Hidden Gems, Colorado

Colorado is undoubtedly one of the most traveled and tourist-friendly states year-round, with nearly every corner known for its appeal to visitors. While some towns and areas have become well-known tourist destinations, there are still a few hidden gems that remain less traveled. Here, I highlight a couple of these lesser-known spots that deserve to be explored.

Maroon Bells Hike, Aspen Highlands, Colorado

The Maroon Bells are a series of bell-shaped peaks approximately 14,000 ft. high in the White River National Forest towering above the pristine glacial Maroon Creek valley. I learnt only recently that the peaks are on every Colorado post card, and are the most photographed mountains in Colorado. Located 10 miles west of Aspen and 16 miles from Snowmass, the Maroon Bells valley includes several hiking trails, camping sites, and biking paths. 

Because this area is so popular for hiking, the access is now limited during the summer and fall. In order to hike, reservations are now required to access either by private vehicle or by RFTA shuttle. If you are staying in Aspen, you can take the hotel shuttle to Aspen Highlands downtown. From there take the RFTA shuttle to the trailhead.  To make your reservation, click here. 

There are several hikes in the area, some easy and others moderate. We did the Crater Lake Trail, a 3.6-mile round-trip trail that took us approx 2:30 hrs. While its considered a moderate hike, its steep and rocky ascent as well as cooler temperatures adds a bit of a challenge.  The rewards are breathtaking vistas of Aspen woodlands and a beautiful Crater Lake. 

Montrose, Colorado

After Aspen, we decided to spend a couple of days in south western Colorado hiking and visiting towns less travelled by tourists. We chose to stay in Montrose, Colorado at Rathbone Hotel. Little did we know Montrose is/was a Republican county, until we were driving and saw Trump 2024 flags. Well, Republican or not, as Kamala Harris supporters, we watched the DNC event from our room.  Rathbone, is a brand new, non-chain, and very comfortable hotel located right in the historical downtown of Montrose. The lower level is a restaurant and bar, and the upper level includes generously sized hotel rooms. We ate breakfast at Forage, another brand new restaurant with a very charming and gracious proprietor. Republican or not, Montrose definitely seems to be benefitting from the Democrat sponsored Infrastructure Law. Almost everywhere you see buildings bring renovated, highways being repaved, and areas under development.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Nestled in western Colorado, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park offers an inspiring day trip filled with breathtaking views, rugged landscapes, and a sense of solitude that’s hard to find in more frequented parks. Approximately a 3 hours driving distance from Aspen, lies this hidden gem filled with nature's raw beauty.

Arrival and First Impressions

I arrived at the park early in the morning. The drive to the park itself is a scenic journey through the high desert landscape, gradually giving way to the dramatic, steep walls of the canyon. 

Oak Flat Loop: A Perfect Introduction

My first stop was the visitor center at the South Rim to pick up a trail map and connect with the rangers. I began my exploration with the Oak Flat Loop, a moderate 2-mile trail that offers some of the most intimate views of the canyon. The trail winds through juniper and pinyon pine forests, gradually descending towards the canyon’s rim. Along the way, I encountered several overlooks, each providing an amazing view of the sheer cliffs and the Gunnison River far below.

The Oak Flat Loop is a great introduction to the park’s landscape, as it allows you to see the canyon from various angles without committing to a more strenuous downward hike. The trail is well-marked and offers plenty of opportunities to pause and take in the dramatic scenery. One moment you’re walking through a peaceful forest, and the next, you’re standing at the edge of a cliff, gazing down into the dizzying depths of the canyon.

The Overlooks

After completing the Oak Flat Loop, I spent the rest of the afternoon visiting the various overlooks along the South Rim. Each overlook provides a different perspective of the canyon, showcasing its unique geology and the interplay of light and shadow on its dark, towering walls. While I stopped at each overlook, my favorite were:

• Pulpit Rock View:
  

• Chasm View: This overlook offers a striking view of the canyon’s narrowest point, where the walls are only 40 feet apart at the top but drop nearly 2,000 feet straight down. The sense of depth here is truly humbling.

• Painted Wall: The Painted Wall is the tallest cliff in Colorado, and the overlook provides a perfect vantage point to admire its intricate patterns of light-colored pegmatite streaking across the dark rock. I chose this location for a light picnic lunch. 

• Cedar Point: This overlook gives a fantastic view of the Gunnison River winding its way through the canyon far below. The sound of the river, though faint, adds to the experience of standing at the edge of this immense chasm.

• East Portal: Located near the park entrance is the road to East Portal. This road takes you close to the river without the hike. The road is steep and curving on a steep grade but beautiful. 

If you’re looking for a day trip that combines stunning scenery with a sense of solitude and discovery, Black Canyon is the place to go. Just remember to bring your camera, and water, because the views are unforgettable.

Ski Resorts: Steamboat vs. Park City vs. Whistler vs. Snowmass

My Ranking: Based on the resorts I have skied

1 Whistler/Blackcomb (British Columbia)
 2 Snowmass (Colorado)
 3 Steamboat (Colorado)
 4 Park City (Utah)
 5 Aspen (Colorado)
 6 Heavenly (California)
 7 Snowshoe (W. Virginia)

