Aspen Nordic Center

West of Aspen, the Aspen Snowmass Nordic Trail System has 90km of groomed cross country skiing trails. There is no trail pass required to use these tracks. The best Aspen cross country skiing can normally be found during the months of January through March.

There are two primary backbones to the trail system. The Owl Creek Trail runs the north side of the highway along West Buttermilk Road then up and over to Snowmass. The Rio Grande Trail follows an old railroad grade along the river for a gentle grade down to Basalt.

Pros
• Family-friendly trail system.
• No trail pass required!
• Reliable snowpack.
• Excellent grooming.

Cons
• Expensive lodging options.
• Crowded access highway.
• Few loop options.

The Aspen Cross Country Center is situated at the Aspen Golf Course. It is owned and operated by the Ute Mountaineer. The nordic center is located at 39551 W Highway 82 just west of downtown Aspen.

Alternately, the Snowmass Cross-Country Center is located off Highline Road in Snowmass. It is accessible by village shuttle bus. The Snowmass trail system starts on the golf course, but there are routes to the Owel Creek Trail leading towards Aspen.

Overall, Aspen Nordic Center is the 25th most popular cross country ski area of all 49 Nordic ski destinations in Colorado.