Residence · Travelling with dogs
Aspen with dogs
Aspen is a genuinely dog-friendly town, with a few rules that catch visitors out. What to know, and how to plan the days when the dog can't come with you.
Aspen is a genuinely dog-friendly town, with a few rules that catch visitors out. What to know, and how to plan the days when the dog can't come with you.
Dogs are everywhere in Aspen, and several parks let them run off leash. But dogs must be leashed downtown and on every trail, the buses only take pets in a carrier, and there are ski days and dinners where the dog can't come. The trip goes well when those hours are planned before you arrive.
These are the local rules as published by the Aspen Chamber, RFTA and the Aspen Animal Shelter, checked in September 2026, plus how we plan dog care around a stay.
Paul Montiel · Aspen · Updated September 2026
In winter, the dog is the one member of the party who can't ski. Most visitors solve that one of three ways: day care at the shelter's kennel (drop-off from 7 a.m., pick-up by 6 p.m.), a sitter or walker who comes to the house, or taking turns. Holiday weeks fill up, so book day care or a sitter when you book the flights, and have vaccination records ready to send.
Evenings are the second gap. A sitter at the house for two or three hours is usually simpler than rearranging the reservation.
Buses take pets only in a carrier, so a larger dog means a private car or your own vehicle. Tell the driver in advance so the vehicle has room for a crate and the dog's bags.
Check the rental agreement allows dogs, and whether a pet fee or deposit applies. Ask if the garden is fenced; many Aspen properties are not.
Keep the lead on until you know the ground. Rio Grande Park and Marolt Open Space are the easiest first outings from town.
Aspen has bear, elk, deer, moose and coyote, all of which can hurt a dog that gets too close. Moose are the most dangerous: keep dogs leashed and well back. In winter, avalanche control explosions and the Fourth of July cannon can frighten dogs; sign up for Pitkin Alerts to hear about planned loud events.
Yes. Dogs are welcome in town on a leash, and several parks allow off-leash play: Rio Grande Park, Wagner Park, Marolt Open Space and Smuggler Mountain Road.
Only in a carrier. RFTA allows service animals, or a pet that fits and stays in a carrier. The summer Maroon Bells bus is the exception.
In summer, yes: dogs ride free in marked cabins on Aspen Mountain's Silver Queen Gondola.
The Aspen Boarding Kennel at the Aspen Animal Shelter runs day care every day from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. ($50 a day) and overnight boarding. Private sitters and walkers are the alternative; we can arrange either before you arrive.
The pond at Marolt Open Space is open to dogs.
Send the dates and a little about the dog. We book day care or a sitter around ski days and dinners, arrange a car with room for the crate, and have food and a bed at the house when you arrive.
Day care, walks or a sitter at the house while you ski or dine, booked before you arrive.
Winter-equipped vehicle and driver for the four-hour drive, re-timed as roads change.
Heat, lights, beds and the first evening sorted before you walk in.
The kitchen stocked to your list before you land.
Aspen Chamber: dog friendly guide · RFTA FAQ (pets) · Aspen Animal Shelter: boarding · Aspen Trail Finder: leash laws — checked September 28, 2026.
Dates, the dog's size and anything we should know. We'll arrange care around your days and make sure the house is ready for both of you.
Arrange dog care