Aspen Snowmass Ski Resort

Aspen Snowmass is a winter resort complex located in western Colorado in the United States. It comprises four skiing areas on four mountains, namely Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Aspen Buttermilk, and Aspen Snowmass. The four ski areas collectively form one of the most famous ski resorts worldwide welcoming visitors from all over the world. 

The ski resort is an excellent holiday spot for families since you will find ideal ski-in and ski-out options, which is perfect with small children. The terrain consists of 5 percent bunny hill trails and more than 47 percent are considered to be ideal for intermediates. Real experts won´t miss out either. Experts can even call 30 percent of the 96 trails their own. Snowmass features boundless possibilities and it´s definitely recommendable to stay a few days to get to know the whole terrain.

Starting from Two Creeks, you can whisk up to the mid-mountain with the Two Creeks High-Speed Quad, which is a great spot for intermediates since you will have access to blue trails only. From the top station you change into the Elk Camp Quad which takes you up to additional blue runs. Three black runs are accessible as well. From here you can drop back over into the blue ´Long Shot´ that later merges with ´Eastbranch´ and takes you all the way down back to the base. Perfect for tree-skiing lovers!

Starting from Snowmass Base Village you can either catch the Elk Camp Gondola or the Village Express. By taking Elk Camp Gondola you will find more runs that are designated blues. One green trail, the ´Funnel Bypass´ is also available. Village Express on the other side gives you a ride to Sam´s Knob. It features a vertical rise of 10620 feet. From here you have the chance to hit a ton of blacks, blues and even a few beginner runs.

Sheer Bliss, an other High-Speed Chair, is the perfect ride for you if you consider yourself as an expert since the terrain up here is the most challenging in the resort. Starting from Campground, take the Campground lift right at the paragliding landing zone and cruise along the black trails ´Campground´ and ´Slot´ back to the base. With three terrain parks, approximately 100 features in total and a 22-foot superpipe Snowmass is home to the No. 2 Park in North-America and is pretty well-known among boarders.

The Lowdown Park is located at the Lower Blue Grouse along the Village Express Lift. This is the best place to come for beginners and lower intermediates. Here you can expect jib and snow features of all kinds. Makaha Park at the Lower Blue Grouse along the Village Express Lift is perfect for intermediates. With a total of 25 features it is a great area to work on your progression. Last but not least, the Snowmass Park is awesome for advanced and expert freestylers. Look for it below the Coney Glade lift. With about 50 features it guarantees unlimited challenges and never fails to amaze.

Refreshment needed? There are several restaurants across the mountain where delicious food and drinks are served to make your day a perfect one. The ambiance at Elk Camp Restaurant is interior-wise inspired by the Rocky mountains and boasts huge windows to literally bring the beauty of the nature inside. The food can be described as a pick of organic and locally harvested menus.

Then there is the Lynn Britt Cabin which mostly has West American cuisine on their menu. The extended wine list and the awesome sun deck is also worth mentioning. Up 4 Pizza is your spot if you are craving cheese loaded pizza, hot soups and tasty sandwiches. The outdoor deckwill make you enjoy your delicious even more.

Ullrhof is more the grab-n-go kind of lunch place. The cafeteria style restaurant is best known for burgers, shakes and fries. Gwyn´s High Alpine Cafe is the largest on-mountain restaurant at Snowmass. Burgers, Chicken Stew and their famous hot apple crisp make it to a great pick-me-up during a long day on the slopes.

´Sneaky´s´ is great for early birds. It faces east and welcomes the first sun rays of the day. ´Sandy Park´ is an intermediate trail, which features the most breathtaking views of the surroundings.

There are a ton of activities that are a blast for the whole family. The classics are snowmobiling, ice skating and dog sledding. But you could also go winter fly fishing, something that you cannot do everywhere! An other highlight are the Historical tours of Aspen with guides through Aspen´s historic West End and Downtown. Tours through the ghost towns of Ashcroft are available as well.

Did you ever hear of Mountain photography? It is actually a thing in Snowmass and the main photo spots are the Top of the Elk camp lift, the Top of the Cirque, the Cliffside and the Top of Sam´s Knob. For all art lovers the Aspen Art Gallery is the place to be in town. If you still want to explore the beauty of the mountain world you can also consider to go snowshoeing. Hereby you get to enjoy the serenity of the mountains. Naturalist guides can show you the most scenic trails in the area.

New Breathtaker Coaster is scheduled to open in December 2017.

Aspen town and Snowmass together will meet every après ski fan's expectation -  both old and young. The most popular musicians come here on a daily basis and open air concerts are no exception. The Cigar Bar is dominated by great cigars and fine liquors and is on the luxurious side of the Apres ski spots. From The Caribou Club, America´s number-one private club to Eric´s Bar, a laid-back bar with 14 beers on tap, you´ll find everything from easy-going to super fancy. The Red Onion, Belly Up and 39 Degrees at the Sky Hotel are more addresses to put down on your to do list.

Snowmass itself has an extensive offers for foodies, but with Aspen town just 15 minutes away you´ll have so many fine dining options that you have to come back a few times to explore everything. Ill Poggio is a great example for a restaurant with authentic Italian food. Antipasta, hearty pizza and pasta dishes and the indulging desserts are reasons to come to the Snowmass Village Mall and give this restaurant a try.

European cuisine meets American cuisine in the Little Mammoths. Fish, Angus beef and free-range chicken together with award-winning wines assure a perfect evening. Juicy Lucy´s Steakhouse has great quality meat and seafood on their menu. The award-winning chocolate mousse pie and the huge wine list are going to make your visit worthwhile. Hotel Jerome is a modern American bistro that serves hearty American dishes. It´s the ideal place to come for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The closest airports to Aspen Snowmass are Aspen County Airport, Eagle County Regional Airport and Denver International Airport. You may want to book shuttles, use ground transportation or get a rental car; However, there are so many possibilities to make it to Snowmass. By car, you just have to take the I-70 and afterwards change onto the 82. You will find some free parking lots like the Town Park Stations right in Snowmass Village. Between the different Aspen resorts runs A free skier shuttle runs between the different Aspen resorts; it does not apply any extra costs with a valid ski pass.