Several wilderness areas surround Aspen, Colorado, each offering unique and beautiful terrain for exploring. Hiking and nature enthusiasts flock to Aspen, Colorado in late summer to experience this beautiful part of the country.

The Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness Area is just southwest of Aspen, Colorado proper. The alpine meadows, whose wildflowers are in full bloom by mid-July, are not to be missed.

Just southeast of Aspen, Colorado, the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness area features more 14,000 foot summits than anywhere else in the lower 48 states.

The Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness Area is one of the trails less traveled in the Aspen wilderness. Just east of Aspen, Colorado proper, this high-elevation area feels almost untouched, with unnamed peaks and untapped trout rivers in the Williams Mountains.

Mount Massive Wilderness Area is home to Mount Massive, Colorado’s second highest peak at 14,421 and is also a great place for exploring around Aspen, Colorado.