LOCAL RESOURCES

There are a lot to do in Aspen Valley. You don't have to be an alpine skier or snowboarder to enjoy any of the mountains here.

Hot air balloon rides give you the thrill of a bird's eye view without the adrenaline rush of paragliding. Snowmobile tours take you into the nooks and crannies of the Aspen valley backcountry.

The internationally renowned Aspen Music Festival, which delights summer visitors, also presents an Artist Recital Series, November through April, and a winter concert series. Its cultural offerings bring you into its haven for the humanities. More than 100,000 summer visitors flock to The Aspen Music Festival in its 2,050-seat elaborate music tent. For nine weeks each summer, the festival presents 150 musical events and concerts. Afternoon rehearsals, where you can listen in on conversations between the conductor and the musicians.

The Anderson Ranch Arts Center, formerly a turn-of-the-century cattle and sheep ranch, turned its historic barns into studios, set up a gallery and inaugurated an informal workshop program. Today, this year-round visual arts community holds public functions each week. What was originally the first hydroelectric plant west of the Mississippi is home to the 23-year-old Aspen Art Museum, and open to the public to showcase its rotating exhibits.

For 20 years, Aspen Filmfest presented new American independent films, international films, premieres and tributes. Past screenings have included "Shakespeare in Love", "Life is Beautiful" and "Central Station".

The only professional ballet company based in the Colorado Rocky Mountains is the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. Wheeler Opera House has performance of dance, theatre, music and comedy. Past acts include Lyle Lovett, "Stomp" and Jewel.

Fish for famed rainbow trout on the Roaring Fork River. Get your fill of whitewater excitement in a raft or kayak on the nearby Colorado, Arkansas or Roaring Fork Rivers. Bike the roads in the valley and mountain bike in the hills.

Golf courses in the Aspen Valley have won more awards than you can shake a club at. In addition to the challenging layouts, the courses are encircled with drop-dead gorgeous views of Maroon Bells, Mt. Sopris and Mt. Daly. With golf drives traveling 10 to 15 percent farther than at sea level, you'll feel as though you can reach the mountain peaks.

In addition to the plethora of cultural opportunities mentioned above — Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Aspen Art Museum, Wheeler Opera House, Aspen Filmfest and Aspen Ballet Company — the Aspen Writers' Foundation sponsors programs for readers and writers of all ages, and Theatre in the Park produces classical and new works, integrating local and national talent.

Jazz Aspen at Snowmass is dedicated to the performance and preservation of jazz and American musicians. The June and Labor Day festivals attract the top names in jazz, as do the free concerts throughout the summer.
 

More on Local Resources

Ski Area

Aspen Snowmass
Snowmass is the second largest ski area in the country—36 Disneylands could fit within the ski-area boundaries. With a vertical rise of 4,406 feet, Snowmass has the highest vertical rise of any ski area in the country—higher than three Sears Towers or four Eiffel Towers.

Aspen Valley Ski Club
The mission of the Aspen Valley Ski/Snowboard Club is to create opportunities for Roaring Fork Valley youth to engage and excel in winter sports.

Park

White River National Forest
Nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the 2.3 million acre White River National Forest is the top recreation Forest in the nation. Home to world-renowned ski resorts and the birthplace of Wilderness, the White River has something to offer every outdoor enthusiast.

Ruedi Dam
Ruedi Dam and Ruedi Reservoir are on the Fryingpan River about 15 miles east of Basalt, Colorado. Recreation facilities accommodating 81 campsites and 2 boat-launching ramps. Primary recreation activities include camping, motorized boating, sailing, and fishing. Game fish species available include rainbow trout, brown trout, and mackinaw trout.

Harvey Gap State Park
Harvey Gap offers picnic tables by the water, boating with small boats and a swim beach. Overnight camping is available nearby at Rifle Falls State Park and Rifle Gap State Park, which are approximately six miles west of Harvey Gap. Visitors may see a variety of wildlife, including migrating waterfowl.

