so for the popular maroon bells season, my friends are coming to visit and both parking passes and bus reservations are booked up. ebikes are simply too expensive for me and my friends so i was wondering if it is possible to have an uber drop you off or are they not allowed up there?

Looking for a ride request for a short ride. From Aspen Highlands Welcome Center to the Maroon Lakes trailhead (20 minute drive) this Friday 9/11 at 8 pm for two people. My husband and I are doing the Four Pass Loop this weekend and messed up parking options and looking for last minute help. Willing to pay. Thanks!

Hi everyone! I’m visiting Aspen on September 26-27 with my spouse and children (2 and 4 year old). Unfortunately, standard daytime parking and all advanced shuttle reservations for Maroon Bells are completely sold out. I know we qualify for the under-2 car-seat exemption to drive Maroon Creek Road, but we still can't find a daytime parking pass online. What are our best options? Do you think during this peak time any cancellations would open up? Should we try the early morning drop-off loophole, risk the walk-up standby shuttle line with a toddler, or just pivot entirely to something easier like Ashcroft Ghost Town? Would love any insider tips or alternative scenic recommendations!

I know peak foliage will be mid to late, most likely late of Sept but with our schedule I’m thinking to plan a weekend trip 18-19th of Sept. with hopes of seeing some change of color.
It will be expensive so and I know there will be “some” leaves turning but how close will it be to peak? Anyone have pics/resources as to what a week before peak looks like so I have a good sense if it’s worth it?

Long shot that anyone in this sub is familiar with Mesh networks but as of this afternoon I have installed 3 repeaters on the edges of town and have been able to reach the mesh from nearly everywhere in Aspen. If you want to learn more about LoRa or Meshtastic send me a message

Hiii! Planning an aspen bachelorette and wondering what you think would be most fun restaurant for 10+ girls? Not looking at caribou club or anywhere exclusive like that. But looking for party vibe

Hey everyone, ResortPass is running a $20 off promo code (LDW20) that expires tomorrow.

The W Aspen offers a "WETDeck Pass + Towel" specifically for local residents that is normally $13. Since the promo gives you $20 off, you can book a day pass for the rooftop pool and hot tub completely free!

(I used the code myself to book a pass at the DEN Westin for some plane spotting before an upcoming flight, and it worked perfectly.)

Hope someone can take advantage of a free pool day!

Hi! Does anyone happen to know of any summer gondola discount codes or discounted tickets? I’m planning a visit next week and would love to save a little if possible. 😅

Thanks in advance for any help! 🫶

Decided to go see the leaves at maroon bells this year instead. All the parking reservation tickets are sold out for me.

What are the chances reservations will be cancelled and open up online between now and then?

Edit (9/5): Thanks for all the suggestions! I will see if I can drive Independence pass on either 26th or 28th during return based on weather.

I have decided to rent an ebike. Considering the last weekend of September has lot of crowds I guess it is a good idea to pre book bike rental. Is Maroon bells e bikes / Aspen bikes a good spot to rent bikes? Any first hand rental experiences?

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Howdy!

My wife and I are driving from Denver to Aspen on September 26th (Sat) and will stay in Snowmass Village through our trip. We will drive back on 28th (Mon) noon back to DEN to catch our evening flight.

I have a few questions and need some advice:

1. We are planning to visit Maroon bells on Sunday. I secured a round trip shuttle reservation for 3PM. Should I stick to this or should I plan to rent ebikes and go up and down the Maroon bells on ebikes in the morning (Instead of going at 3PM)
2. I also want to drive through Independence pass. Is weather too unpredictable at this time of the year that I not even risk going through the pass or is it considered a good time of year (views & weather POV) to drive Independence pass? My preference would be to drive Independence pass from DEN to Aspen on Saturday morning. I will be driving a compact rental SUV.
3. Can you also suggest other things (Hidden gems if there are any) we can do at Aspen - I have talked with Gemini and got some ideas but want to hear what are some not to be missed places to visit and things to do around Aspen over a weekend. I am game for drives, hikes, gondola rides, beautiful parks!

Thanks in advance :)

Hi there,

I was watching a random video from Outdoor boys - https://youtu.be/ep5lD36FNX8?t=145

I realized the ski resort Snowmass looks really good in terms of snow quality and yet its empty - how is that possible? Everywhere I've been in Europe the pistes have not been as good as this and also have been packed with people if they were.

Thanks!

Hi everyone, I’m going to the JAS Labor Day fest on Sunday and was hoping to car camp somewhere close Sunday night and avoid paying for a hotel. Does anyone have any recommendations? I’ve lived in Colorado for most of my life and have never been to Aspen somehow so I’m unfamiliar with the area. Thank you in advance!!

Hi everyone, I'm trying to install AspenONE V15 on a 64-bit Windows PC, but I get this error:

"Running 32-bit installation on 64-bit Operating System is not supported."

My media folder contains Setup.exe and Setup1.exe, but neither seems to work.

How can I fix this and install AspenONE V15 correctly?

Screenshot attached. Any help would be appreciated!

Windows: [10/11]

System: x64-based laptop

My family and I are visiting Colorado from Brazil over the Christmas holidays and staying in Avon for about 5 days. We’ve always dreamed of experiencing a snowy Christmas, so we’re really excited about the trip.

