If you’re looking for a summer adventure destination, Snowmass is the ultimate haven. With an average of just 2 people per skiable acre in winter, summer feels even more like your own private escape. With outdoor pursuits right outside your doorstep, a huge trail network, and world-class events, it’s just you and the mountain waiting to play. Be prepared for your family to have a new favorite vacation spot, though. 

17 Things You Must Do in Snowmass this Summer:

1) Have a picnic on the Yin-Yang lookout (at the top of the Rim Trail) for breathtaking 360-views of the mountains and valleys below. You can also access high-alpine hiking and biking right from here. 

2) Ride the gondola up to sample the gourmet cuisine at the Elk Camp Restaurant.

3) Get a workout on the aptly named Anaerobic Nightmare, which connects to the Government Trail which you can hike or bike all the way to Aspen.

4) Feel the Wild West come alive — on a horseback tour.

5) Go on a guided sunset dinner hike up to Burlingame Cabin at mid-mountain (accessible only via Snowcat in winter).

6) Channel your inner-cowboy at the weekly Wednesday night rodeo and BBQ. 

7) Snap a selfie doing your best yoga pose on top of the mountain.

8) Take the chairlift up to Bike Snowmass’s incredible free ride mountain biking courses.

9) Cool off on a raft ride down the Roaring Fork River, teeming with class IV rapids.

10) Take the bus tour up to the Maroon Bells to see the famous mountain-lake reflection, one of the most photographed sites in America.

11) Drive over Independence Pass, part of the Top of the Rockies Colorado Scenic Byway, which crosses the Continental Divide.

12) Get the bird’s eye perspective! Take a hot air balloon ride up to see Mount Daly, Capital Peak, and the surrounding Elk Mountains.

13) Try your hand at the free 18-hole or 9-hole disc golf course.

14) Jam out under the summer sun with the free weekly concert series in Snowmass Village. 

15) Get your adrenaline pumping as you soar through the sky on a paragliding adventure. 

16) Conquer the greens on a golf course designed by award-winning architect Jim Engh.

17) Spend the holiday weekend getting your groove on at the 25th JAS Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Experience featuring No Doubt, Hozier, and Lenny Kravitz.