Aspen Snowmass
Four mountains, one glamorous Colorado valley
Aspen Snowmass is one skiing pass across four distinct Colorado mountains, pairing world-class terrain with the glamour and culture of Aspen town. It ranges from the gentle nursery slopes of Buttermilk to the hike-to steeps of Highland Bowl, all wrapped in a famously stylish valley.
- 2,474 m Base
- 3,815 m Top lift
- 1,341 m Vertical
- 91 Pistes mapped
- 19 Lifts
Best known for
Après & vibe
Aspen sets the American benchmark for glamorous après, with celebrated restaurants, champagne bars and a sophisticated nightlife in a Victorian town, while Snowmass Village offers a more relaxed, family-friendly base at the foot of the slopes.
The resort
Aspen Snowmass is not one hill but four separate mountains served by a single lift ticket in Colorado's Roaring Fork Valley. Aspen Mountain, known locally as Ajax, rises steeply straight out of the town of Aspen with no beginner runs at all. Aspen Highlands is the connoisseur's choice, crowned by the legendary hike-accessed Highland Bowl. Buttermilk is the gentle beginners' and freestyle mountain that hosts the Winter X Games, and Snowmass is the sprawling giant with terrain for every level and the main slopeside village. Together they offer extraordinary variety, tied to one of the most storied and stylish towns in American skiing.
The appeal is breadth plus glamour. Few destinations let you spend a gentle morning on Buttermilk, a cruising afternoon at Snowmass and a lung-busting hike into Highland Bowl on separate days, all on one pass. Layered on top is Aspen itself, a former silver-mining town turned cultural and culinary hotspot, giving the trip a sense of occasion that skiing alone rarely provides. It suits mixed-ability groups, experts chasing the Bowl, and anyone who wants their ski holiday to come with real dining and nightlife.
The four mountains face and sit differently, so conditions vary across the valley on any given day. Midwinter brings the coldest, driest snow to the high, north-facing terrain of Highlands and the upper reaches, while Snowmass offers the most sheltered, reliable cruising. Storms transform Highland Bowl and the steeps of Ajax into a powder playground, and spring delivers long, sunny days ideal for exploring all four hills at a gentler pace.
Snow & weather
Live conditions from the mountain, plus the average snow you can expect month by month.
- Feels like
- —
- Conditions
- —
- Wind
- —
- Fresh snow (3-day)
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Live data © Open-Meteo.com
Good and high-altitude: the four mountains reach well up into the Colorado Rockies, and their range of aspects means fresh, dry snow lingers on the higher, shadier faces even when lower runs soften.
Average monthly snowfall
Snowfall climatology unavailable.
Terrain & aspect
- Novice
- Easy
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Slopes mostly face N — 99% on snow-holding, poleward-facing slopes.
Aspect derived from run bearings · OpenSkiStats / © OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Skiing & terrain
Buttermilk is one of the finest dedicated beginner mountains anywhere, with long, gentle greens, while Snowmass adds plenty of easy terrain too.
Snowmass is a vast intermediate paradise of long cruisers and varied blues, giving confident skiers days of exploration.
Aspen Mountain and Aspen Highlands serve up sustained steeps, bumps and tree lines that keep strong skiers thoroughly occupied.
Highland Bowl, reached by a bootpack hike along the ridge, is a rite of passage, delivering sustained expert steeps and open powder for those who earn the turns.
Hiking Highland Bowl
The bootpack up the ridge at Aspen Highlands is one of the great lift-served hike-to experiences in North America. The reward is a wide, steep, open bowl of powder that skis like backcountry terrain but stays within the ski area, a bucket-list descent for advanced skiers.
The Winter X Games at Buttermilk
Buttermilk regularly hosts the Winter X Games, one of the most famous events in freestyle skiing and snowboarding. Even outside event week, its gentle pitches make it the friendliest of the four mountains for beginners and park riders.
Aspen town and Ajax
Aspen Mountain drops directly into the heart of a beautifully preserved Victorian mining town. Skiing back down to a main street of world-class restaurants, galleries and bars is central to the Aspen experience, blending sport and sophistication.
One pass, four mountains
A single lift ticket covers Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass, connected by a free shuttle. The freedom to match the mountain to your mood or the day's snow is what makes the destination unusually versatile.
On the map
Legend
Run difficulty
- Novice
- Easy
- Intermediate
- Advanced / Expert
- Freeride / Extreme
- Unknown
Run types
- Downhill — groomed
- Downhill — ungroomed
- Downhill — gladed
- Nordic (groomed)
- Ski tour
- ☾Lit (night)
- △Not patrolled
- →One-way
- ❄Snowmaking
Lifts
- Operating
- Operating (private)
- Non-operating
- Lift station
Slope-gradient grading
Downhill / ski tour
- Flat<3°
- Easy3–14°
- Intermediate14–22°
- Advanced / Expert22–45°
- Freeride / Extreme>45°
Nordic
- Easy<6°
- Intermediate6–9°
- Advanced>9°
Aspect (sun exposure)
- N — least sun
- E — morning
- S — most sun
- W — afternoon
Legend after OpenSkiMap
Stay in Aspen Snowmass
Base yourself in the town of Aspen for glamour, dining and nightlife within walking distance of Ajax, or in Snowmass Village for slopeside, family-friendly convenience at the foot of the largest mountain; a free shuttle links all four hills.
Lifts and pistes from the door — the point of a high, purpose-built resort.
Self-catering residences, the bulk of the beds and the flexible-budget option.
Catered and self-catered chalets for groups wanting the whole place.
From simple to high-end, with pools and spas to thaw out in.
How to get there
Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) sits close to town with seasonal service and dramatic mountain approaches, making it the most convenient gateway; Denver is the common long-haul alternative with a longer road transfer.
From ASE the transfer to Aspen or Snowmass Village is short; from Denver it is a longer mountain drive best taken by scheduled shuttle or hire car in good conditions.
Best time: January and February bring the deepest, driest snow and the best Highland Bowl conditions, while March offers sunnier, longer days for touring all four mountains.
Nearby resorts
Other resorts within reach.
Getting to Aspen Snowmass
Book an airport transfer up to the resort, or pick up a car at Aspen (ASE) — search and compare without leaving the page.
Ski data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via OpenSkiMap & Skimap.org. Basemap © OpenFreeMap / OpenMapTiles. Editorial: mynext.holiday. Accommodation via Stay22; transfers via Kiwitaxi; car hire via Travelpayouts.