Aspen Ski and Snowboard Resorts: A Guide to Four Unique Mountains

Aspen/Snowmass in beautiful Colorado is one of the most iconic ski destinations in North America. If you’re looking for a premium ski experience, world-class dining and nightlife and fantastic high-end shopping, Aspen/Snowmass is where you want to be.

Aspen Skiing Company operates four ski areas in this incredible landscape: Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk. This includes thousands of acres of land for skiing and snowboarding, as well as countless other activities, plus restaurants with fabulous views and exciting nightlife.

Aspen, Colorado is fortunate to have four distinctive and unique mountains for skiers and snowboarders to choose from, all on the same ticket! Aspen Mountain, Snowmass Ski Area, Highlands and Buttermilk each offer something for everyone, from the beginner to advanced snow rider.

These four world-class ski resorts feature high-speed chairlifts, wonderful on-mountain dining, an array of amenities, and exceptional views.

The main ski areas in Aspen are the ski resorts Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Snowmass and Buttermilk Mountain. The ski resorts are located between 0.6 kilometres and 12.0 kilometres from the centre of the village.

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At Aspen Snowmass, skiers and snowboarders can explore 4 ski resorts.

During the summer, everyone is outside enjoying festivals, gorgeous weather and warm sun. Go hiking and mountain biking, or take a hot air balloon ride up into the clouds.

You will feel right at home at the ski and snowboard school at Aspen/Snowmass, where you can receive the most cutting-edge skiing and snowboarding instruction with a strong emphasis on safety.

Aspen Snowmass Ski Resort

Aspen Mountain

Come to Aspen Mountain to enjoy the beautiful slopes and fantastic skiing, for the perfect Aspen ski holiday. Since 1947, when Aspen installed the world’s longest ski lift of the time, this picturesque mountain became a favorite for intermediate and expert skiers and snowboarders.

Aspen Ski Area's exceptional 673 acres are 48% intermediate and 52% expert skiing. The Aspen gondola and lifts rise dramatically from downtown Aspen, allowing picture-perfect views of the town and the surrounding Elk Mountains.

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Aspen makes it easy to have a great day skiing, and conveniently head downtown when you are finished to go shopping or enjoy a meal or apres cocktail at one of the many restaurants and taverns. Everything is within walking distance from the slopes in Aspen, allowing visitors to enjoy everything the town has to offer after a day of skiing or snowboarding.

With the best location right at the base of the Aspen Mountain, you'll be able to pick up or drop off your Aspen ski rental equipment conveniently and easily.

Ride the gondola above and beyond to enjoy steep lines, groomed runs, and hidden glades with all trails leading back to the heart of Aspen.

Aspen Mountain at dawn

Snowmass Mountain

ASPEN SNOWMASS COLORADO: Mountain Guide

Snowmass Mountain is the largest of the four mountains at Aspen Snowmass and it offers the longest top-to-bottom run in the United States. Snowmass truly has everything you need for a great family ski vacation.

With more than 3 thousand skiable acres, Snowmass Mountain’s eighty-four runs are a skier’s dream-come-true. Snowmass is known for its family-friendly atmosphere, but this mountain offers terrain for any ability and preference, whether you are looking for beautiful groomed cruisers, gladed runs, mogul runs, or extreme terrain.

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Snowmass also features several terrain parks, on-mountain dining, a new base area, a gondola, and much more!

At Elk Camp Meadows in Snowmass, children as young as two and a half years old can learn to ski at the various kids’ programs available.

Snowmass is bigger than the rest-3,300+ acres, 96 trails, and space for families room to spread out and write their own winter story.

Snowmass at dawn

Aspen Highlands

Aspen Highlands, the mountain of choice for many locals, offers some of the steepest inbound terrain of the four Aspen Snowmass resorts and in North America. With 52% expert terrain, advanced skiers and riders will enjoy a great number of exciting steeps and bumps.

And do not miss the opportunity to ski the renowned Highland Bowl, some of North America’s best open bowl skiing. After a steep hike up a beautiful ridgeline, Highland Bowl offers challenging, big-mountain terrain that is inbounds at Highlands.

Aspen Highlands is comprised of 131 runs that are spread out over 790 acres. Its 3,635 feet of vertical rise are served by three high-speed quadruple chairlifts and a fixed-grip triple chair.

Add in some amazing Aspen weather that graces us with over three hundred inches of annual snowfall, and Aspen Highlands is a true skier’s paradise. The Aspen Skiing Company recently completed a full remodel of the Merry-Go-Round restaurant at mid-mountain, and the resort also offers exceptional dining at Cloud Nine Bistro as well as an array of restaurants and shops at the base area.

Grab a pair of Aspen ski rentals from Incline and hit the slopes at Aspen Highlands.

A welcoming mountain with a wild spirit and dynamic terrain-including the legendary Highland Bowl-Aspen Highlands was born different.

Hikers in The Aspen Highlands Bowl

Buttermilk Ski Area

How is it possible that with only 420 acres, Buttermilk Ski Area competes with the larger resorts in the Aspen Snowmass area? The answer is simple: Buttermilk has created a niche as a ski area that predominantly serves beginner and intermediate skiers and snowboarders.

Buttermilk is known to be a beginner's paradise, but it is also a lovely ski area for skiers and snowboarders of all abilities. Buttermilk is also home to ESPN’s Winter X Games, featuring some of the best terrain park features in the country.

Buttermilk's terrain parks offer something for everyone, from the beginner Panda Pipe to the world-famous X Games Superpipe. With incredible views from the Cliffhouse restaurant at Buttermilk's summit, to lovely gladed skiing on the West Buttermilk side and a new high-speed chair serving the Tiehack side, Buttermilk is definitely worth a visit.

The Challenge Aspen Program offers access throughout the year for anyone older than four with physical or cognitive disabilities.

A playground of greens, blues, stunning views, and a welcoming base area. Made for beginners, mastered by professionals, and enjoyed by all-at Buttermilk, it’s all-day recess.

Kids love Buttermilk

Ski Resort Stats

Here's a comparison of the key statistics for each of the Aspen Snowmass ski resorts:

Ski Resort Vertical Drop Total Kilometers of Slopes Easy Slopes Intermediate Slopes Difficult Slopes Number of Ski Lifts
Aspen Mountain 996 m (2422 m - 3418 m) 103 km 0 km 49 km 54 km 9
Aspen Highlands 1108 m (2451 m - 3559 m) 135 km 24.3 km 40.5 km 70.2 km 5
Snowmass 1340 m (2473 m - 3813 m) 237 km 12 km 114 km 111 km 20
Buttermilk 619 m (2399 m - 3018 m) 34 km 11.9 km 13.3 km 8.8 km 5

tags: #aspen #ski #and #snowboard