12/7/2023 0 Comments Aspen colorado sceneryHunter Creek is another popular trail that begins north of downtown on Lone Pine Road. The first 2-miles of the trail are paved. The Rio Grande Trail, a hiking and biking trail starting behind the Post Office on Puppy Smith Street, is an easy and popular walk following the old Denver and Rio Grande Railroad bed along the Roaring Fork River with good views of the valley. There are a number of nice walks that begin from town. The Center is a good place to see birds and, in the evening, deer, fox and other mammals. The 25-acre preserve on the north side of town at 100 Puppy Smith Street features a nice half mile nature trail that winds through wetlands with stops at various observation decks. While you are exploring town be sure to visit the Hallam Lake Nature Center. Today the opera house is a great place to hear music or see a movie after a hard day on the trail. Another option is a visit to the Wheeler Opera House, restored to its former Victorian opulence. If you like Victorian architecture take an evening stroll around the town’s residential backstreets, north of Main Street, to see restored structures as well as recently built houses in keeping with the town’s historic character. The guided tour takes guests into the mine and demonstrates hard rock mining techniques used in the late 19th century. ![]() A tour of the Smuggler Mine, located on the slopes of Smuggler Mountain just north of town, is recommended for anyone who wants to learn about silver mining and the area’s mining history. History buffs will enjoy the Wheeler-Stallard House Museum, the former mansion of Jerome Wheeler that is now a museum displaying exhibits and artifacts from the Roaring Fork Valley. Thankfully during the transformation of the town into a premier ski destination the town planner’s decided to preserve its Victorian personality and historic structures. The collapse of the silver market in 1893 lead to a half century of decline, reversed in the 1940’s with the development of a ski resort on Aspen Mountain. Stately Victorian homes, banks and retail establishments sprung up around town. Jerome Wheeler built the Wheeler Opera House and the Hotel Jerome. By 1887 the town boasted a population of 15,000 and was considered one of the riches silver mining areas in the U.S. ![]() The forest is packed with excellent hiking trails leading over the areas high passes, traversing glorious wildflower-filled meadows and wandering past shimmering alpine lakes cradled beneath jagged peaks.Īspen, founded as a mining camp, prospered during the Colorado Silver Boom in the 1880’s. Almost half of the adjacent forest is comprised of wilderness areas – the Maroon Bells/Snowmass, the Hunter-Fryingpan and the Collegiate Peaks. The town lies nestled at the head of the Roaring Fork Valley, amid the incredible landscape of the Elk and Sawatch Mountain ranges and surrounded by the White River National Forest. Fur coats and designer attire give way to hiking boots and tee shirts as scores of regular folks descend upon the town, attracted to the area’s great recreational opportunities and amazing scenery. In the summer the town takes on a decidedly different personality. In the winter Aspen (7,908-ft.), located 41 miles southeast of Glenwood Springs and 200 miles southwest of Denver, is renowned as a world-class ski area and playground for the rich and famous.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |