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What led me to hike this trail in town actually happened because I miss timed chasing the fall colors in other parts of Aspen, but since fall foliage happens later in town then surround hikes and destinations in the area, I decided to pivot and see if there was anything close to downtown. To my surprise I found this gem of a hike right in downtown Aspen with views of the ski resorts (Ajax & Highlands) along with the surrounding downtown area.
In this post I’ll be going over how to get to the trailhead, detailed trail information, what to expect, and detailed photography. Alright lets do this!
Where is the trailhead located and what is parking like
The trailhead and parking are located on the northeast side of town right by a group of tennis courts and town park. There isn’t many spots, so if parking is full, there is the Rio Grande parking garage, as well as off street parking throughout the town. Keep in mind that it can be challenging to find parking in town! The exact coordinates for the trail are 39.1955, -106.80813.
What makes this trail so unique
Anytime you can find a hike in the backyard of a mountain town it is a gem of a trail in my opinion. I like that you don’t have to go far for this one and that it overlooks not only downtown Aspen, but the surrounding Roaring Foark Valley Mountains.
When is the best time for hiking Smuggler Mountain in the Fall
The fall colors in downtown Aspen actually change a little bit later than peak foliage in other parts of the area. Depending on when the leaves change, typically the last week of September to the first week of October is the best time to catch the best colors.
What should we pack
For this trail, you could honestly hike it in tennis shoes and jeans if you felt like it. It’s not that rocky of a trail. Being a gear enthusiast I think you would still be more comfortable in a solid pair of hiking boots and hiking apparel (Patagonia, North Face, Fjallraven, Arc'teryx, and Norrona). Since it is in the fall I would recommend bringing a warmer jacket and also a rain coat. Lastly make sure to wear sunscreen and pack enough water to keep you hydrated.
What are the trail details
Once you’ve parked and laced up your hiking boots start hiking up the dirt service road. From the start you will get views of the town below and all the amazing fall aspens. To track your hike and see where you are at on the trail download the hike ahead of time on AllTrails. I use this app a lot as it helps with navigation and having a map in my pocket at all times.
You will go through a series of turns and Aspen trees along the way on the first half of the hike. The trail has 810 feet of elevation gain, so although I consider it an easier hike it still requires some effort to get to the top. It is also 3 miles round trip.
As you start to get closer to the top you will notice that the road begins to narrow which is how you know you are almost there! You will notice people trail running, mountain biking, and even vehicles driving up the trail. If you do plan on driving on this road I would recommend 4X4 with high clearance!
Also as you approach the peak, you will be fully exposed with mostly alpine bushes around, which is when having sunscreen will be beneficial. If you look straight ahead you’ll see Red Mountain with some fall Aspens too.
Once at the top you’ll see a couple different trail signs, look for the one that says observation deck and this is going to be the best viewpoint in the house! If you go up for golden hour it’s a peaceful place to watch the sun set over downtown Aspen and surrounding Colorado mountains. There’s going to be a couple side trails up at the top and the road also continues, so if you want more views of fall colors check out one of the trails and you’ll be surrounded by aspen trees. I didn’t venture too far when doing this and hiked back to the overlook area before the sun went down.
It happened to be peak season for the aspen trees on the ski resort, which I was able to capture with my long lens in the first photo below. If you look close enough you’ll be able to see Highlands Peak (along with the ski resort) and Maroon Peak off in the distance.
If you hiked up for sunset you should be able to make it back down before it gets dark as blue hour should give you enough visibility to see where you’re going. Enjoy the last light and enjoy the solitude as well.
That’s it for hiking the Smuggler Mountain trail in the fall, if you’re interested in other fall hikes near Aspen, a few of my favorite are; American Lake, Spiral Point, and of course Maroon Bells.
