Start from 44 curated places around Aspen, CO, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
Element 47
The Little Nell's flagship — Colorado contemporary cuisine, a 20,000-bottle cellar (one of the deepest in America), and a sommelier program that's earned national awards. The most serious dining room in Aspen.
Bosq
Aspen's only Michelin-starred restaurant — Pacific Northwest-meets-Rocky-Mountain tasting menu using ingredients foraged within 100 miles. Tight room, careful pacing, the chef walks plates over.
Trails & outdoors
Maroon Lake Scenic Trail
Easy 1-mile loop around the lake at the base of the Maroon Bells — paved at the start, dirt at the back side, flat throughout. Wheelchair access at the trailhead.
Crater Lake Trail
3.6-mile round-trip from Maroon Lake to Crater Lake — moderate climb through aspens and into the basin under the Bells. The closer-up alternative to the Maroon Lake loop without committing to a pass climb.
Things to do
Aspen Art Museum
Shigeru Ban-designed contemporary art museum on Hyman — striking wooden lattice facade, rotating international exhibitions, always free. Rooftop sculpture deck looks straight at Aspen Mountain.
Belly Up Aspen
450-capacity live music club downtown — touring acts from arena-level artists choosing small rooms for the vibe. You're often within ten feet of bands that play 10,000-seat venues in cities.
Landmarks & sights
Maroon Bells Scenic Area
Two 14,000-foot maroon-streaked peaks rising over a glacier-carved lake — the most photographed mountains in North America. Late summer wildflowers, fall aspens, and morning reflections in the still lake.
Independence Pass
12,095-foot scenic drive on Highway 82 over the Continental Divide — pull-outs at every switchback, tundra wildflowers in July, and a ghost town (Independence) preserved at the top. Closed November through May.