Marolt Open Space
Managed by Aspen
64 acres1 mi of trail
BergmanCommunity Garden TrailRound AboutMarolt Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ute Cemetery · Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Aspen
36% of Aspen’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 21 miles of mapped trail cross Aspen, 5.4 per square mile of land. 36% of Aspen’s land is conserved, about 893 acres.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #3 of 159 in Colorado. What drives it
Conserved land
36%
893 acres · of 3.9 sq mi of land
Trails
21 mi
5.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
338 ac
50 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
19 mi
0.8 mi lanes · 16 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
What kind of outdoors town is Aspen?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild36% of the land is conserved; a typical Colorado town, 7%.A trail town5.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, among the top 1% of U.S. towns.Parks close to homeVirtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park.History along the way30 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Aspen have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Aspen is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #3 of 159 in Colorado. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Aspen’s overall grade.
Conserved land36% of the land · typical CO town 7% · U.S. 4%A+Trails5.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (21 mi) · CO 1.3 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land50 acres of park per 1,000 residents (338 acres) · CO 14 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · CO 97% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Colorado towns of 2,500+ (159)#3 of 159
Colorado towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 7%; the U.S., 4%), so Aspen’s 36% is ahead of 97% of Colorado towns, while its trails per square mile lead 98% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Marolt Open Space, with 1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Iselin Park
Park
8 acres0.3 mi of trail
Maroon Gorge Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 24 parks & preserves
Marolt Open Space64 acres · 1 mi of trail · Aspen
DirectionsIselin Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Ute Childrens Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRotary Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRio Grande Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsJohn Denver Sanctuary3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Aspen
DirectionsSnyder Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAjax Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Moore Ballfields8 acres
DirectionsWagner Park2 acres
Jenny Adair Sawmill Park2 acres
Paepcke Park2 acres
Newberry Park2 acres
DirectionsHerron Park2 acres
DirectionsHarmony Park2 acres
Bugsy Barnard Park2 acres
Koch Lumber Park1 acres
DirectionsAnderson Park1 acres
DirectionsYellow Brick School Park1 acres
Tot Lot Park1 acres
Glory Hole Park1 acres
Willoughby Park1 acres
DirectionsFrancis Whitaker Park1 acres
Triangle Park1 acres
Who protects it
893 conserved acres
36% of Aspen’s land. Who manages Aspen’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city767 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits178 ac
County129 ac
Private owners2 ac
U.S. Forest Service2 ac
Joint1 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 369 acLocal Recreation Area · 151 acUnknown Easement · 121 acRecreation or Education Easement · 112 acOther Easement · 99 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 316 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 8 of 47 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Aspen City Land - General Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 298 | Open |
| City of Aspen City Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 151 | Restricted |
| Meadows Lot 4 Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 26 | Unknown |
| Maroon Creek Wetlands Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 24 | Restricted |
| Hallam Lake Local Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 22 | Open |
| Aspen Center for Environmental Studies Non-Governmental Lands Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 21 | Closed |
| Pitkin Reserve Local Other or Unknown | County | 20 | Unknown |
| Moore Ballfields Local Park | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Aspen Recreation Center & Park Local Park | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Aspen Highlands Village Local Other or Unknown | County | 13 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
14 places to go in Aspen
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Aspen
Rooftop Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Aspen
Willa Playground
DirectionsPlus 9 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Aspen
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Aspen
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.6 miUnpaved · 9.8 mi
Maroon Gorge Trail1.2 mi
Water Plant Trail1.1 mi
Burlingame Loop0.9 mi
Ajax Trail0.9 mi
Music Tent0.5 mi
Government Trail0.4 mi
Racetrack0.4 mi
Meadows Trail0.4 mi
Red Butte Trail0.4 mi
Thunderbowl Trail0.4 mi
15 more trails
Wheeler Ditch Trail
0.4 miBergman
0.3 miBirlingame Connector
0.2 miSnyder Park Trail
0.2 miScotties
0.2 miCommunity Garden Trail
0.2 miSummit Street Cutoff
0.2 miMaroon Creek Trail
0.1 miMaroon Picnic Trail
0.1 miDeer Hill Connector
0.1 miNo Problem Joe Trail
0.1 miLower Hunter Creek
0.1 miTerral Wade Bridge
0.1 miRound About
0.1 miMarolt Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
19 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
16 mi
off-road bike paths
2.5 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
41Tennis
8Soccer
5Basketball
4Baseball
4Football
2Beach volleyball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →30 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 11 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Wheeler Opera HouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itAspen Community ChurchBuilding · listed 1975
About itPitkin County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itWheeler-Stallard HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itArmory Hall, Fraternal HallBuilding · listed 1975
About itHyman-Brand BuildingBuilding · listed 1985
About itMaroon Creek BridgeStructure · listed 1985
About itSheely BridgeStructure · listed 1985
About itHotel JeromeBuilding · listed 1986
About itBowles-Cooley HouseBuilding · listed 1987
About itCallahan, Matthew, Log CabinBuilding · listed 1987
About itCollins Block-Aspen Lumber and SupplyBuilding · listed 1987
About it18 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Aspen: May to August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 37 | 45 | 52 | 63 | 74 | 80 | 77 | 70 | 58 | 43 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
June is the driest month (1.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 2.1 inches fall in April, the wettest month. The climate in Aspen →
Questions about parks and trails in Aspen
Where can I hike in Aspen?
The longest trail networks: Marolt Open Space, 1 miles; Iselin Park, 0.3 miles; Rotary Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Aspen is conserved land?
36% of its land, against a typical 7% for a Colorado town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Aspen’s trails?
Marolt Open Space and Iselin Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Aspen?
19 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.8 of painted or protected lanes, 16 of off-road paths and 2.5 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Aspen?
51,262 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Aspen or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 341 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Aspen have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #3 of 159 in Colorado. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Aspen neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →