United States · up to 3419 m

Aspen Mountain

Four mountains, one silver-boom town, and America's most storied ski culture.

Bonvo Score

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144

Marked runs

144 named

59.8 km

Total slopes

Lifts

993 m

Vertical drop

3419 m

Top elevation

2426 m

Base elevation

Blue 0.9 kmRed 29.8 kmBlack 29.1 km

The story of Aspen Snowmass

Aspen was a silver-mining boomtown of 1880s opera houses and grand hotels before the crash of 1893 nearly emptied it — then skiing arrived after World War II, when 10th Mountain Division veterans returned to the valleys they'd trained in. Aspen Mountain opened in 1946 with what was then the world's longest chairlift, and the town reinvented itself as America's definitive ski resort: equal parts athletic, intellectual and glamorous, home to the Aspen Institute and a music festival as famous as its moguls.

The skiing spreads across four distinct mountains on one pass. Aspen Mountain (Ajax) rises straight from downtown with relentless expert terrain and zero green runs; Aspen Highlands is the connoisseur's hill, crowned by the hike-to Highland Bowl at 12,392 ft; Buttermilk is the gentle learning mountain that doubles, improbably, as the permanent home of the Winter X Games; and Snowmass is the giant, with more than 4,400 ft of vertical and terrain for every human alive.

Après ranges from champagne on sun decks to dive-bar shot-and-beer — often on the same block. No American resort mixes high and low culture with such confidence.

Great for expertsGreat for luxury seekersGreat for culture seekersGreat for families

Signature runs

Highland Bowl

A 30–45 minute ridge hike from the top lift opens 270 acres of steep, perfect pitch — the best inbounds bowl in Colorado.

Walsh's (Aspen Mountain)

Ajax's signature double-black shot toward the valley — steep, fast and in full view of the gondola.

Hanging Valley Wall (Snowmass)

Snowmass's wild side — cliffs, glades and powder stashes far from the groomer highways.

Big Burn (Snowmass)

A vast, open intermediate face born of an 1879 forest fire — cruising at its most expansive.

Local tips

◆Free snowcat tows run to Highland Bowl's gate on busy days — save your legs for the descent.
◆Ride the Silver Queen Gondola at Ajax and ski the Ridge of Bell moguls when the sun softens them mid-morning.
◆Buttermilk in January = X Games; go watch the superpipe finals free under the lights.
◆The Highlands' Cloud Nine cabin lunch is legendary — and legendarily rowdy by 2 pm; book the early seating.

Did you know?

Aspen Mountain opened in 1946 with Lift-1, then the longest chairlift in the world.

Buttermilk has hosted the Winter X Games every year since 2002 — the longest X Games residency ever.

Aspen's 1880s silver mines briefly made it one of the richest towns in the American West before the 1893 crash.

Mountain records

Longest run

Summer Road

3.5 km · 529 m vertical · Red (intermediate)

Steepest sustained pitch

max 79.6% gradient · 335 m · Double black (expert)

The 10 best runs at Aspen Mountain, scored

Every run is scored 0–100 from its real shape — vertical drop, length, how well its steepness fits its difficulty class, and flow (flats and uphill sections cost points). How the Bonvo Score works →

173
Spar Gulch
2.2 km · 518 m drop · avg 23.5% · Outstanding
Red
264
Ruthie's Run
1.7 km · 446 m drop · avg 26.2% · Excellent
Red
362
Copper Bowl
1.2 km · 344 m drop · avg 29.3% · Excellent
Red
462
Copper Bowl
1.1 km · 339 m drop · avg 29.5% · Excellent
Red
561
Bingo Glades
855 m · 350 m drop · avg 40% · Excellent
Black
660
Silver Bell
1.3 km · 271 m drop · avg 20.8% · Excellent
Red
760
Gent's Ridge
1.1 km · 274 m drop · avg 23.8% · Excellent
Black
860
Summer Road
3.5 km · 529 m drop · avg 15% · Excellent
Red
959
Copper
1.5 km · 313 m drop · avg 21.2% · Excellent
Red
1057
Dipsy Doodle
988 m · 208 m drop · avg 20.8% · Excellent
Red

