Once renowned for its silver mines, Aspen, in Colorado, North America, has become synonymous with luxurious winter tourism in the United States. This charming town, with its galleries, bars, and boutiques, offers a welcome change of pace from winter sports on the four ski mountains surrounding Aspen. These mountains are famous for their dry powder snow, diverse terrain, 300 days of sunshine per year, and over 500 kilometers of groomed ski runs. The new season has recently begun, and it’s already clear that 2024/25 will bring an abundance of highlights to Aspen.

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App-based skiing information

New this season is the Aspen Snowmass App, providing continuously updated information about slope conditions, lifts, and trails. It also functions as a navigation tool. Particularly handy are the push notifications that deliver the most important updates every morning. The app also shows the status of parking lots. Guests can find additional support through features like the ability to purchase tickets online, book lessons, and rent ski equipment.

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Significant investments were required for another of Aspen’s many highlights this season: the construction of the new Coney Express Lift. Starting at the Snowmass Base Area, it replaces the Coney Glade Chair and ascends to the Coney Glade Trail. From there, visitors can access Big Burn, Alpine Springs, and Sheer Bliss. The lift also features a mid-station that connects to the renowned Snowmass Terrain Park. From this mid-station, the surroundings can even be explored on foot. This allows those who don’t snowboard or ski to reach the Lynn Britt Cabin restaurant with ease.

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The restaurant has been expanded to include a new outdoor terrace, a grill, and a bar. Surrounded by a Western ambiance, it hosts year-round après-ski parties and live entertainment. This season also sees the return of the popular Snowcat Dinner, where guests are transported by snowcat to a secluded, romantic cabin for a unique dining experience.

From the X Games to the Snow League

The new year also marks the start of a fresh event series in Aspen, kicking off with the famous X Games at Buttermilk Mountain. From January 23 to 25, 2025, more than 100 of the world’s best skiers and snowboarders will gather to compete in disciplines like SuperPipe, Slopestyle, Big Air, and Knuckle Huck. The event will be held in Aspen Snowmass for the 24th time in 2025.

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Immediately after, spectators can watch world-class freeskiers and snowboarders at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix and Visa Big Air, taking place from January 30 to February 6, 2025. These two events serve as qualifiers for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Snowboard fans are sure to recognize the name Shaun White. The snowboarding legend founded The Snow League, the first professional league for snowboarding and freeskiing. The inaugural event of this four-part global series will take place on March 7 and 8, 2025, as one of Aspen’s highlights of the season.

This winter also marks the 20th anniversary of the art initiative Aspen Snowmass Art in Unexpected Places (ArtUP)—celebrated on lift tickets. This year, Los Angeles-based artist Alex Israel designed the tickets. Complementing this, there's an exhibition of his work at the Aspen Art Museum.