Aspen Ski Resort 2023 Guide

The Resort

The Aspen Snowmass ski compex is a pretty unique experience in that one lift ticket gives you access to four surprisingly distinct ski areas, especially considering their close proximity to each other. Located in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Colorado, just 3 hours West of Denver, riders will be happy to find a series of resorts clustered together that provide a phenomenal all around experience.

Aspen Mountain Ski Resort 

Aspen Mountain is the easiest to access of the three resorts. It’s located closest to downtown Aspen itself, and shuttles make getting there a breeze. At only 673 acres, this ski area is remarkably smaller than others you may be used to.

There are 76 total runs at Aspen Mountain, none of which are green runs for beginners. It’s true that the confident intermediate rider will have the best time of all riders at Aspen Mountain. When you break down the trails, you’ll find that there are no green runs, and only a small percentage of expert runs, with almost the entire ski area being blues and blacks.

If you’re strictly beginning and need easy rolling greens, you should check out closely connected Buttermilk!

Or, if you have been skiing all your life and need a steady stream of gripping terrain, you’re likely better suited at Aspen Highlands or Snowmass.

This isn’t an indication that experts shouldn’t try their luck at Aspen Mountain as there is still some expert terrain to be found if only a fraction of what they have on offer. Experts can find what they’re looking for in areas like Traynor’s Ridge, where steeps and cliffs abound, though you may find the area is rarely open!

If you’re looking for a terrain park to showcase your freestyle riding skills, you won’t find one at Aspen Mountain. Although there are no manmade features on offer at Aspen Mountain, you will find natural terrain features that you can have fun with, in addition to there being terrain parks at some of the surrounding resorts.

The lift system at Aspen Mountain is just OK. There is only one high-speed quad, and aside from that the lift system is fairly dated in comparison to many other Colorado resorts. Fortunately the resort is small enough, and the crowds manageable enough, that its 10,000+ skiers per hour capacity seems to get the job done.

Aspen Highlands Ski Resort

Aspen Highlands is less accessible than Aspen Mountain, and by this we mean still extremely accessible from downtown Aspen. Rather than boarding a gondola directly from downtown Aspen, you’ll have to stomach a 10 minute shuttle ride.

At just over 1,000 acres of skiable terrain, Aspen Highlands is another relatively small ski area when compared to other Colorado resorts. Though with 118 marked trails on offer, riders will still find plenty of terrain to explore. As with Aspen Mountain, there are no beginner level green runs at Aspen Highlands. Even more so than Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands is a resort for strong intermediates and experts.

The lower and mid-mountain areas are where intermediates will want to hang out. This area holds almost all of the intermediate runs on the mountain. The upper mountain area is where things get kicked up a notch.

Upon taking the Lodge Peak quad, riders will find only one intermediate trail back. The real crown jewel of Aspen Highlands is the Highland Bowls. This is a steep and deep, wild area, most of which is accessible only by hiking from the aforementioned Lodge Peak. Experts will delight in the intense terrain in this zone, with the added comfort of having ski patrol conducted avalanche mitigation.

There is no easy way down from this zone, except to hike back the way you came. The runs in this area can have slope angles upwards of 50 degrees. This is truly an area that you should not attempt if you’re uncertain in your abilities to ski terrain of this caliber.

Additionally, you’ll find that you are able to access backcountry skiing from Aspen Highlands. The Patrol maintains an open gate to the backcountry in several areas. Fields of untouched blower powder coat huge lengths of fall line skiing, tempting as this may be, use a backcountry guide from the area if this is something that interests you.

The Colorado snowpack is notoriously unstable for long portions of the season. Mistakes in the Colorado backcountry can be dangerous.

Additionally, there is no terrain park at Aspen Highlands. This ski area is oriented toward big mountain style skiing.

That being said, Aspen Highlands is a favorite amongst locals. Aspen Highlands feels somewhat disconnected from the glamor of other Aspen areas. The challenging terrain and homey feeling create an atmosphere that make it feel like a true rider’s area.

