Basalt, Colorado

At the round-a-bout that leads into the town of Aspen, take the Castle Creek Road exit. Follow this road for 12 miles until you get to the ghost town of Ashcroft. The road itself is very scenic, so be prepared to pull over and whip out your camera!During winter, the road ends at Ashcroft and a cr...

Cathedral Lake offers an excellent alternative to escape the crowds that swarm the Maroon Bells area, especially in the peak autumn season. The drive along Castle Creek Rd towards the abandoned ski town Ashcroft is lined with aspens showing off their golden hues. Parking at the trailhead is plent...

Looking for a wildflower hike, we decided on Copper Lake in the Maroon Bells Wilderness as a place to base camp for 4 nights. It is 5 miles from the Trailhead, which is off Gothic Road above Crested Butte (2WD Accessible).Copper Lake is this beautiful alpine lake, situated right at treeline, with...

From Crested Butte, continue 6 miles past the town of Gothic to Rustler's Gulch Road. Turn right on the road, cross the East River to get to a small parking area near the river. If you don't have 4WD, park here and hike another 1/2 mile to the trailhead. It's a pretty steep hike. If you do have 4...

The majority of this hike traverses through the beautiful forest that is part of the Holy Cross Wilderness. No significant views are to be had until you've climbed 1,300 ft over 2. miles and reach lower Savage Lake. The trail is easy enough to follow with no junctions along the way, and is adjace...

At a literally breathtaking 11,250 feet, Paradise Divide offers seclusion and scenery that can't be beat. Just fifteen miles outside of the world renowned ski resort Crested Butte, this area boasts wildflowers, wildlife, stunning peaks, and opportunities to watch amazing sunrises and sunsets pain...

There are many different places to start the trek up to Castle and Conundrum. The first step, however, is always go to the end of Castle Creek Road just outside of Aspen, CO. When the paved road ends, there is parking available right off the road for those who don't wish to drive further. Howe...

Back in the late 1800s, Ashcroft, Aspen, and Independence were booming mining town. While Aspen is still thriving today, Ashcroft and Independence are ghost towns. Independence Ghost Town is on Independence Pass, 16 miles east of Aspen on Highway 82. The Farwell Mill sits right along the highwa...

This 8.8 mile "loop" is not a true loop and the trail ends 4 miles apart along Independence Pass, so a car shuttle is recommended. I would recommend starting at the west trailhead (closer to Aspen) but will describe both trailheads so you can set up another car or shuttle at the other one.1) West...

The Gothic mountain trailhead starts at 9600' about 10 miles outside Crested Butte, Colorado. A four wheel or all wheel drive vehicle is recommended to make it to the trail head. Take trail 403 which will eventually turn into Gothic Mountain trail around mile 2.5. The single track trail winds thr...

Starting at 9600 feet, just outside the small town of Gothic is the trail head for Judd Falls. The parking lot is on the side of the road and getting to this area is completely possible with a passenger car. The trailhead includes bathrooms and is particularly uncrowded on weekdays and in the lat...

Twining Peak is a ranked 13er located 2 miles north of Independence Pass. The hike involves around 1700 feet of elevation and is mostly off-trail with some class 2 scrambling (class 3 can be had if you look hard enough). Independence Pass is a prominent and popular pass on Highway 82 between Twin...

The Fancy Pass Trail near Red Cliff is an excellent option for those looking to experience hiking in the rugged and pristine conditions of a wilderness area. This 6 mile roundtrip trail will take you into the Holy Cross Wilderness and up close and personal with towering peaks, verdant meadows, an...

This lake chain is in a spectacular, undeveloped bowl of jagged and rugged mountain goodness located in the Holy Cross Wilderness Area. This hidden gem is easily accessible and, to my amazement, it is relatively unheard of even among many locals. More wonderful perks included in this backpacking ...

The trailhead is to the Independence Pass viewing deck is located at the Summit parking area, which is about 20 miles from Aspen and 24 miles west of Highway 24 on the Leadville side. At the parking area you will notice a paved walkway that takes you to the viewdeck, which is a easy five minute w...

Park at the pull out just west of independence pass. From there, begin on the Linkin's Lake Trail. The trail is generally easy to follow (although it can be muddy as it is a wet area) and climbs 900 feet in the 1.8 miles to independence lake. From Independence lake it is about 0.5 miles and 400 f...