Experiences · Winter
Aspen for non-skiers
Half of many Aspen groups don't ski. The mountain is still theirs: gondolas, naturalist-led snowshoe tours, a coaster, skating and a free art museum.
Half of many Aspen groups don't ski. The mountain is still theirs: gondolas, naturalist-led snowshoe tours, a coaster, skating and a free art museum.
You don't need to ski to spend the day on the mountain. A sightseeing ticket takes non-skiers up the Silver Queen Gondola to 11,212 feet or the Elk Camp Gondola at Snowmass, where there's lunch, a naturalist-led snowshoe tour, an alpine coaster and tubing. In town, the Aspen Art Museum is free.
Details are from Aspen Snowmass's guide to activities for non-skiers, checked September 2026. Hours are winter operating hours and can change with weather; prices are set by season.
Paul Montiel · Aspen · Updated September 2026
Non-skiers ride the gondola and meet the skiers at the Sundeck or Elk Camp for lunch. It's the easiest way to share the mountain.
Book the 10 a.m. snowshoe tour, lunch at Elk Camp, then the coaster or tubing from 11 a.m.
The art museum, a long lunch in town and an in-home massage before dinner. The altitude makes a gentle day a good day.
Ride the Silver Queen or Elk Camp gondolas with a sightseeing ticket, join a guided snowshoe tour, ride the Breathtaker alpine coaster, go tubing, skate at Snowmass Base Village or Silver Circle, and visit the free Aspen Art Museum.
Yes. A sightseeing ticket takes you up the Silver Queen Gondola to the 11,212-foot summit, with a café and the Sundeck restaurant at the top.
Yes. ACES runs guided tours daily at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. from the top of the gondolas; book in advance.
Yes, admission is free. It's open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Yes: more than 50 miles of groomed Nordic trails around Aspen and Snowmass, with rentals at the Aspen Nordic Center.
We plan the other half of the group's day: the snowshoe tour and gondola, a long lunch that meets the skiers, a massage at the house, and a driver when the day ends in town.
Leave the house mid-morning with nothing to carry. A private car takes you down the valley to the springs, with robes, towels and cold water waiting in the back. Soak for as long as you like, have a slow lunch in Glenwood, and come home to a massage and dinner at the house.
A day that never leaves the residence: a late breakfast, a massage in the afternoon light, a long lunch cooked for you, and oxygen and water on hand. For the day after a big ski day, or the day before you fly home.
Reservations, timing, a driver and a picnic for Maroon Bells or a day in the valley, arranged around your group.
A car and driver on call for dinner and the night out, so nobody hunts for a taxi at midnight.
Aspen Snowmass: activities for non-skiers · Aspen Snowmass: 5 unusual winter sports — checked September 28, 2026.
We'll plan days for the non-skiers that meet up with the skiers, and book the tours that need reservations.
Plan the non-ski days