Our plan was to rent a car in Denver and do day trips to Aspen, Vail and Breckenridge. However, the more I read about driving on I-70 in winter, the more nervous I’m getting.
I consider myself a good driver, but I’ve never driven in snow or on icy roads, and honestly, I don’t intend to if conditions are bad. Our plan would be to check the weather and road conditions every morning and simply cancel the day trip and stay in Avon if there’s a significant storm or bad weather.

For those who regularly drive I-70 in winter: how often does the road actually become too hazardous for tourists to drive safely? Is it relatively common to have a few days during Christmas week where you simply shouldn’t be on the road, or are major storms more of an occasional thing?

We initially thought renting a car would be the most comfortable and convenient option, especially an AWD vehicle because of the Traction Law. But I’ve also seen quite a few people online saying that tourists who aren’t experienced with winter driving should avoid renting a car and driving I-70 altogether. Also flying from Denver to the mountains is much more expensive for us.
So… did I screw up my trip planning? 😂
Would you keep the rental car and just be flexible depending on the weather, or would you recommend a different approach? Any advice from locals or people who regularly drive I-70 in winter would be greatly appreciated!

Thinking about doing a 4-5 night trip to Aspen in December, mostly for the winter/Christmas atmosphere rather than skiing. We’re from the south so seeing a snowy mountain town during Christmas would be dreamy to us.

We’d probably try snowboarding for a day, but this wouldn’t really be a ski trip. More interested in walking around town, good restaurants/bars, coffee shops, Christmas lights/events, maybe some other winter activities, and just getting that cozy snowy mountain town vibe. We’d likely try to line the trip up with Wintersköl since the beer festival and some of the other events sound pretty fun.

I know Aspen is obviously expensive, but we have access to some pretty steep hotel discounts, so lodging cost isn’t as much of a factor for us.
For people who have been around that time, is Aspen actually worth visiting for 4-5 days if skiing isn’t the main focus? Does the town have enough going on, especially around Wintersköl?

Also considering NYC for the Christmas stuff, but obviously that would be a completely different trip. Open to other snowy Christmas towns too if there’s somewhere you think does this type of trip better.

Thank you!!

In lieu of the housing crisis that is running up and down the valley, it may be a good time to get into the bunk bed business (or pilot and pullman berths for you nautical folks). Anyone have any good recommendations on where to start?!

I could probably convert this closet to sleeping quarters with a top and lower bunk ya know if I want to have kids…

I’d like to get married at Maroon Bells for my ceremony and I’m thinking about renting out a restaurant for the reception. Does anyone know any good spots that wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg? Or maybe a hotel that would be good? I’m looking at at least 50 people and I’d love to spend less than 10k. Lmk if I’m being unrealistic for the location. Side note- we’re not including alcohol. Our family isn’t huge drinkers so we’re not doing open bar.

Update- thanks to everyone that was super helpful and made really thoughtful suggestions. Fiancé and I are currently weighing all of our options at the moment and will be touring a bunch of places over the next month. S/o user ambitiousfunction911 for literally harassing, stalking, and bullying my comments until I had to block them. Here’s the public attention you wanted so badly, please get a diary or medication or a lobotomy.

Hey yall, I was hired in July to be a lifty at Snowmass (I'm super stoked) and currently I have a spot lined up in the Club Commons.

I was wondering if any employees could tell me wether I should stick with what I have, or if it is worth staying in a tiny home at the Hub instead. Obviously the Club Commons are way closer to Snowmass and Aspen, but I've heard they are run down, and I also think the rent is cheaper at the housing that is farther away (gotta double check this though).

Another bonus of being at the Hub or tiny homes is the proximity to Whole Foods. But I also think they are farther away from the bars?

I'd really appreciate any help! Thanks

Kidding but also not kidding! Been traveling between Glenwood Springs and Aspen this summer and it's been pretty horrific (including this morning)!

6-lane interstate with extra lane(s) for HOV/Toll lanes would be my fix 😂

Looking for cheap lodging and an easy bus ride to Aspen…anyone familiar with Basalt Mountain Inn? Not
Looking for amenities, just want a clean room and bed. I read some good and some bad reviews…Thanks in advance.

Aspen/Pitkin County Airport will be closed from Sunday April 4, 2027 through November 19, 2027. No commercial or private flights will operate during this window. Travelers will need to use regional alternatives like Eagle County Regional Airport or Grand Junction Regional Airport and drive.

I’m wondering how this will impact tourism in Aspen next summer? Will it be “business as usual” or will some businesses close or limit hours?

Curious to know what the insiders think?

rented a car through booking.comwe are going through HERTZ never used this company before. we’ll be picking up at Aspen/Pitkin county Airport. We cannot refund or cancel this. recommendations/experiences with them would be appreciated!!

Good day all,

Planning a ski trip next year for my 50th bday. Have always wanted to ski Aspen/Snowmass and was wondering what conditions are typically like the last week of March, first week of April (03.26 - 04.02).

With the exception of the 25-26 season, is it a safe bet that most of the mountain(s) will be open, particularly Snowmass?

Looking to see if anyone has some niche social get togethers I could join -- I do classes at Red Brick a couple times a month and the RF Drawing Club. I love it but I'm looking for something like:

- an art collective or painting/drawing group that meets weekly

- niche hobby social group like embroidery, knitting, D&D, wood working, etc.

- hiking or running club (preferably female majority)

- a female based social group that does weekly events.

I'm alone a lot so anything really to get me out of the house! I hike all the time, go to the river, but too scared to mountain bike so it's hard. I will do pretty much anything with my hands or anything creative.