Aspen Highlands, Colorado

Aspen Highlands occupies a distinct and revered position in the Aspen Snowmass ski area: it is the mountain for serious skiers. While the other three mountains in the Aspen Snowmass complex offer broader terrain variety, Highlands is defined by its expert character — and above all by Highland Bowl.

Highland Bowl is a 1,000-acre above-treeline powder bowl accessible via a 20-minute bootpack hike from the top of the Olympic lift. The reward is some of the finest inbounds powder skiing available anywhere in North America: wide-open slopes, consistent pitch, and the physical commitment of earning it on foot. The bowl has a near-legendary status among expert Colorado skiers.

Below the Bowl, the main mountain provides solid intermediate and expert terrain on the upper faces and in the trees. Beginner terrain is limited — this is not a beginner mountain by design or culture. The Merry-Go-Round restaurant mid-mountain offers a classic on-mountain dining experience with views across the Elk Mountains. A free skier shuttle connects Highlands to the other Aspen Snowmass mountains and the town of Aspen, allowing for multi-mountain skiing on a single lift ticket.