Aspen weekend scene

Weekend itinerary

An Aspen weekend from Hyman Street to the mountains

Walk Hyman Street to Aspen Public House Friday, use the Silver Queen Gondola or a reserved Maroon Bells trip Saturday, and finish Sunday at the Aspen Art Museum or Rio Grande Trail.

By Cal Mercer — a Second Star Guide itinerary

Walk Hyman Street Friday, ski Aspen Mountain or visit Maroon Bells Saturday, and spend Sunday by the museum and Roaring Fork.

Best length

2 nights

Two nights allow one complete mountain day plus a Friday downtown walk and a short Sunday outing.

Stay

Limelight Hotel Aspen

Limelight Hotel Aspen faces Wagner Park near restaurants, galleries, and Aspen Mountain. The lively lounge,…

Main activity

Aspen Mountain or Maroon Bells

In winter, ride the Silver Queen Gondola for Aspen Mountain. During the managed-access season, follow the confirmed Maroon Bells reservation and assigned departure point.

Weekend sequence

Hyman Street, mountain, museum

Walk the downtown pedestrian blocks Friday, spend Saturday on one mountain or at Maroon Bells, and keep Sunday near the Aspen Art Museum and Rio Grande Trail.

Snowy downtown Aspen at dusk
Walk from Wagner Park along Hyman Street to the gondola plaza and Aspen Public House on Friday.
Skiers in the Aspen Snowmass mountains
Use the Silver Queen Gondola for Aspen Mountain, or RFTA for the mountain that fits the group.
Contemporary art gallery in Aspen
Finish Sunday at the Aspen Art Museum or on the Rio Grande Trail beside the Roaring Fork.

Friday

Wagner Park, Hyman Street, and Aspen Public House.

Check in at Limelight Hotel Aspen by Wagner Park, walk Hyman Street past the Wheeler Opera House and gondola plaza, then have dinner at Aspen Public House.

4:00 PM

Saturday

Silver Queen Gondola or a reserved Maroon Bells trip.

Confident winter skiers can walk to the Silver Queen Gondola for Aspen Mountain; true beginners should take RFTA to Buttermilk. In the snow-free access season, follow a confirmed Maroon Bells reservation instead.

9:00 AM

Main activity

Ride Silver Queen or follow the Maroon Bells reservation.

Confident skiers can walk to the Silver Queen Gondola for Aspen Mountain; true beginners should take RFTA to Buttermilk. During the managed-access season, follow the confirmed Maroon Bells reservation and save Independence Pass for another day.

Compare

Choose the right Aspen mountain

Aspen Mountain suits confident downtown-based skiers, Buttermilk suits true beginners, Highlands offers steeper terrain, and Snowmass has the broadest range for mixed groups.

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Browse more attractions and activities

See additional things to do around Aspen.

4:30 PM

Afternoon

Return to town before dinner.

Aspen Mountain ends at the downtown gondola plaza. Snowmass, Highlands, Buttermilk, and Maroon Creek require a bus or road return, so leave enough time to change before dinner.

Sunday

Bear Den, Aspen Art Museum, and the Rio Grande Trail.

Have breakfast near the downtown core, enter the Aspen Art Museum when its galleries open, or walk from Rio Grande Park along the Roaring Fork before checkout.