| Aspen and Snowmass
are tucked into beautiful valleys beneath spectacular mountain
peaks. Whether you come by ground or air, you will
be treated to a lovely journey. Our mountainous location
makes the trip just a bit more of a challenge than to a
major city. But the beauty and fun of this destination makes
the journey well worth the effort!
Driving to Aspen in the Summertime
allows you two alternatives coming from Denver. You
can either drive west on Interstate 70, south on State Route
91 and west on HIghway 82 over Independence Pass, or drive
west on Interstate 70 to Glenwood Springs and then take
Highway 82 into Aspen. Both routes afford you spectacular
mountain scenery on good roads.
Important Note: Independence
Pass is only open during the summertime. Typically
it opens for Memorial Day weekend (end of May) and closes
sometime in late October. Check with the Colorado
Department of Transportation for current
information.
During the Wintertime
the only highway leading to Aspen is Highway 82 from Glenwood
Springs. The entire route from Denver is four-lane
divided highway with the exception of a five mile section
in Snowmass Canyon between Basalt and Aspen.
Experienced locals who have made
this trip many times have learned over the years a few secrets
which will make your trip to or from Denver more enjoyable
and safer. We thought we'd pass these on to you!
They are:
• Before you leave
Denver (or Aspen on your return trip) check highway conditions
with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) or
state or local law enforcement agencies. Occasionally
Vail Pass closes for a few hours. The above resources
will also advise you as to the highway condition of Interstate
70 and State Route 82.
• Check the current weather
in the mountains and the short term weather forecast.
Whether you're driving from Denver to Aspen or Aspen to
Denver, Vail is a good spot to contact to check current
weather. The Vail police department non-emergency
phone number is (970) 479-2200. The Eagle County
sheriff's department non-emergency phone number is (970)
328-6611.
• Make sure your rental
car is properly equipped with good snow tires or all-weather
tires. All rental car agencies in Denver equipe
their vehicles with tires suitable for Colorado driving
conditions. However, it never hurts to double check
your vehicle!
• Before you leave Denver
(or Aspen on your return trip) pick up a few "munchies"
which are great to have no matter what the road conditions
are, but could be essential if snow conditions force road
closures between exits on Interstate 70!
• Allow plenty of time to
make your trip! In good driving conditions during
daylight hours, it takes approximately 3.5 hours to drive
from Denver to Aspen. In snowy conditions (assuming
no road closures) it can take 5 or more hours (depending
on conditions). If you have an early flight out
of Denver, consider driving the Denver the night before
and arrange lodging near Denver International Airport
for that one night.
• Adjust your speed to match
road conditions! Most all accidents in Colorado
are due to people driving too fast for the current highway
conditions (source: Colorado Highway Patrol). Just
because the speed limit on Interstate 70 west of Vail
is 80 m.p.h. doesn't mean you have to drive 80 miles an
hour! If the road condition are less than ideal,
reduce your speed so you have complete control of your
vehicle. Also, at night, watch for wildlife and
slow down. In Colorado we have large populations
of deer, elk, porcupine, raccoon, bears, and other medium
to large size animals. Hitting a small deer at 75
mph can and will "total" your car!
For
additional information contact our Concierge Desk at 1-800-TO-ASPEN
or (970) 925-1000 x3515
We
hope this information is helpful in planning your trip to
Aspen by car! Please have a safe trip! We hope
to see you soon! |
