Attractions Nearby Aspen, Day Trips and Excursions

(Aspen, Colorado - CO, USA)

Aspen is surrounded by stunning wilderness areas, scenic attractions and spectacular mountain ranges, popular among cross-country skiers during the winter and hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers during the summer.

White River National Forest nearby Aspen encompasses an incredible range of terrain and attractions, as well as a hut system for multi-day treks and other wild adventures. The area surrounding Aspen is also home to historic villages with a fascinating past, many now all but deserted.

Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area

Address: White River, San Isabel and Gunnison National Forests, Colorado CO, USA
This wilderness area boasts the most fourteeners of any wilderness area in the lower 48 states of America, making it a Mecca for rock climbers, especially on weekends when the place can get crowded. Along with spectacular towering peaks, the area is home to pristine lakes, varied wildlife and wooded valleys, and is within easy reach of Aspen.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Ashcroft Ghost Town

Address: Castle Creek Road, Aspen, Colorado CO, USA
Tel: +1 970 925 3721
Once a booming mining town in the late 19th century, Ashcroft is now a historic ghost town with plenty of old buildings to explore and is set in the beautiful Castle Creek Valley.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free self guided tours

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

Address: 51000, Two Rivers Plaza Road, Glenwood Springs, Colorado CO, 81601, USA
Tel: +1 970 945 4228
Accessed via a scenic sky lift is Glenwood Caverns, a network of ancient caves high up in the Rockies. This park also offers panoramic views of the valley below, various rides and a great restaurant.
Open hours: early-January, daily - 10:00 to 17:00; January to early March, and December, Friday to Monday - 10:00 to 17:00; mid-March to late-May, Monday to Friday - 10:00 to 17:00, Saturday and Sunday - 10:00 to 18:00, late-May to mid-August, daily - 09:00 to 21:00; late-August, daily - 09:00 to 19:00; September, daily - 10:00 to 18:00; early-October, Monday to Friday - 10:00 to 17:00, Saturday and Sunday - 10:00 to 18:00; October, daily - 10:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge, discounts available for children under 12 years old, children three years old and under are free

Independence Pass

Address: Highway 82, Aspen, Colorado CO, USA
This is a spectacular drive that winds itself high up into the Rockies until reaching Independence Pass, a highly popular lookout point that offers amazing views and breathtaking mountain scenery. The ghost town of Independence is also nearby.
Open hours: summer only
Admission: free

Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness Area

Address: Aspen, Pitkin, Colorado CO, USA
This wilderness area is much less frequented by tourists than its more famous counterparts, making it a perfect place to escape the madding crowd. The vast Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness Area, nearby Aspen, is crisscrossed with superb hiking trails through pristine expanses of pine forests and river valleys and is home to all sorts of wildlife.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free