Buttermilk Ski Resort

Every bit as accessible as Aspen Mountain and Aspen Highlands, but a stark contrast from the previous two resorts, Buttermilk offers plenty of beginner terrain. With 35% of their 44 runs rated green, entry level riders can have a great time exploring a plethora of terrain at Buttermilk. 35% may not sound like a lot, especially when you see that 39% of the runs are intermediate, but the truth is that these intermediate runs will be very approachable to most beginners. The same goes for the black rated runs at Buttermilk, which would likely be rated blues in other resorts.

With only 400 acres of skiable terrain and 200 inches of snowfall per year, Buttermilk may look to many like the least impressive of the ski areas in Aspen. This couldn’t be further from the truth. While Buttermilk is small and experts may find themselves bored, it could not be more perfectly suited to families, young children, and entry level riders.

There is a heavy frontload of beginner and easy intermediate trails, with remarkably few advanced trails, and no expert trails. The beauty of this is that, for new riders, Buttermilk offers an inviting area to learn, with a variety of options for progression. From newbies still learning to point their skis in the right direction, and beginners making their way toward blues, all the way to someone wanting to attempt their first black diamond, Buttermilk has options for you. You’ll be happy to know that 3 of the 4 main lifts servicing Buttermilk are high-speed quads! Beginners will be able to get laps in until their legs give out!

In addition to this, Buttermilk has something that Aspen Mountain and Aspen Highlands lack: terrain parks. Not just any terrain parks, either. Many agree that the park riding in Buttermilk is the best in colorado. This makes sense as Buttermilk is home to the X-Games terrain park, with its fear-inducingly massive jumps, features, and Olympic-sized halfpipe. Fear not though, you don’t have to be a professional freestyle rider to ride park at Buttermilk. They offer parks with countless features all the way from beginner to professional skill levels. In fact, there are so many incredible parks at Buttermilk, it doesn’t even make sense to try to list them here, as something great would surely slip through the cracks. Take a look for yourself!

Aspen/Snowmass is a part of the Ikon group.

Getting There

Aspen is an accessible destination in Colorado. It’s located in the Northwestern region of Colorado and is easy to get to by flight or by car. Should you choose to fly you’ll be able to fly into Denver International Airport, from which you’ll have a roughly 3 hour drive west into Aspen. If you’re not renting a car, the Epic Mountain Express has you covered. They offer a year-round shuttle service that will get you from Denver International Airport to Aspen.

If you’re so inclined, you could also fly almost directly to downtown Aspen by finding a connecting flight flying into the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport. From here, the City of Aspen runs a shuttle service that’ll get you into town.

Once you’re there, worry not, that same city-owned shuttle service operates shuttles all around town to make life easy on you. No car needed in Aspen!

Accommodations

There’s no delicate way to put this: If you intend to stay at one of the nicer, ski-in ski-out style accommodations in Aspen, you may consider contacting your credit card company about increasing your limit. No that’s not a joke, there are several places to stay in Aspen that exceed $2,000 per night during the winter season.

When it comes to cost, Aspen raises the bar. That is not to say, that you shouldn’t stay at one of these locations if you’re in the financial position to do so! The high-end lodging on offer is certainly worth every penny, after all, you’re not just paying for a room. You truly get what you pay for at places like The Little Nell, Hotel Jerome, or the St. Regis, as all the amenities, services, and access are world class.

Don’t worry though, there are more tangible options, like the St. Moritz Lodge. This is just one of several similar budget options that dot the town of Aspen, many of which have great reviews for a significantly less eye-popping price tag.

Facilities

Part of why Aspen is so well known for its glitz is the fact that it’s a remarkably enjoyable town on and off the slopes. There are endless shopping opportunities including clothing, art, jewelry, and everything in between.

