Fall is our favorite time of year in Colorado and one place neither of us had been to see the changing colors was Aspen. For the last 15 years I’ve lived here I’ve seen countless photos of the Maroon Bells in the fall and we finally decided this was the year to cross it off our bucket list.
We opted for a quick two-night stay in Aspen as it’s about a four-hour drive from our home and I didn’t want to feel rushed at the bells if we tried to do that before coming back.
We stayed at the Limelight Snowmass and enjoyed our stay there and loved our time in Aspen even more. Here’s what we did during our time in this popular ski destination.
Day 1
Drive to Aspen
Since it was only a four-hour drive, we didn’t leave our place until 11 a.m. We left a bit earlier than expected as we decided to take the Independence Pass route since it was still open. I’m so glad we did as it was gorgeous and we had time to park and explore some stops along the way.
The drive was beautiful as we took the switchbacks up through the mountains and the colors were just starting to turn. Though I will say the colors further down in Silverthorne and Georgetown (closer to Denver) were popping.
Happy hour
Fortunately for us, it was wine o’clock when we checked into our hotel so we dropped off our bags in our room and headed to The Lounge to take advantage of some drink specials. We had a small bite to eat since we skipped lunch on our drive.
Dinner at Aurum Food & Wine
We had dinner reservations for that night at Aurum Food & Wine, which was lovely. They had amazing craft cocktails, delicious duck wings (which are apparently on the menu everywhere in Aspen), tender lamb, and yummy trout. We ended the meal with the flourless chocolate cake and espresso martinis.
A dip in the hot tub
Even though we hadn’t spent the day skiing the slopes, I still wanted to take a relaxing soak in the hotel’s hot tub. We got some sparkling rose to toast to our Aspen adventure and relaxed in the warm waters. We then had to shower and get to bed as we were getting up bright and early for some hiking.
Day 2
Visit the Maroon Bells
We had an 8:15 booking for the Maroon Bells Shuttle so it was up and at ‘em for us.
The shuttle was an easy way to get into the Maroon Bells Scenic Area without worrying about parking in the park, but I will say it did add up. The shuttle itself was affordable but I will say you have to pay for parking at the pick-up/drop-off spot and it was $35 for the entire day.
Convenient? Yes. Expensive for a day of hiking? Also yes.
But, we both loved the talk track we listened to on the shuttle ride to the bells that talked about the history of the area, shared some fun facts about the aspen trees, and it was really informative and interesting. The bus ride is around 20 minutes but it went by quickly.
We got dropped off and hit the trails and took some amazing pictures of the Maroon Bells. The Maroon Bells are both 14ers but not recommended for hiking unless you’re very skilled in climbing. These are dangerous and difficult climbs and require technical know-how. Besides, there are plenty of great hiking trails that are safer.
The colors at the base were starting to turn and it was very pretty. There are plenty of options for getting great pictures if you choose not to hike and just want to walk around a bit.
We opted to hike to Crater Lake, which is a moderate 3.5-mile hike. There were some sections that had incline as you do gain almost 650 ft. in elevation on this hike, and there were some rocky areas but overall it was a great hike. We did see a lot of people with hiking poles, but we were able to navigate the trail without them.
Be sure to bring plenty of water and pack some snacks to enjoy when you make it to Crater Lake. Also wear sunscreen! You’re at a higher elevation (about 10,000 ft. above sea level) and need sun protection.
It was a shame that it was just a bit too early for most of the aspens as there were plenty of sections where you’re surrounded by aspen trees and it would have been so magical if they were golden, but it was still a beautiful hike.
There was already a bus waiting at the pick-up point so we hopped on and headed back.
Lunch at Highlands Alehouse
We decided since we’d already paid for parking we might as well check out Aspen Highlands and had lunch at the Highlands Alehouse. They had a lovely patio overlooking the slopes and we enjoyed some Colorado brews and burgers.
Happy hour
We got back to our hotel, showered, and changed and then went downstairs to get some wine for happy hour. We were able to get ours to-go so we could enjoy it on our private balcony. Our room had glassware so they poured our drinks in plastic and we could swap it when we got to our room.
We sat outside and enjoyed the view of the base village and shared pictures from our hike with friends and family. We had no set plans that evening as we figured we’d want an easy night after a day in the mountains.
Dinner at The Lounge
We decided to have dinner at our hotel’s restaurant, The Lounge, where we again had duck wings (they were amazing!) and split a pizza.
Sundae – Snowmass
A little bit later we were craving something sweet and found an ice cream shop in the village. Two minutes after leaving our hotel we stepped into Sundae – Snowmass and of course got ourselves some sundaes!
Their sundaes are cold slab-style, so like Cold Stone, and Rick opted for the caramel brownie and I got the cookie jar sundae. Both were decadent and delicious and the perfect way to end our trip in Aspen.
The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel before heading back up the Pass and back home. We got lucky with our timing as just as we hit Leadville there was thunder and lightning (very, very frightening) and we just beat the storm and snowfall. We had talked about exploring Aspen a bit more or stopping at Aspen Brewing Company, but we also didn’t need beers at 10 a.m. before a drive home.
Have you been to Colorado in the fall? Tell us your favorite travel destination for leaf peeping in the Centennial State in the comments (so we can plan to go next year)!
