Tucked away at the southeast end of the Roaring Fork Valley, surrounded by the towering Elk Mountains, Collegiate Peaks and White River National Forest, Aspen feels far away from the real world. The rich and famous see it as a playground, but it remains a community of locals that boasts the perfect mix of sport and culture, offering everything from haute couture shopping and fine dining to hiking, biking and skiing.

West End

The West End is a quiet residential nook filled with authentic Victorian homes. Walking through the streets, with Shadow Mountain looming in the background, you would never know that you were in a ritzy ski town. The locals are friendly and the tourists are absent, making you feel like you belong there. In this residential area, you will find a good number of hotels and condos scattered about the West End, especially on Main Street.

The lower West End is where Walter Paepcke brought the “Aspen Idea” to life with the construction of the Aspen Meadows Conference Center and Hotel, which houses the Aspen Institute. This 40-acre spread is also home to the famous Music Tent, the Aspen Center for Physics, the Harris Concert Hall and the Paepcke Auditorium. If you fancy a bit of Bauhaus architecture, you will see plenty of impressive, long horizontal structures scattered about the landscape.

Just east of Aspen Meadows is the Hallam Lake Nature Preserve, home to the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies. This is a great place to spend a few hours relaxing in the summer.

Downtown

Ski Magazine consistently refers to Downtown Aspen as the ski capitol of North America, and it's easy to see why. The Cooper Avenue, Hyman Avenue and Mill Street Pedestrian malls act as the centerpieces of the area. Each of the tree-lined streets features old Victorian buildings and brick retail units filled with hip shops, eclectic dining and cool local pubs. But the malls are just the beginning. From Main Street to Durant Avenue, the selection of places to eat, sleep, shop, drink, dance, tune your skis, rent a bike and check out art are seemingly endless. The ski slopes of Aspen Mountain serve as the scenic backdrop to Downtown.

East End

The Roaring Fork River splits the East End, and there are so many trees spread across this neighborhood, that you get the feeling you have stumbled into a residential forest. If you are looking to get away from the hubbub of Downtown, the East End streets are a perfect place to go for peace and quiet. Or, after a long day on the slopes, you might instead want to check out the Aspen Club & Spa.

Snowmass Village

Although Snowmass Village has only been around since 1968 and is purely a ski resort built from scratch, the town has almost 2,000 year-round condo dwellers. Waking every morning to the towering peaks of Mt. Daly and Snowmass Peak, and being able to walk out your door to the ski slopes is a major draw. Snowmass, the largest of the four ski mountains, struggled for years to break out of Aspen's shadow and establish its own identity. It eventually became the mountain of choice for summer festivals, including the renowned Jazz Aspen Snowmass and the Snowmass Rodeo. A major conference center attracted business gatherings and developers, while the Snowmass Club Cross Country Center carved out ski routes for sports enthusiasts. The Snowmass Club Golf Course was also established for those looking to have some summer-time fun.

Roaring Fork Valley

When you leave Aspen and head west into the Roaring Fork Valley, you step into a time when horses ruled the west and ranching was the way of life. But the cowboys and ranchers are slowly facing the effects of modernization, as small towns like Basalt become targets of commercialism.

Many visitors to Aspen opt to spend time in the valley, especially in the summer, to get a true feel of the mountains. Many fishermen are also drawn to the waters of the Frying Pan and Roaring Fork Rivers to the test their fly fishing skills.

If you venture into towns like Basalt, Carbondale, Old Snowmass and El Jebel, expect to find a low-key, local atmosphere. Most of Aspen's manual-laborers are based here. Perhaps the most eccentric town is Woody Creek, famous for former resident Hunter S. Thompson. He could often be found enjoying a cold beer at the Woody Creek Tavern.