Location: Aspen
Top Things to do in Aspen
Top 10 Things to do for Honeymoon in Aspen, Colorado (CO)
Everyone knows Aspen as a top-notch winter resort town. But outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy it in the summer, too, when the mountains become a perfect setting for hiking, biking and horseback tours. Some may be surprised to find it’s a top romance destination—but after all that outdoor exercise, who wouldn’t want to repair to a luxurious hotel room or a cozy, firelit bar?
Restaurants in Aspen
1. Maroon Lake Scenic Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 429 reviews
Reviewed By Haejung - Napa, United States
Our first time in Aspen. Beautiful time of the year to experience fall. You must make time to visit Maroon Lake when here. You do have to make a reservation to get on the bus where it drops you off to the park. You really can’t drive to it & recommended to take the bus. Do bring your own drinks & food. Once you’re in the park, no stores there selling anything. Bring your own bathroom toiletries. We’re not much of big hikers but do wear hiking shoes if you plan on hiking to Crater Lake! Do invest in a walking stick for the Crater Lake. Hike to Crater Lake takes about 1 hour & 20 min for people like us. You’ll want to give yourself some time for round trip. Last bus leaves at 5 pm and they don’t wait. No cell service or order Uber per bus drivers. We booked 12:45 bus ride & managed to walk around Maroon Lake & Crater Lake & got back by 4. If you don’t want to do lot of hiking, easy walk around the Maroon Lake is perfect. It is beautiful here now with fall colors. So glad we did it!
2. Independence Pass
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,695 reviews
Reviewed By 688juddc - Aspen, United States
Everyone should check out the Continental Divide and Independence Pass - also a fantastic bicycle ride up from the Aspen side - best early in the day or in the off-seasons, due to narrow sections and sometimes heavy traffic. There are a lot of places to pull off and admire the scenery, take pics, or go for a little hike - especially alongside the creek, at the Grottos - where there's a plunge pool (not safe in times of heavy water runoff). Also several camping sites exist closer to the Aspen side where the scenery is all amazing...
3. Aspen Carriage and Sleigh Day Tours
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 83 reviews
Join us for horse drawn sleigh, carriage, and wagon rides on the beautiful Stillwater Ranch and around Aspen. We've been an Aspen tradition for over 40 years. We have public and private rides available.
4. Blazing Adventures
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 877 reviews
With over 40 years of experience providing outdoor activities in Colorado, we are Aspen & Snowmass' most knowledgeable whitewater rafting and outdoor adventures company. Whether you are a family with small children or an adrenaline junkie, a party of 1 or a party of 100, looking for a quiet hike in the woods, biking at the Maroon Bells or blasting through a Class IV+ whitewater rapids, Blazing Adventures has just the trip for you!
5. Aspen Whitewater Rafting
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 801 reviews
Nobody does whitewater river rafting in Aspen and Snowmass better than Aspen Whitewater Rafting. Owned and operated by a professional staff that has been guiding our local rivers for more than 20 years, we offer a range of personalized, fun, and safe whitewater adventures. We provide exemplary customer service to all our clients, something larger companies in the valley are hard pressed to match. We are the only company in the valley that focuses solely on whitewater rafting - our true passion. Our priorities are safety and fun, and we do our best to cater to each individual’s needs in order to create the perfect Roaring Fork rafting experience. We have some of the best guides in the valley (over half are Class IV/V guides), new equipment, outstanding lunches, and small group sizes, yet we offer our trips at an affordable price. Compare our Aspen rafting prices!
6. Elk Mountain Expeditions
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 674 reviews
Elk Mountain Expeditions (EME) opened its doors in 2012 with the intent to bring a more personalized experience to the rafting industry. After 10 years working with many large rafting companies around the country we decided to start a company that is free of all the problems that accompany big business rafting. Smaller trips with highly trained guides, no hidden fees, and attention to detail set us apart from other companies in the Roaring Fork Valley. At EME, we are dedicated to providing excellent customer experiences on and off the water. Come out and see the difference a passionate and dedicated team of employees can make on your next river adventure. We are excited to share Aspen's beautiful rivers with you and your family.
7. Maroon Bells
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2,540 reviews
Reviewed By raharrington85 - Omaha, United States
Our visit to Maroon Bells was a highlight of our vacation in the Aspen area. The park is close to Aspen, but you need reservations in advance to see this very popular attraction (start at the Aspen Chamber of Commerce website—excellent site for any Aspen visit!) TIP: study the reservation system, and ensure you grab your spot as soon as offered—the reservations sell out. You have two types options to reach the park—choose the shuttle option and read/follow the reporting instructions. Do not park illegally at the shuttle pick-up. The police, shuttle, and park services work in smooth coordination to manage the traffic and get you to and from the park. You’ll arrive at the main lake after a short, picturesque bus ride; the drop off has ample bathrooms and a park office. Jaw-dropping pictures are just a short walk from the drop-off; lake, mountains, and wildlife (we saw a moose within minutes). You can choose various trails to explore the area, designing the hike for your own desires and abilities—we chose the Crater Lake trail, a rocky, medium hike route to another beautiful lake with great views of the Bells. TIP: bring water, layered weather wear, sunblock, sturdy shoes, and snacks. Consider bringing bear spray (we did—this is bear country). Expect a fair amount of people traffic at the main drop-off site and along popular trails. Don’t miss the final bus in the afternoon or risk a long walk back to the pick-up site. Don’t miss a visit to the Maroon Bells—highly recommended.
8. Aspen Mountain / Ajax
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 564 reviews
Known as "the athlete's mountain," expert skiers flock to its challenging slopes.
Reviewed By GeauxTravel13 - New Orleans, United States
We came in for lunch once we got off the plane & had champagne, truffle fries and burgers! It was the perfect toast to an amazing stay! The menu was very accommodating to all diets! We also had the French onion soup and burrata salad! Yum!! The staff was quick and accommodating to any request. We sat outside where the skiers came off the mountain so it was great people watching. It was also dog friendly which was so nice to see also! We where hoping our flight was going to be canceled so we could attend the dinner and movie night- truffled popcorn was served!!! Can’t wait to return and enjoy more great food & people watching!
9. Silver Queen Gondola
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 421 reviews
For great views of the surrounding area, hop aboard this popular gondola that takes 18 minutes to get to the top of Aspen Mountain.
Reviewed By F1281XUstephens
Even though the price is a bit high- it's a really long gondola ride- went way further than I thought- so you get pretty good bag for your buck. At times the wind caused our gondola to sway from side to side which was a bit exciting/scary. Good social distancing practiced. Views from the top are actually perhaps not quite as dramatic as you would think given how high and long the ride to the top is- but there is lots of space and places to sit and drink. Well worth the money and time.
10. The John Denver Sanctuary
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 700 reviews
The John Denver Sanctuary is an open space and park which is open to the public for FREE from dawn to dusk. There is no fencing around the area and no tickets are required for entry to the Sanctuary and surrounding trails.
Reviewed By stijntailly - Waregem, Belgium
The John Denver Sanctuary is a small piece of one of Aspen's municipal parks and is dedicated to one of my all-time favorite singers, the late John Denver, a conservationist and author of Rocky Mountain High and Country Roads, the state songs of Colorado and West Virginia, both of which I have visited. Aspen isn't terribly big, so ditch your car and walk over to the peaceful park. The sanctuary itself consists of a number of stone slabs with the lyrics of some of John Denver's most well-known songs on them. The singer-songwriter was a long-time Aspen resident. The sanctuary is not all that much, but if you are a fan of John Denver, it should not be missed by any count.