All 144 named slopes

Slope	Difficulty	Length	Vertical	Avg gradient	Score
Spar Gulch	Red	2.2 km	518 m	23.5%	73
Ruthie's Run	Red	1.7 km	446 m	26.2%	64
Copper Bowl	Red	1.2 km	344 m	29.3%	62
Copper Bowl	Red	1.1 km	339 m	29.5%	62
Bingo Glades	Black	855 m	350 m	40%	61
Silver Bell	Red	1.3 km	271 m	20.8%	60
Gent's Ridge	Black	1.1 km	274 m	23.8%	60
Summer Road	Red	3.5 km	529 m	15%	60
Copper	Red	1.5 km	313 m	21.2%	59
Dipsy Doodle	Red	988 m	208 m	20.8%	57
FIS Trail	Black	699 m	248 m	35.4%	57
1 & 2 Leaf	Red	1.2 km	189 m	15.8%	57
Nose of Bell	Black	584 m	276 m	46%	57
Jackpot	Black	482 m	229 m	45.8%	55
Shoulder of Bell	Black	494 m	228 m	45.6%	55
Silver Queen	Black	487 m	239 m	47.9%	55
Bear Paw	Black	485 m	224 m	44.7%	55
Last Dollar	Black	432 m	231 m	51.4%	55
Keith Glen	Black	614 m	205 m	32.9%	55
Corkscrew Gully	Black	455 m	205 m	43.1%	54
S1	Black	337 m	208 m	59.5%	54
Bell Meadow	Black	481 m	192 m	38.3%	54
Walsh's	Black	504 m	205 m	39.1%	54
Jim's	Red	645 m	184 m	28.2%	54
North American	Red	548 m	143 m	26.1%	53
Reds Run	Black	389 m	171 m	42.7%	53
Pussyfoot	Black	590 m	150 m	24.9%	53
Walsh's	Black	416 m	181 m	42.5%	53
Ridge of Bell	Black	359 m	188 m	50.1%	53
Corkscrew	Black	350 m	183 m	48.8%	53
Silver Rush	Black	379 m	191 m	47.7%	53
Short Snort	Black	424 m	183 m	43.1%	53
Rayburn's	Black	336 m	182 m	51.9%	53
T3	Black	335 m	200 m	57.3%	53
T1	Black	323 m	178 m	54.7%	53
North Star	Black	1.3 km	254 m	18.8%	52
Back of Bell #2	Black	349 m	153 m	43.6%	52
International	Black	449 m	152 m	33.7%	52
Lower Little Nell	Red	536 m	118 m	21.5%	52
Perry's Prowl	Black	294 m	167 m	55.6%	52
Cone 1	Black	309 m	175 m	53.8%	52
Cone 2	Black	295 m	174 m	57.9%	52
T4	Black	273 m	178 m	64.9%	52
Perry's Prowl	Black	303 m	170 m	52.4%	52
Face of Bell	Black	360 m	146 m	39%	52
T2	Black	298 m	178 m	59.3%	52
Buckhorn	Red	486 m	103 m	20.5%	51
Midnight	Red	471 m	119 m	25.1%	51
Hyrup's	Black	307 m	142 m	43.8%	51
Glade #2	Black	299 m	137 m	45.8%	51
Silver Dip	Red	410 m	116 m	27.4%	51
Deer Park	Red	509 m	118 m	22.5%	51
Sunrise/Sunset	Black	363 m	131 m	34.9%	51
Back of Bell #1	Black	304 m	123 m	37.9%	51
Gene Reardon's Run	Red	395 m	113 m	28.3%	51
Traynor Ridge	Black	628 m	139 m	21.4%	51
Aztec	Black	267 m	126 m	45.7%	51
Zaugg Dump	Black	276 m	141 m	46.9%	51
Glade #3	Black	311 m	136 m	41.9%	51
Ridge of Bell	Black	365 m	131 m	35%	51
T6	Black	260 m	152 m	55.2%	51
Zaugg Dump	Black	294 m	150 m	50.1%	51
T5	Black	238 m	157 m	62.7%	51
Bell Glades	Black	311 m	131 m	40.3%	51
Midnight Glades	Red	513 m	107 m	20.4%	51
Summit	Black	272 m	108 m	39.3%	50
Kristi	Black	257 m	122 m	44.4%	50
Blondie's	Black	327 m	92 m	26.4%	50
Hanging Tree	Black	244 m	104 m	41.4%	50
Seibert's	Black	240 m	104 m	41.7%	50
Knowlton's	Black	242 m	110 m	44.2%	50
Upper Roch Run	Red	464 m	91 m	19.2%	50
Norway	Black	259 m	115 m	41.6%	50
West 5th Ave	Red	317 m	98 m	30.1%	50
Lower Roch Run	Black	289 m	114 m	37.8%	50
Franklin Dump	Black	283 m	106 m	35.3%	50
