Buttermilk to Open Memorial Day Weekend and Weekends in June for Sightseeing and More
Daily Summer Operations to Open June 21 at Snowmass; July 2 at Aspen Mountain
Camp Aspen Snowmass, Snowmass Bike Park, Lost Forest, Sightseeing and Gondola Rides
Aspen Snowmass will open for the summer season Memorial Day Weekend, May 29-31, at Buttermilk. This marks the first time Buttermilk will be open to the public in the summer. Guests can sightsee, hike, play disc golf and enjoy food and beverage options from the Cliffhouse restaurant, all accessed by the Summit Express chairlift. Summer operations at Buttermilk will continue weekends, Friday through Sunday, until June 20.
Snowmass will kick-off summer June 21 with daily operations running until Sept. 6. Weekend operations, Friday through Sunday, will continue at Snowmass through the month of September until closing day Oct. 3. Sightseeing and gondola rides on the Elk Camp Gondola and Elk Camp Chairlift, Snowmass Bike Park, Lost Forest, hiking, Camp Aspen Snowmass, food and beverage options at Elk Camp restaurant and more will be available at Snowmass this summer.
Aspen Mountain will launch summer July 2, later this year due to a construction project, and run daily until Sept. 6. In alignment with Snowmass, Aspen Mountain will also remain open weekends in September, Friday through Sunday, until Oct. 3. Offerings at Aspen Mountain will once again include gondola rides on the Silver Queen Gondola, sightseeing, hiking, disc golf, outdoor yoga, music, and food & beverage options in the Sundeck restaurant.
Hours of operation will run 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Summit Express chairlift at Buttermilk, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Elk Camp gondola at Snowmass, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Elk Camp chairlift at Snowmass and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Silver Queen Gondola at Aspen Mountain.
“We look forward to being fully operational this summer and providing our signature outdoor activities such as the Snowmass Bike Park, Lost Forest, Camp Aspen Snowmass and the classic sightseeing and gondola rides to our guests. New for early summer, Buttermilk is a great place for sightseeing with spectacular views of Highlands and Pyramid Peak as we finish up construction projects on Aspen Mountain,” says Katie Ertl, senior vice president mountain operations, Aspen Snowmass. “As the vaccination rollout continues to pick-up steam, we are ready to welcome our guests back whenever they are ready for endless exploration in the mountains and living fully in nature.”
Camp Aspen Snowmass
Camp Aspen Snowmass will be available daily June 7 through Aug. 27 for kids three to 15. Programming includes downhill mountain biking, rock climbing, fishing, rocket building, mountainboarding, arts and crafts, hiking, Breathtaker Alpine Coaster and more. Camp includes both single-day and multi-day camp options, with the multi-day camps offering both a rocket camp for blossoming young scientists and a mountain skills camp for kids looking to develop mountaineering skills. Parents can also book a private camp option, which offers a maximum of five children per group, chosen by the parents. For pricing and more information, visit www.aspensnowmass.com/plan-your-stay/camp-aspen-snowmass.
Lost Forest
The Lost Forest offers guests an immersive, outdoor experience for all ages on Snowmass. Activities in the Lost Forest include the Breathtaker Alpine Coaster, Treeline Trial Challenge Course, Canopy Run Zipline Tour, Rugged Ascent Climbing Wall, Trout Hook Fishing Pond, Aerial Approach Disc Golf and Elevated Journey Hiking Trails. Activities can be booked together in packages such as the Lost Forest Base ticket, the Lost Forest Treeline ticket and the Lost Forest Canopy ticket. For detailed pricing and descriptions of each activity, visit www.aspensnowmass.com/plan-your-stay/lost-forest.
Snowmass Bike Park
The Snowmass Bike Park offers a network of lift-served downhill mountain bike trails. Spanning from the top of the Elk Camp chairlift to the bottom of Snowmass Base Village, the trail system currently offers 2,893 ft. of vertical descent that features 25 miles of purpose-built gravity trails. Additionally, the Snowmass Bike Park is home to the Bike School, featuring private lessons, downhill clinics, and kid’s mountain bike camps. Over the past three years, the Snowmass Bike Park has greatly expanded trail offerings, with multiple new trails coming online each summer. The continued bike park build-out caters to both those looking to get into the sport of downhill mountain biking and learn the basics as well as those looking to test themselves on advanced, technical freeride trails. In continuing with the expansion of mountain biking, last year, the Roaring Fork Valley, home to the towns of Aspen, Basalt, Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, and Snowmass Village, including the Snowmass Bike Park, was designated a Gold-Level Ride Center by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). The Gold-Level IMBA Ride Center™ designation is the first in Colorado, and the fifth in the United States. For more information about the Snowmass Bike Park, visit www.aspensnowmass.com/plan-your-stay/biking/snowmass-bike-park.
Sightseeing and Tickets
Sightseeing will be available this summer on Buttermilk, Snowmass and Aspen Mountain. A single ride sightseeing ticket will cost $25 at Buttermilk and $31 at Snowmass and Aspen Mountain. The sightseeing package will be available starting June 21 for $39 and includes up to three days of gondola and chairlift rides (valid three of seven days) on the Silver Queen Gondola at Aspen Mountain and on the Elk Camp Gondola and Chairlift at Snowmass, 10 percent off Lost Forest Base ticket for one time use, $10 lunch credit to be used at the Sundeck restaurant or Elk Camp restaurant, 20 percent off bike rentals from Four Mountain Sports for one time use (excluding downhill bikes and e-bikes), and 20 percent off bike clinics for one time use.
All summer activities and tickets can be purchased online ahead of time whether a guest is at home or in resort. Follow the steps in the online Account Portal to complete required waivers before arrival. For ticket pickup, guests can use a digital QR code at the contactless pickup boxes located at the base of each mountain, or purchase at least 72 hours in advance and tickets can be delivered to the guest’s hotel.