Destinations · Colorado · United States
Aspen, by private jet.
Aspen/Pitkin County Airport sits a few minutes from town at 7,820 feet, in a narrow valley with terrain on both sides. It is one of the most demanding fields in American private aviation — which is exactly why the aircraft and the crew matter more than the price on the first page.
The airports
ASE
Aspen/Pitkin County
Closest to town. Single runway of about 8,000 ft at 7,820 ft elevation; 95 ft wingspan limit and a night curfew (roughly 11 pm – 7 am).
EGE
Eagle County Regional
The usual alternate when weather, wingspan, or peak-week parking rules out Aspen — about an hour and a half by road.
RIL
Rifle Garfield County
A further alternate to the west, used when both valley fields are constrained.
The aircraft that fits.
The wingspan limit at ASE rules out several ultra-long-range types, including the Gulfstream G650 and the Bombardier Global 7500. Light, midsize, and super-midsize jets — and most large-cabin aircraft under the limit — work well, subject to weight and temperature on the day.
The aircraft, by class →When to brief early.
Christmas, New Year, and Presidents' Day weekends bring ramp-space limits and slot pressure. Brief early for those weeks, and expect de-icing to be part of a winter departure.
Check the range from your departure →
Four mountains, one pass.
01
Aspen Mountain
Ajax — straight up from town, and the gondola most visitors start with.
02
Snowmass
The biggest of the four, with its own village and long cruising runs.
03
Aspen Highlands
The local favourite, and the hike to Highland Bowl.
04
Buttermilk
Gentle terrain, and the long-time home of the Winter X Games.
Where to stay.
The Little Nell
At the foot of the gondola, ski-in, ski-out — a Forbes Five-Star for three decades.
Hotel Jerome
The 1889 landmark on Main Street, now Auberge.
The St. Regis Aspen
Steps from the Aspen Mountain gondola.
Once you land.
Dinner
Matsuhisa
Nobu Matsuhisa's Aspen original, in a Victorian house in town.
Dinner
Element 47
The fine-dining room at The Little Nell, at the base of Aspen Mountain.
Lunch
Ajax Tavern
Slopeside at the bottom of the gondola — the classic first stop off the mountain.
Lunch
White House Tavern
A small, much-loved lunch spot in a historic house downtown.
From current public guides. Hours and booking rules change — the principal can confirm before you fly.