Rayburn's	Black	221 m	127 m	56.2%	50
Face of Bell	Black	348 m	106 m	30.3%	50
Sunrise	Black	298 m	116 m	38.7%	50
Bell Meadow	Black	235 m	111 m	44.5%	50
Percy	Black	192 m	89 m	44.4%	49
Gretl's	Red	241 m	75 m	30.1%	49
FIS Trail	Black	176 m	80 m	40.1%	49
Tourtelotte Park	Red	262 m	76 m	27.6%	49
Glade #1	Black	225 m	88 m	35.1%	49
Blazing Star	Black	267 m	77 m	28.1%	49
Super 8	Black	148 m	91 m	60.9%	49
FIS Slalom Hill	Black	212 m	90 m	39.8%	49
1A Lift Line	Black	144 m	92 m	61.4%	49
Northstar	Black	242 m	86 m	34.2%	49
Face of Bell	Black	192 m	89 m	44.6%	49
1 & 2 Leaf Bottom Half	Red	370 m	61 m	16.4%	49
Glade #1	Black	247 m	74 m	29.7%	49
Keith Glen Glade	Black	184 m	96 m	47.8%	49
Upper Roch Run	Red	274 m	76 m	27.5%	49
Pumphouse Hill	Red	227 m	68 m	27.4%	48
Lazy Boy	Red	175 m	56 m	28%	48
Bellissimo	Red	305 m	49 m	15.1%	48
Schuss Gully	Red	602 m	105 m	16.8%	48
Lower Little Nell	Red	267 m	51 m	18.6%	48
Bonnie Bell Dump	Black	126 m	82 m	54.6%	48
Niagara	Black	136 m	60 m	39.9%	48
Easy Chair	Red	298 m	50 m	16.6%	48
Easy Chair	Black	147 m	50 m	33.6%	47
Dispy Headwall	Black	122 m	52 m	41.5%	47
Copper Connector	Red	187 m	39 m	19.4%	47
Percy	Black	118 m	34 m	27%	47
Tortilla Flats	Red	143 m	25 m	16.7%	47
Ridge of Bell	Black	100 m	43 m	34.3%	47
Cutoff	Red	148 m	31 m	20.8%	47
Schiller Road	Black	794 m	161 m	19.7%	46
Spring Pitch	Black	174 m	86 m	49.1%	46
Gent's Ridge	Black	172 m	48 m	27.4%	46
Bell Meadow	Black	54 m	28 m	37.7%	46
Spar Gulch	Red	101 m	20 m	16.1%	46
Upper Little Nell	Red	306 m	93 m	27.7%	46
Gretl's	Red	57 m	10 m	13.2%	46
Copper Connector	Red	118 m	19 m	15.5%	46
Niagara	Black	212 m	83 m	36.6%	45
Upper Little Nell	Red	345 m	116 m	33.2%	44
Dipsy Doodle	Red	152 m	19 m	11%	44
Magnifico Road	Red	572 m	81 m	14.1%	43
Blondie's	Black	248 m	49 m	19.8%	43
Roch Run	Red	365 m	128 m	34.2%	42
Midway Road	Blue	865 m	80 m	6.6%	41
Strawpile	Red	366 m	130 m	34.8%	41
Norway	Black	75 m	19 m	25.6%	41
Normandy	Red	163 m	59 m	34%	40
Tower Ten Road	Red	856 m	100 m	11.4%	39
Face of Bell	Black	88 m	19 m	18.5%	39
Kleenex Cornner	Red	258 m	26 m	9.5%	38
Face of Bell Cut-off	Red	407 m	39 m	9%	38
E. 5th Ave	Red	258 m	99 m	35.9%	37
Lazy8 Gully	Red	204 m	82 m	36.5%	35
Kristi	Black	126 m	32 m	21.3%	33
Cutoff	Red	245 m	20 m	8.1%	31
International	Black	145 m	21 m	14%	30
Back of Bell Cutt-off	Red	416 m	28 m	6.4%	28
Magnifico	Red	329 m	157 m	45%	27
Lower Corkscrew	Red	93 m	41 m	40.9%	24
International	Black	119 m	14 m	11.1%	23
Lud's Lane	Red	695 m	26 m	2%	15
Ruthie's Run	Red	41 m	7 m	14%
Dipsy Doodle	Red	40 m	4 m	8.3%

Lifts at Aspen Mountain

7× chair lift1× gondola

Lift	Type	Length	Rise	Seats	Ride time
Silver Queen	Gondola	3.9 km	992 m	—	—
Bell Mountain	Chairlift	1.9 km	649 m	—	—
Ruthie's	Chairlift	1.6 km	417 m	3	—
Gents Ridge	Chairlift	1.6 km	324 m	—	—
Ajax Express	Chairlift	1.4 km	351 m	4	—
Shadow Mountain	Chairlift	1.0 km	425 m	2	—
Little Nell	Chairlift	645 m	165 m	—	—
F.I.S.	Chairlift	426 m	182 m	—	—