Visiting Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley in Colorado can be an ideal way to spend your winter holiday! And yes, you CAN do it ALL during a winter school break!
Aspen is renowned for its incredibly dreamy winter experiences and celebrity sightings. There are four world-class mountains to choose from: Aspen Mountain, Snowmass, Aspen Highlands, and Buttermilk. These mountains offer a wide variety of terrain perfect for everyone from beginner and so much more!
Runway to Slopeside in Minutes
Aspen is in the Roaring Fork Valley, southeast of Vail, and there are plenty of ways to reach the ski resort. Few mountain resorts have the airport proximity that Aspen Snowmass enjoys. Located just 5 minutes from Buttermilk (and 10 minutes from Snowmass and Aspen Mountain), the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport accommodates flights from major U.S. airports on United, Delta, and American Airlines
The Epic Mountain Express offers ground transfers from Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, Denver International Airport and Eagle County Regional Airport. Just download the Aspen Snowmass App and you’ll be able to see parking lot status.
We opted to stay in an Airbnb home outside of Carbondale between Glenwood Springs and Aspen. We chose this location as a home base because within 35 minutes we were either on the slopes at Aspen Snowmass or Sunlight Ski Resort, outside Glenwood Springs. With nearly 730 skiable acres and a 2,000 vertical foot drop, Sunlight offers big skiing at an affordable price. And you can enjoy the best après-ski fun at the world’s largest mineral hot springs pool, Glenwood Hot Springs Resort.
We found that riding the local Roaring Fork Transit buses was very convenient when we wanted to get on the slopes. These buses run the entirety of the Roaring Fork Valley and can get you around easily and many routes are free. Free routes include all City of Aspen routes and all Aspen to/from Snowmass Village routes. Seniors 65 and older and children 5 and under always ride free. The Village Shuttle within Snowmass Village is also free to ride. RFTA’s real time bus information is available in an easy-to-use mobile app called Transit.
Where to Stay?
Our Airbnb called “AspenWood” - located between Aspen & Glenwood Springs was one of our faves. Located on the banks of the Roaring Fork River, this 4 bdrm/3.5 ba home is a 35 min drive to Aspen/Snowmass Ski Resort and Sunlight Ski Resort in Glenwood Springs. With unsurpassed views of the Roaring Fork River, 2 fireplaces in the Great Room including radiant heating, a gourmet kitchen with amenities fit for a professional chef, and an 8-person Sundance Optima hot tub overlooking the river, we wished we could have stayed longer!
Ski Resort Lift Tickets & Rental Gear
The Aspen Snowmass 2022-23 ski season runs from late November through early to mid-April, depending on the mountain. All four of Aspen’s mountains are open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily, and one lift ticket gets you on all four mountains. Be sure to book 7 Days in advance for discounts. If you need to rent skis or snowboards, Stapleton Ski Shop and Up Snowboard Rentals and Miller Sports is located in the heart of Aspen. Or better yet, reserve your skis/snowboards with Ski Butlers who deliver all your equipment rentals directly to your accommodations.