Paonia State Park
Camp near a babbling stream, water-ski on a mountain reservoir, have a picnic, observe wildlife, all in view of the majestic Ragged Mountains. The park's natural beauty and abundance of wildflowers make it a "must see" for photographers and nature lovers.

Rifle Falls State Park
The falls is a lush area of trees and greenery kept moist by the spray of the cascading triple waterfall. Picnicking near the falls is very popular. Mysterious limestone caves beneath the falls entice spelunkers and other curious visitors to explore their dark depths.

Rifle Gap State Park
The long, narrow reservoir is inviting to water-skiers, jet-skiers and power boaters. The beach on the west side of the reservoir is popular for its swimming  Rifle Gap anglers catch rainbow and German brown trout, walleye, pike, smallmouth and largemouth bass and yellow perch.

Golf Course

River Valley Ranch Golf
The rolling valley floor and banks of the Crystal River unite to create a prime landscape from which to craft a magnificent mountain golf course. With the natural palette of the valley's riparian corridors, wetlands, grasses and rolling topography, River Valley Ranch has been heralded as "the new jewel of the Rockies" andis on the "Top 10 You Can Play" listing.

The Roaring Fork Club
The 18-hole "Roaring Fork 1" course at the The Roaring Fork Club facility in Basalt, Colorado features 7,130 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72. The course rating is 72.8 and it has a slope rating of 138. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, ASGCA, the Roaring Fork 1 golf course opened in 1999. John Reyhons, C.C.M. manages the course as the General Manager.

Transportation

Eagle County Airport
Located just minutes from nine major outdoor adventure and relaxation resorts, with non-stop, large-jet flights, your unforgettable experience begins the moment you step off the plane.

Aspen Airport
When it comes to getting to your favorite snow destination, no other airport offers the services, convenience, or close proximity to the downhill action as does the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport.

Colorado Mountain Express
Every year over 330,000 travelers choose Colorado Mountain Express over rental cars for their ground transportation to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Keystone, Aspen and Snowmass. Colorado Mountain Express offers both Shared ride shuttles and private car services.

Others

Town of Basalt
Basalt is a quaint mountain community located at the confluence of two Gold medal trout streams, the Fryingpan and the Roaring Fork Rivers. We are a vibrant and diverse community offering a wealth of recreational opportunities both in Basalt and in the surrounding communities of Aspen, Snowmass Village, and Glenwood Springs.

Eagle County
For the more than 50 percent of our population that lives in unincorporated Eagle County, we are their local government. We provide roads, parks, law enforcement and the other services offered by a municipal government.

Basalt Chamber of Commerce
Nestled between the majestic Sopris and Basalt mountains, cross-country skiing, hiking and mountain biking trails abound through thousands of acres of pristine mountain wilderness. Anglers will dance with the trout along the banks of two gold medal trout streams, the Roaring Fork and Frying Pan Rivers. And Ruedi Reservoir offers the most beautiful setting for windsurfing, sailing and skiing.

Aspen Times
Aspen Times Newspaper serving the Aspen community

Aspen Daily News
Get the latest news and information from Aspen, Colorado. Stay updated on local business stories, events and breaking news. Aspen's seven-days-a-week newspaper. Columns, classifieds, media kit.

Valley View Hospital
A community-owned hospital, dedicated to keeping our community healthy, one person at a time.

Aspen Valley Hospital
ASPEN VALLEY HOSPITAL (AVH) is a twenty-five bed community hospital that represents the best of two worlds — the warmth and friendliness of a small town, and the technical expertise of a major medical center. Received national awards for patient satisfaction three years in a row from Avatar International.

Don't miss your one-time opportunity to own a part of Aspen's only new development — Shadowrock’s energy efficient green community. Each spacious town house offers an exceptional location, unparalleled views and state-of-the-art appliances. Stop by our new sales office or contact us for current houses for sale and prices.