Pitkin: Discover Nature, Trails, and Mountain Landscapes
Accommodation in Pitkin
Pitkin combines protected landscapes, extensive trails, and striking mountain scenery to create a destination for anyone who enjoys spending their days outdoors. Between wetlands, shrublands, historic routes, and the peaks of the Elk Mountains, you can combine a variety of excursions. When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home, the key consideration is therefore which experiences you want to make the focus of your trip.
Natural Areas with Their Own Distinctive Character
Pitkin County Open Space and Trails protects nearly 30,000 acres through the ownership of open spaces and conservation easements. The associated trail network is part of a larger regional system extending through the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond. More than 85 miles of paved trails, natural-surface trails, and seasonally usable sections offer various opportunities for walks, runs, bike rides, and other activities. Your choice of accommodation may depend on whether you would prefer to explore several natural areas or plan individual excursions in greater detail.
In the Brush Creek Valley, Sky Mountain Park provides wildlife habitat, protected views, and recreational trails. The park includes trailhead parking areas at Buttermilk, Brush Creek Park-and-Ride, and the Snowmass Village Recreation Center. Moore Open Space also features a distinctive landscape: shrubland dominated by sagebrush shapes the scenery, while views extend toward Pyramid Peak. The Moore Trail runs as a singletrack between Maroon Creek Road near the roundabout and the grounds of the Aspen Recreation Center and connects to the bike and pedestrian crossing of Tiehack Bridge.
Trails for Active and Varied Days
Those planning cross-country skiing or snowshoeing in winter will find more than 60 miles of free cross-country ski and snowshoe trails in the Aspen-Snowmass Nordic Trail System. The trail network connects Aspen, Snowmass Village, and Basalt; snowshoeing is permitted throughout the system. Moore Open Space also has a winter Nordic loop with a connection to the Aspen Golf Course Nordic trails through an underpass beneath Highway 82.
The Rio Grande Trail follows the historic route of the Rio Grande Railway for approximately 42 miles from Aspen to Glenwood Springs. Within Pitkin County, walking, running, cycling, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing are permitted on the trail. The former railway embankment is paved there, except for an approximately two-mile section below Stein Park outside Aspen, which has a crushed-gravel surface. These differences may matter when planning your day if you want to combine different modes of transportation.
Maroon Bells and Independence Pass
The Maroon Bells are two 14,000-foot peaks in the Elk Mountains above Colorado’s glaciated Maroon Creek Valley. At the Maroon Bells Basecamp in Aspen Highlands, visitors can park, purchase bus tickets, and board a bus to the Maroon Bells. In addition, a 16.2-mile cycling loop runs from the Maroon Bells Welcome Center at the Aspen Highlands Ski Area to Maroon Lake and back.
Independence Pass also combines natural experiences with history. Common recreational activities in the area include cycling, climbing, camping, hiking, and fishing. Vehicles longer than 35 feet may not use the pass; the same applies to combinations of a vehicle and trailer with a total length of more than 35 feet. Independence itself is now an archaeological preserve just below the Continental Divide. A guided tour at the site of the Holden Lixiviation Works explores the area’s industrial and agricultural history; the facility is considered the largest industrial complex in the history of Pitkin County.
Wetlands, Wildlife, and Further Location Options
North Star Nature Preserve encompasses wetlands and a fen that provide habitat for numerous species, including mammals and birds. It is also located along a migration corridor for elk. A loop trail for hiking is available at the southern end of the site; the preserve also includes a designated beach. Guided snowshoe and hiking tours led by naturalists are offered around Toklat in the Castle Creek Valley.
For further regional orientation, you can also include Aspen, Snowmass Village, Carbondale, Woody Creek, and Snowmass in your research. This allows you to tailor your trip planning to your preferred mix of trails, mountain landscapes, wildlife observation, and historic sites.
For the overarching travel overview: Colorado.
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