Parks & Open Space

The City of Aspen’s Parks and Recreation Department manages over 30 world-class parks ranging from small neighborhood parks with playgrounds to over 1,300 acres of vast open spaces with mountain vistas and streams. The Parks Department manages over 22 miles of hard surface, soft surface and single-track trails through one of the most scenic mountain backdrops in the world. The trail system provides both summer and winter use making it one of the largest trails systems in the state. In the winter, the City of Aspen operates the Aspen / Snowmass Nordic Ski Trail System, over 90 kilometers of groomed trails connecting Aspen, Snowmass and Basalt, one of the largest free cross country ski trail systems in the country!

Parks & Fields

Aspen’s parks and athletic fields create spaces for picnics, quiet contemplation, weddings, soccer and rugby games, and our downtown pedestrian mall provides premier international people-watching where children can play in the DeWolf/Fulton fountain, also known as the Dancing Fountain.

Maintenance

Our parks are maintained by highly trained grounds-maintenance technicians using the most up-to-date equipment and ecological practices. The City of Aspen is committed to preserving, protecting, and enhancing its natural surroundings with the 2001 voter-approved funding for the purchase of open space. These parcels encompass wetlands, shrub lands, and forested areas.