Aspen Summer Travel Guide - Catheryn Grivna

If you’re looking for the perfect summer escape to the mountains, look no further than Aspen. It is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen, and the town is so adorable.

Most people think of visiting Aspen in the winter when they can ski on the slopes, but there is actually A LOT to do here in the summer months. You can hike, mountain bike, go on a whitewater rafting adventure or just drink wine on patios. There really is something for everything in this town.

One of my favorite things about Aspen is how luxurious the town is. There are several amazing restaurants, bars and the shopping is incredible. Also, the hotels and resorts in Aspen are top notch. This would make for a great honeymoon destination or a romantic couples getaway.

In this post, you’ll find my recommendations for where to stay, where to eat, where to drink and what to do. This should give you a good starting point when planning your trip to Aspen. Cheers!

Table of Contents

How to Get There

Aspen is not the easiest place to get to. We drove all the way from Houston, TX. If you’re not in the mood for a road trip, there are some other options.

You could fly into the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, but they only have direct flights from Denver, Dallas, Chicago and San Francisco.

If you need another airport option, you could try Eagle County Airport. This is about 2 hours from Aspen.

If all else fails, you can fly into Denver International Airport, and drive the 3.5 hours to Aspen.

Like I said, it’s not the easiest place to get to, but it is worth it!

Where to Stay

We stayed at the St. Regis Aspen Resort, and it was incredible. We stayed there using Marriott points, so keep that in mind if you are looking to save a little money.

This resort is stunning, and they have a ton of amenities. There’s a pool, hot tub, workout facility, multiple restaurants and bars and a daily champagne sabering. It’s the perfect place for a romantic couple’s getaway. Another perk is that this resort is within walking distance to everything in the town.

If the St. Regis doesn’t work out, I’d recommend checking out one of these other hotels:

Where to Eat

There is no shortage of good restaurants in Aspen. You’ll find a little bit of everything ranging from casual to fine dining. Regardless of where to you decide to eat, be sure to book reservations. If you don’t have reservations for lunch and dinner, you may have to wait several hours to eat.

Here are some of the restaurants I recommend in Aspen:

What To Do

Hiking

I highly recommend going on a hike if you are visiting Aspen in the summer. There are so many beautiful hiking trails in the mountains, and there’s really something for everyone whether you’re a beginner or advanced.

We hiked the Maroon Bells, and it was so beautiful. Make sure to get a reservation if you want to hike here because they are currently restricting the capacity. There are many different hiking options at the Maroon Bells. You’ll find trails that are 1 mile and some trails that are closer to 10 miles. It’s a great option if you are traveling with kids because there are some easier hikes!

Here are some other popular hikes and hikes we considered doing:

Smuggler Mountain Trail (14 miles)
Ute Trail (6.2 miles)
North Hunter Creek Trail (8.9 miles)
Sunnyside Trail (10.8 miles)

Other Outdoor Activities

If hiking isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other outdoor activities to partake in while in Aspen. It’s a beautiful place to experience the outdoors, so I’d highly recommend spending as much time outside as you can!

Shopping

Aspen is full of luxury shopping and fashion. There are plenty of designer stores like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, etc. There are also some smaller boutiques and unique stores in the area.

One of my favorite stores that I discovered while in Aspen was Kemo Sabe. This store has amazing western wear and they even can create customized hats. I ended up customizing a hat of my own (pictured above). You get to pick your style of hat, color, band, feathers, etc. They even brand the hat with your initials so it feels like it was made just for YOU.

Rooftop/Cocktail Bars

There are some amazing rooftop and cocktail bars in Aspen to grab a drink or two. It’s the perfect way to unwind after a day of hiking and outdoor adventures.

Here are some bars I’d recommend checking out while in Aspen: