Day Trips from Aspen: Ghost Towns, Hot Springs, and Mountain Towns

Within an hour of Aspen, you can walk through a mining ghost town, soak in hot springs, or fish a Gold Medal trout river. Each destination below fits a different kind of day.

These day trips from Aspen range from a 20-minute drive to an hour or more, and the activities below include the access rules and road details you need before you leave.

Ghost Towns Near Aspen: Walk Through Ashcroft

Ashcroft is one of the most accessible ghost towns near Aspen, with trails connecting the restored buildings. Interpretive signs explain each one, and Spanish translations are available in print. Restored log cabins show early construction methods, and shrubs mark the foundations of vanished buildings. The general store building and the post office also remain on site.

Before you go, note these details:

• Admission costs $5 per adult through an honor box, and children 18 and under enter free with an adult.
• In summer, a docent works on site from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and at other hours the visit is self-guided.
• Dogs are not allowed.

Things to Do in Basalt, Colorado: Trout Rivers and Trails

Basalt sits at 6,611 feet, where the Fryingpan and Roaring Fork rivers meet, roughly halfway along the Rio Grande Trail.

Anglers come for the water. Basalt has 36 of Colorado’s 322 Gold Medal trout miles, and the 14-mile Fryingpan stretch is catch-and-release for brown and rainbow trout. Cyclists can use the mostly paved Rio Grande Trail, a 42-mile route between Aspen and Glenwood Springs.

Carbondale, Colorado: Art, Music and Mount Sopris

Carbondale sits beneath 12,953-foot Mount Sopris. Potato Day brings a parade and cookout to Sopris Park each fall. The town is best known for its Creative District, home to more than 200 creative organizations, businesses, and artists. On First Friday each month, Main Street businesses extend their hours and musicians perform live.

Three stops reward a slower afternoon:

• The Carbondale Clay Center, R2 Gallery, and Powers Art Center host rotating exhibitions.
• Thunder River Theatre Company stages classic and contemporary plays.
• Marble Distilling Co. runs distillery tours and a tasting room on Main Street.

Redstone, Colorado: A Coal Town With a Castle

Redstone began as a company town for Colorado’s coal industry, and its inn and castle still show what that settlement looked like.

Landmarks across town tell that story:

• Almost 250 coke ovens once ran here, the largest such facility in Colorado at the time. About 90 remain beside the highway, and four have been restored.
• The Redstone Inn, a Tudor Revival dormitory with a clock tower, housed unmarried employees.
• Redstone Castle, a 42-room mansion, was the home of John C. Osgood, who founded the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company.

Glenwood Springs: Soak in Hot Springs and Explore Caverns

Glenwood Springs centers on its historic hot springs pool. The Grand Pool measures 405 feet long, with water at 90-93°F, while the Therapy Pool sits at 104°F. The Ute people named the source spring Yampah, meaning “big medicine.”

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park sits above the city, is reached only by the Glenwood Gondola, and runs an Alpine Coaster year-round. Its two guided cave walks last 40 minutes each:

• The Historic Fairy Caves Tour uses period lighting and stops at Exclamation Point, which overlooks the valley.
• The King’s Row Cave Tour covers the lower section of the cave.

Hanging Lake: What to Know Before You Hike

Hanging Lake takes more preparation than any other stop. Every visitor needs a year-round timed-entry permit, which costs $12 per person and includes parking.

• The trail runs 1.2 miles one way and climbs about 1,200 feet.
• Each reservation covers a three-hour window, and you should arrive within 30 minutes of your start time.
• Only service animals may enter, and swimming or wading in the lake is prohibited.

Getting to Each Destination: Roads and Access Rules

Each stop uses a different road, and a few carry access rules that affect how a group arrives:

• Ashcroft: from the roundabout on Aspen’s west entrance, Castle Creek Road climbs 11 miles to the townsite.
• Basalt: Highway 82 reaches this town first, which makes the lower-valley stop in Basalt the shortest outing down the valley.
• Carbondale: farther along the highway, the stop in Carbondale sits at the junction for the Redstone road.
• Redstone: Highway 133 follows the Crystal River from Carbondale, so reaching the former coal town means a 16-mile drive each way.
• Glenwood Springs: Highway 82 ends at Interstate 70, where the longer run to the hot springs finishes the down-valley route.
• Hanging Lake: from eastbound Interstate 70, the same interstate that carries the route between Aspen and Denver, take exit 125.

Hanging Lake adds rules that matter to groups. Vehicles over 25 feet are not allowed, and no shuttle serves the trailhead. Taxis and app-based car services are not permitted. Private vehicles may drop off and pick up hikers, but pickup vehicles must leave the lot by 4 p.m.

People who want several stops in one day can share a vehicle for private transportation across the valley. Mountain weather can change a drive quickly, so check current road and weather conditions when you head out.

Winter Closures and Final Tips

Winter closes part of the Rio Grande Trail to protect wildlife habitat, and winter conditions can make the Hanging Lake Trail harder.

Each trip rewards a full day, so choose one, review its requirements, and start early. If Hanging Lake is on your list, reserve its permit first.