Travel
Carbondale, Colorado
Directions
Aspen does have an airport (about 40 minutes from Carbondale), but DIA in Denver has the most options and is the most affordable. It is a little over 3 hours away. Other good options to check out are Grand Junction airport (about 1.5 hours away), and Eagle Airport (about 50 minutes away), which are usually cheaper than Aspen and may have more flight options.
Where to Stay
Hotels and Vacation Rentals
There are limited hotels in Carbondale (a few low budget chains for high budget prices). However, there are a few good options in the neighboring towns. Glenwood Springs is about 15 minutes North from the reception venue, Basalt is 15 minutes East, and Aspen/Snowmass are 45 min away. There are also a lot of Airbnb and VRBO options in and around Carbondale. If you do not want a vacation rental, here are a few options:
Basalt:
• Element Basalt -Part of the Marriot Chain, this is a convenient location in the ‘Willits’ area, next to Whole Foods and right off the main highway.
• Aspenalt - Downtown Basalt on the Frying Pan River.
• Basalt Mountain Inn - Downtown Basalt. We don’t know much about this hotel other than its great location!
Carbondale:
• Marble Distillery Inn - A few boutique rooms above the hip local distillery in Downtown Carbondale.
• Avalanche Ranch - 15 min up HWY 133 towards Red Stone, featuring rustic rooms, wagons and cabins with access to their hot springs.
Glenwood Springs:
• Hotel Colorado- Classic Old Hotel across the street from the Hot Springs.
• Hotel Denver - Downtown Glenwood Springs.
• Four Mile Creek B&B - Tucked away in a rural spot, on our favorite gravel lunch ride loop!
Aspen/Snowmass:
There are lots of options in these areas, but they will be the most expensive and furthest from the festivities. However, if you are looking for a luxury vacation surrounded by epic mountain views and trails, then go for it! Aspen Meadows is our favorite spot. There is also the hotel Jerome, Limelight Hotel, W Aspen, The Gant, The Little Nell… the list goes on — it’s a resort town!
What to Do
Activities in the Roaring Fork Valley
There is no shortage of fun activities in the Carbondale area and Roaring Fork Valley, from outdoor adventures like hiking/running, biking and fishing, to beautiful hot springs to soak in, to amazing restaurants, art exhibits and small-town charm. This time of year, the colors will be in full swing, and the leaf peeping should be incredible! Here's a small sampling of some of our favorite things to do in the area.
EAT & DRINK
Glenwood Springs: A couple of our favorite restaurants here are The Pullman and Masala & Curry.
In Carbondale, two of our favorite restaurants in town are Phat Thai and Allegria Restaurant. For drinks, Marble Distillery is a great option, or for a true mountain town dive bar experience check out The Nugget. ;)
Basalt — There are several great restaurants here. Free Range is our favorite! We also like Tempranillo, offering mediterranean tapas. For more casual fare, we like Jalisco Mexican Grill, featuring delicious margaritas. :)
In Aspen, we like Jour d’ Fete restaurant for breakfast or lunch, as well as Spring Café. The Aspen Business Center also offers lots of hidden treasures — a locals’ secret! For dinner, Meat & Cheese is one of Kara’s favorite spots.
PLAY
The outdoor opportunities here are far too many to name! In Carbondale, some of our favorite trail zones for both hiking/running as well as biking are Red Hill and Prince Creek. Red Hill features rugged terrain and lots of rock — very technical mountain biking and running! Doing the short-but-steep hike up to the famed Mushroom Rock is a local favorite, and looks right over our house here in Carbondale, along with beautiful views of Sopris and the river. Prince Creek offers many different route options with great views and more mellow terrain. For a bigger adventure with great leaf peeping, check out Thomas Lakes and Mt. Sopris trails — epic leaf peeping up here, but be prepared to work for it! For gravel riders, heading across Dry Park Road and up towards Sunlight Mountain Resort is one of our favorite loops and will offer beautiful colors and terrain.
Up valley toward Aspen/Snowmass, there are even more trail options, and all will offer leaf peeping at this time. Some of our favorites that are most accessible include Sunnyside Trail right outside of town, Smuggler Mountain to Hunter Creek, and the Sky Mountain Park and Government trails at Snowmass.
We recommend downloading an app like AllTrails or TrailForks to help you find and map out routes, and check out distances and estimated durations!
EXPLORE
So many different things to check out here! For hot springs lovers, Glenwood Springs offers multiple options, including Glenwood Hot Springs Resort and Iron Mountain Hot Springs. Glenwood also has great river and fishing access, as well as lots of restaurants and shopping.
In Carbondale, you’ll find more great river and fishing access, beautiful open park space, and a vibrant, small downtown with restaurants, boutique shops and art. Outside of town toward Marble, there are more hot springs options, including Avalanche Ranch and Penny Hot Springs.
Basalt also offers a super cute, small and historic downtown area right on the river, with walking trails and a wildlife preserve. Driving up the Frying Pan River to Ruedi Reservoir is a beautiful sightseeing opportunity!
Up valley, Aspen has it all. Tons of restaurants, incredible art museums, shopping, concert venues, gondola rides… the list goes on. We recommend Aspen Art Museum, but there are several different art galleries in town. If you want to see a show, check out Belly Up, an amazing small concert venue with incredible artists! The Aspen Center for Environmental Studies is a fun, interactive way to learn about the local environment and a great option for kids!
For truly epic scenery, leaf peeping and iconic photo opps, check out the Ashcroft and Maroon Bells areas. (Note that bus tickets are required for Maroon Bells, unless you want to ride up!)