When to Go

Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley are a year-round destination. If it's skiing you're after, February and March have the best snow and warmest winter weather (and prices are lower than the peak Thanksgiving-to-Christmas season). Aspen summers are legendary for their food, art, and music festivals. Although only 6,000 locals call Aspen home, the population more than quadruples to 27,000 in summer and winter high seasons. June is best for rafting (snowmelt spawns high-octane rapids), but many high-country hiking and mountain-biking trails are buried under snowdrifts until July, when the wildflowers peak. Mid-September brings hotel-room deals, cooler days, photogenic snow dustings in the Maroon Bells, and flame-orange aspen groves.