More than just shopping, Aspen is loaded with winter activities outside of skiing. There are a variety of outdoor activities like snowshoe touring, ski mobile tours, and ice skating. There are also less active opportunities like taking a scenic ride on a gondola or chairlift at any one of the four resorts in Aspen.

If you’ve been tearing it up on the steeps at Aspen Highlands, you may not want to do anything but sit back and relax. Thankfully, there are several high-end spas in Aspen, offering amazingly soothing treatments and massages.

One of the best spas in Aspen, Remede Spa, you’ll find tucked away into the gorgeous St. Regis hotel. If you’ve got the time, and the money, it’s certainly worth a visit!

Families and Kids

Families with their children in tow can have a great time in Aspen, you just need to plan accordingly and make sure you’re making the most of your trip. For instance, skiing with young children at Aspen Mountain or Aspen Highlands may be a disaster waiting to happen. Skiing with those same young ones at Buttermilk, however, will prove to be a great time.

And when the kids tire out and you’ve decided you’re ready to hit some of the steeps, you can drop your children off at the Treehouse Kids Adventure Center. This is Aspen’s state of the art, multi-level, Colorado adventure-themed childcare center, which will be open for the 22/23 ski season!

For Beginners

Buttermilk. If you’re an entry level rider, Buttermilk is your best friend. The trails here are wide, rolling, and unintimidating. Aspen Mountain and Aspen Highlands are known for their difficulty and appeal to expert riders. Not only this, their skiing is so challenging, the runs are “sandbagged”, meaning that oftentimes they are harder in reality than they are reported to be. Fortunately, if you really want to try your hand at the hard stuff, shuttles make it easy to get between resorts!

If you’re not even sure how to get your skis on, look into taking a lesson with the professional instructors at any of the resorts in the Aspen Snowmass complex. They offer lessons for children ages 2.5-14 years old, splitting them up into various age groups to ensure the best instruction for your child. If you’re an adult or teen who’s just now learning, they also offer group and private lessons for all ages after 14 years old, based on skill level.

Meeting locations are different depending on where you’re taking your lessons, so be sure to look online and get pointed in the right direction.

For Snowboarders

Long gone are the days of old-hand patrollers telling snowboarders to get lost! If you’re a snowboarder, you’ll be happy to know that snowboarders are allowed without restriction at all of the resorts in Aspen!

Park riders will delight, in particular, at Buttermilk’s X-Games terrain. Rails and ramps of slopestyle are there to try and rock.

Après-Ski

It has been said that Aspen has one of the most vibrant après scenes in North America. Some would even say the best. While this is of course relative to who you’re asking, no one can deny that the après in Aspen is pretty great.

Each resort has their own selection of lively bars, brewpubs, and other on-the-hill spots to check out, as there will almost certainly always be an energetic crowd keeping the party going. Apres-ski doesn’t necessarily happen apres-lift close in Aspen!

The après isn’t limited to the mountain either. In Aspen, there’s no shortage of nightlife, bars, wine bars, breweries, and amazing restaurants to suit any pallet. With such a high concentration of 5-star restaurants, it’s hard to narrow down just a couple to recommend. Perhaps your best bet is to wander in somewhere that catches your eye, as you almost certainly won’t be let down.

The Bottom Line

Aspen is a good time, just pay a visit to your financial advisor before booking your plane tickets. Seriously though, there’s terrain to suit everyone from professionals to beginners. The most important thing about visiting is being sure to pick your terrain wisely, as there are very distinct differences in what all the resorts have to offer.

Additionally, the wealth of off-mountain activities makes it well worth the trip, as even the non-skiers in your group can have a good time.

It may prove difficult to visit Aspen on a budget. The simple fact is that the town, on average, caters to a wealthy clientele. While this doesn’t preclude anyone from visiting, you may find that most things are, overall, a good bit pricier than they would be anywhere else.

All things considered, if you can fit it in your budget, the amenities, terrain, snow quality, and great après of Aspen are well worth it.