent. The Aspen Music Festival has brought classical music to the concert halls and the streets of our mountain town every summer since 1949, the Aspen Ideas Festival is a world-renowned gathering of some of the brightest and most innovative minds in the world, the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen needs no introduction, Jazz Aspen Snowmass continues to draw the biggest acts in the music world, the Aspen Art Museum is a globally recognized leader in contemporary art, the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet annually garners rave reviews, Theatre Aspen pulls the curtain on a terrific playbill every year; and that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Three national magazines (Aspen Magazine, Aspen Peak, and Aspen Sojourner) can be found on local and national newsstands, highlighting Aspen’s personalities, events, history, restaurants, and more.

A cultural “outpost” famed for its embrace of the arts, Aspen is a small town with big city cultural appeal.

Shopping

If you are into fashion, Aspen is a wonder to behold. You can shop international fashion houses along Galena Street, or pick up a flirty designer frock at unique boutiques and at our high-end consignment stores. Stop into any outfitter for the latest trends and tried and tested technical gear. Then watch the two meet as outdoor fashion takes center stage on the runway during Aspen Fashion Week, held every March. Aspen’s two pedestrian shopping malls are abloom with flowers and shoppers as summer’s ushered in. There, amidst impromptu classical music performances by Aspen Music Festival students, you will find Western treasures, fine art, clothing and handmade jewelry. Each stop, more interesting than the next.

Kids & Family

A vacation in Aspen proves there is no better place to enjoy the great outdoors! Soak in the sunshine and all the activities the mountains offer such as skiing, sledding and gondola rides, dropping into the world-class Rio Grand Skatepark, biking along the Rio Grand Trail, rafting, camping and more! Day and weeklong camps focusing on sports, arts, the environment – even physics! – will keep kids active and inspired during your trip. In summer or winter, the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) is a must with kids. Explore the wild surroundings of Aspen and meet the resident golden eagle “Belle.”

AJAX ADVENTURE CAMP
The ultimate Aspen summer camp: offering kids & teens exciting day camp activities & overnight excursions. Based out of the Aspen Middle School. Day camp operations 9:00 – 5:00. For more info & to sign up visit www.ajaxadventurecamp.com. Week-long & punch pass options available.

Address: 235 High School Rd. Aspen Middle School , Aspen, CO 81611
Phone: (970) 205-9392 For more information, visit our Website.

ASPEN CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Visit the beautiful Hallam Lake Nature Preserve, open all year. Hiking, snowshoe and ski tours. Classes for adults, kids and families.

Address: 100 Puppy Smith St. , Aspen, CO 81611
Phone: (970) 925-5756
Fax: (970) 925-4819 For more information, visit our Website.

ASPEN CLUB & SPA
The ultimate experience for kids is now open to the public!
The Kids’ Gym is an indoor playground complete with slides, balls, and toys and is ideal in any weather. An experienced and fun staff supervises the Kids’ Gym so you can relax in the spa! Call for dates and times of our summer camps.

Address:1450 Crystal Lake Road , Aspen, CO 81611
Phone:(970) 925-8900 | (866) 4-VITALITY
Fax:(970) 925-9543 For more information, visit our Website.

ASPEN RECREATION CENTER
Address:0861 Maroon Creek Rd. , Aspen, CO 81611
Phone:(970) 544-4100
Fax:(970) 920-7478 For more information, visit our Website.

ASPEN YOUTH CENTER
Daily summer activities include 2 clubs daily – culinary, arts and crafts, and sports club.

Address:P.O. Box 8266 , Aspen, CO 81612
Phone:(970) 544-4130
Fax:(970) 920-2852 For more information, visit our Website.

CAMP ASPEN/SNOWMASS
Winter-meets-summer skiing/snowboarding camp in June.
Mountainboarding, skateboarding, paintball, horseback riding, rocket camp and much, much more!

Address:P.O. Box 1248 , Aspen, CO 81612
Phone:(970) 923-1227
Fax:(970) 923-0558 For more information, visit our Website.

H2J SUMMER RIDING CAMP
Address:Cedar Ridge Ranch 3059 Hwy 103 , Carbondale, CO 81623
Phone:(970) 923-9297 For more information, visit our Website.

SKI & SNOWBOARD SCHOOLS OF ASPEN/SNOWMASS
Special programs for all ages from infants (Snow Cubs) and toddlers to kids, teens and adults.

Address:P.O. Box 1248 , Aspen, CO 81612
Phone:(970) 923-1227
Fax:(970) 923-0552 For more information, visit our Website.

THE TREEHOUSE KIDS ADVENTURE CENTER
​The Treehouse Kids’ Adventure Center is the centerpiece for kids’ programming at Aspen/Snowmass. This 25,000-square-foot facility boasts a climbing gym, teen activities, kids’ retail and more.
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Address:Snowmass Base Village , Snowmass Village, CO 81615
Phone:(970) 923-TREE (8733) For more information, visit our Website.