Criteria	Steamboat	Park City	Whistler	Snowmass	Aspen Mountain	Heavenly
My Overall Rating	4	4	5	4.5	4	3
Skiable Area	2,965	3,300	8,171	3,362	675	4,800
Vertical	3,668	3,100	5,280	4,406	4,406	3,500
Summit elevation	10,568	10,000	8,000	12,510	11,212	10,067
Base elevation	6,900	6,900	2,215	8,104	7,945	6,565
# of lifts	16	16	37	21	8	30
# of trails	165	116	200	94	76	97
Easy Trails	23	20	30	6%	0	19
Intermediate trails	69	58	110	47%	36	44
Advanced Trails	73	38	30	17%	20	29
Expert Trails	0	0	30	30%	20	5
Half Pipe	2	2	2	2	NA	1
Terrain Park	4	3	2	3	NA	5
Kids Ski School Ratings	5	4.5	4.5	4.5	0
Access to resort	4	5	4	4.5	4.5	3
Need for car	Not needed, easy shuttle access into town	Not needed, easy shuttle access into town	Car needed - taxis convinient $5-$10/trip. Public transportation poor	good public transport	good public transport	Car needed
Apres-Ski rating	3	4.5	4.5	3	5	3
ski in/ski out rating	4.5	4	5	5	0	4
On-mountain dining	4	4.5	4	5	5	3

Aspen-Snowmass in 2012

Aspen started as a silver mining town in the 1800's. Snowmass is a village approximately 5-7 miles from Aspen. The general area is referred as "Aspen-Snowmass" by the skiing company. The area includes four ski mountains: Aspen Mountain (also called Ajax); Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass. Unlike other ski areas, the lift ticket gives access to ski on all the four mountains. 

Getting to Aspen is not easy. Flying in usually requires a change of planes in Denver and the approach to Aspen is a bit scary. The plane dips into the tight Aspen valley after flying over the picturesque mountains. Access to Aspen resorts is not as easy as compared to the ease of reaching Utah resorts via Salt Lake City.

The definition of the town of Aspen is glamor. It is ritzy with an array of art galleries, antiques, and luxury shopping choices such as Gucci, Burberry, Bulgari and the like. We saw more fur coats than any other place we've skied. Aspen is all about Apres Ski and perhaps even "afore-ski" (coining a new word here).

Now, onto the riding part.

Aspen Mountain is right in the town of Aspen, towering above the old gold rush city. The lifts leave right from the main street of town and the mountain is not open to snowboarders. All the trails are intermediate and above. Aspen is best known for its steep, bumpy runs that drop you right into the town of Aspen. I spent most of my time riding Silver Bell, Buckhorn, Ruthie's and other runs that were groomed, and intermediate right under Ruthie's and Ajax Express lifts (a tidbit on Ruthie's Run). My kids spent their time riding the bumpy runs and loved it. At the base of Ruthie's run is Bonnie's restaurant, a great place to grab a bite to eat. Bonnie's got really crowded, so if you plan to have lunch there, plan to get there early. The alternate is Sundeck Restaurant at the top of the mountain. Sundeck seems to be a place to hang out, to see and be seen.

Buttermilk is known as the learner's mountain and is smaller than Snowmass and Aspen. We did not ski at Buttermilk.

Aspen Highlands is known as the local’s mountain. It seems the Aspen Ski Company has been building up the base area and lift system. Highland runs are not groomed and we heard that the powder can range from thigh to waist deep. Locals say, you have to either know the mountain or go with locals who know the mountain well to ski there. We did not ski Highlands either.

Snowmass on Dwellable

Snowmass is its own village and this is where we stayed and skied the most. The mountain is approximately 30 minute ride from the city of Aspen. Aspen Snowmass provides free buses from one resort area to another and these buses run often and are very convenient. The pedestrian village at the base of the hill has a few restaurants, shops and convenience stores. Snowmass is a much more family friendly resort. It offers lot more of slope side accommodations, lot more trail options for skiers of all ages and expertize. Reviews often comment on lack of apres ski offerings at Snowmass (Après-ski aka after skiing is going out, having drinks, dancing, and generally socializing after skiing). I guess that depends on what you are looking for. Our family generally skis as a larger group with a few other families and we have kids ranging from pre-teens to teenagers. We usually rent a home or condo. We like to cook, hang out in the hot tub and have a generally good time with our group at our rental home. So most of our apres-ski activities, the dancing, singing, drinking, playing board games and eating, all happens around our own hearth. More than restaurants we look for gourmet grocery stores close by. We do like access to good restaurants and shopping for trinkets and outings. Also, our kids are now good skiers, and prefer to ski a couple of days with the ski school as they can access off the beaten path trails and more challenging runs with a ski instructor than they would with us. Based on this we found Snowmass to be an excellent choice.

While the lift tickets get you access to all the four mountains, it is quite inconvenient to shuttle from one mountain to another in the middle of the day as both Snowmass and Aspen have a lot of terrain to offer. Since we were there for 5 ski days, we skied Snowmass for 4 days and Aspen for one.

The area right outside the Snowmass Mall is the ski school & bunny hill area. The area is serviced by a couple of lifts; Fanny Hill, Burlingame, Coney Glade and handles a lot of traffic.

The areas with lots of blue trails include Elk Camp, Big Burn, and Alpine Springs. These areas are popular intermediate ski areas and quite crowded. On the right of the trail map is Campground area with long and uncrowded runs and the trails there are more advanced. My kids spent most of their time all over the map but enjoyed, Sam's Knob and the runs off High Alpine lift, an area known as the Hanging Valley Wall for those that like bowls, and steep, bumped up runs.

At the lower left of the trail map is Two Creeks which are easy blues (blue-greens), but seemed a bit far from the main ski areas.

Speaking of trails that were painful, it's called Turkey Trot. It is the only way to cross the mountain from Alpine Springs to Elk Camp area without having to go back to the base area, but it is a painfully flat and thigh burning run.

Most on-mountain food placed are great to rest your feet, but the food prices are definitely Aspen-like. 

Another beginner area, Assay Hill, is separated from the main runs so learners get less traffic on it. Fanny Hill (a beginner area), is the main way down to the Village, gets congested. During the day, we like most skiers stay higher up on the mountain, so it is less crowded.