Snowmass

Snowmass combines vast alpine basins in the Elk Mountains with the rush of a mile-long alpine coaster winding through moonlit pine forests.

Snowmass Ski Area rises above the Roaring Fork Valley as a massive, high-altitude amphitheater of lodgepole pine, subalpine fir, and wide-open basins. Spanning 3,339 acres of skiable terrain, this mountain dwarfs its neighboring peaks in sheer scale, offering a dramatic contrast to the tight, steep canyon of nearby Aspen. The air at the mid-mountain Elk Camp zone, situated at over nine thousand feet, carries the sharp, clean scent of evergreens. Looking west from the slopes, the flat-topped pyramid of Mount Daly dominates the skyline, its distinctive diagonal stripe of light-colored rock catching the high-altitude sun. It is a landscape of immense proportions where the transition from the manicured base village to the rugged, protected expanse of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness occurs in a matter of yards, making it a premier destination for both winter skiers and summer hikers.

This high-altitude basin holds a deep history that stretches far beyond its modern ski runs. For centuries, the Nuche (Ute) people traveled these high valleys during the warm seasons, hunting elk beneath the peaks they revered as the shining mountains. In October 2010, a modern construction project at the nearby Ziegler Reservoir unexpectedly bridged the gap between this human history and the deep geological past. While expanding the reservoir to secure water for Snowmass Village, a bulldozer operator unearthed a mammoth tusk, triggering what became one of the most significant Ice Age fossil discoveries in North American history. Scientists from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science eventually recovered more than 5,000 large bones from Pleistocene megafauna, including mastodons, Columbian mammoths, giant ground sloths, and Ice Age camels, proving that this high-altitude valley was once a thriving prehistoric lakebed.

Today, the winter experience at Snowmass extends well beyond traditional daytime skiing on its 98 trails. On select winter nights, the mountain transforms for Ullr Nights at Elk Camp, a weekly evening festival honoring the Norse god of snow. The subalpine forest comes alive under the stars with the warm glow of giant bonfires, the aroma of roasting marshmallows, and multi-lane tubing hills illuminated by colored lights. The centerpiece of this nighttime energy is the Breathtaker Alpine Coaster, an elevated track that winds through more than a mile of dark pine forest. Riders strap into individual, gravity-powered sleds and control their own speed using manual hand brakes, reaching velocities of up to 28 miles per hour. The coaster drops through the trees and banks around sharp, snowy curves, offering a cold, moonlit rush that captures the playful, communal spirit of the mountain.