Ski · Aspen Highlands
Aspen Highlands
The locals' mountain: steep, quieter, with the Maroon Bells in view and Highland Bowl above it all. How to ski it, eat on it and get there.
Photo: Wolfgang Moroder, CC BY-SA 3.0 · All credits
The locals' mountain: steep, quieter, with the Maroon Bells in view and Highland Bowl above it all. How to ski it, eat on it and get there.
Photo: Wolfgang Moroder, CC BY-SA 3.0 · All credits
Aspen Highlands opens December 12, 2026 and closes April 11, 2027. It is 1,040 acres with a 12,392-foot summit, about two-thirds expert terrain, and home to Highland Bowl (270 acres of hike-to terrain) and Temerity. It is best for confident, experienced skiers; there is no beginner terrain.
Dates and features are from Aspen Snowmass, checked September 2026; acreage and vertical from the ski area's published figures. Parking rates from Aspen Snowmass's parking page.
Paul Montiel · Aspen · Updated September 2026
We book an instructor who knows the Bowl, ask for your Cloud Nine table and have a driver at the base. Plan the day.
A snowcat for your group only, a guide, lunch in the trees and untracked snow all day.
Yoga in the morning light, a massage after lunch, and dinner cooked at the house.
From the aircraft door to a warm, stocked house, with nothing to carry and nothing to chase.
A birthday or anniversary at the residence: the table, the chef, the flowers and a photographer.
Highland Bowl is 270 acres of in-bounds, hike-to terrain from the top of Loge Peak, with a free snowcat for part of the way when it runs. Temerity is the steep, lift-served alternative. Both deserve a day or two at altitude first. Full detail in Highland Bowl, on foot.
We book Cloud Nine and the snowcat dinner for you; ask when you plan the ski days. More in Cloud Nine, on-mountain dining and après-ski.
A European-style cabin near the top of the Cloud Nine lift, facing the Maroon Bells: fondue, wine and the most sought-after après in Aspen. Reservations are recommended; book when you book the trip.
Mid-mountain and relaxed, the casual lunch stop: Southwestern-inspired food, DJs through the season and Aperol spritzes by the bucket. The meeting point before the Bowl.
After the lifts close, a snowcat up the mountain for dinner.
More in parking in Aspen.
you are strong skiers who want the steepest terrain in Aspen, or want to hike the Bowl once in your life.
Split the day: experts at Highlands in the morning, everyone meeting in town for lunch. See which mountain is yours.
December 12, 2026, closing April 11, 2027.
No. It has no beginner terrain and ski school starts at age 5; beginners start at Buttermilk or Snowmass.
The garage is free for 30 minutes, then $35 (up to four hours) or $40 on weekdays, and $45 or $50 on weekends.
Two on the mountain: Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro, the fondue and après cabin near the top of the Cloud Nine lift (reservations recommended), and the Merry-Go-Round, the casual mid-mountain lunch stop.
Book one. Aspen Snowmass recommends a reservation on Tock, and peak dates fill quickly. It opens December 12, 2026.
270 acres of in-bounds, hike-to terrain above Loge Peak, with a summit of 12,392 feet.
A private instructor who knows the Bowl, skis tuned and delivered, Cloud Nine booked, and a massage at the house afterwards.
A private lesson matched to the skier and the mountain.
Fitted at the residence, not in a shop queue.
A therapist at the residence after travel or skiing.
A car and driver on call for dinner and the night out, so nobody hunts for a taxi at midnight.
Bowl openings, Cloud Nine and the quiet weeks on the mountain.
Written from Aspen by Paul Montiel. A few letters a season, only when something matters. Leave any time; we never share your address.Aspen Snowmass: Aspen Highlands · Aspen Snowmass: parking and getting around · Aspen Highlands (ski area) · Aspen Snowmass: Aspen Highlands dining — checked September 29, 2026.
Tell us your level and your dates. We'll book the instructor and Cloud Nine and plan the rest around it.
Plan the day
