Everyone will have heard of Aspen – the delightful, very upmarket ski town that attracts celebrities from all over the world. For those with deep pockets, this is one of the best resorts for beginners and intermediates. The slopes are never crowded - even during high season they become only slightly busier than usual.
Aspen isn’t just one mountain, it’s four, although only two have major accommodation bases. The 19th-century silver-mining town itself lies at the foot of Aspen Mountain and is where most of the action takes place, including the après-ski, most of the top restaurants, and the biggest choice of hotels. And though Aspen is known for having some of the highest hotel prices of any resort in North America, lower-cost options do exist.
Snowmass is the ski village set at the bottom of its own mountain, 13 kilometres (eight miles) west of Aspen. Unlike Aspen, it has ski-in ski-out accommodation, and it vies with Aspen to be the place in which to base yourself, especially if you’re here as a family who wants the ultimate skiing convenience.
Highlands has some of the steepest terrain and best off-piste opportunities, whilst Buttermilk is the beginner mountain.
Lifts: 35
Nearest airports: Aspen-Pitkin County Airport (with seasonal direct flights from Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, and Houston), six km (four mi.) away, and Denver International Airport, 357 km (222 mi.).
Read more in our post 6 Top Winter Resorts of the USA´s Rocky Mountains.
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