Experience the Newest IMBA Gold Destination This Spring, Summer, and Fall with Lodging Deals

Aspen, Colo. (Jan. 28, 2020) – Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley are the first destination in Colorado to receive the designation as an IMBA Gold Ride Center from the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA). The IMBA Gold-Level evaluation criteria is comprised of key aspects that make for an amazing mountain bike destination and include variety of trail types, overall trail mileage, quality of trail experiences, destination best practices, and local services. The Roaring Fork Valley’s system of trails scored high marks in each of these categories, contributing to the IMBA Gold-Level designation.

From Aspen’s Hunter Creek Valley, to Sky Mountain Park single track between Aspen and Snowmass Village, to the Rio Grande Trail connecting the entire valley, to lift-served trails on Snowmass, the Roaring Fork Valley reigns as one of America’s top mountain biking destinations. The IMBA Gold-Level award distinguishes Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley as an iconic mountain biking destination, and the destination represents the pinnacle of mountain biking communities.

Many visitors have yet to discover Aspen’s “Secret Season” – from mid-May through mid-June. The Secret Season is a quieter time in town when visitors can enjoy great values, including lodging and dining deals, along with all of the recreational activities that town has to offer with fewer people. Many hotels and condominium properties offer rates up to 40 percent lower than peak-season prices, with rates starting as low as $115/night.  Road bike trails to enjoy during the Secret Season include Independence Pass, Aspen to Snowmass Monastery, Castle Creek, Owl Creek and more, and mountain bikers can enjoy trails such as Smuggler and Hunter Creek as well as Sky Mountain Park.

In the summer and fall, Aspen is the epicenter for biking experience and culture. Rates start at $179/night mid-week in peak summer and $129/night mid-week in peak autumn. From meandering riverside trails and serene road riding up to the Maroon Bells (one of the world’s most photographed peaks) to some of the region’s most extreme mountain biking, Aspen has something for every level of rider. Favorite mountain bike trails include Lincoln Creek Road, Smuggler-Hunter Creek Loop, Government Trail and biking hut to hut on Aspen’s famed 10th Mountain Hut Division, 29 backcountry huts in Colorado, connected by 350 miles of suggested routes.

Aspen is host to several biking events throughout the summer, kicking things off in May with the ever-popular Ride for the Pass which takes cyclists to the top of Independence Pass prior to the road opening to car traffic for the season.  The Audi Power of Four Mountain Bike is a premier endurance race across all four of the Aspen Snowmass Mountains and the Grand Traverse Mountain Run & Bike takes racers between Crested Butte and Aspen along an extraordinary 40-mile route.

Biking outfitters in Aspen include Ajax Bike and Sport, Aspen Sports, Aspen Velo Bike Shop, Aspen/Snowmass Four Mountain Sports, Blazing Adventures, Bike Butlers, Hub of Aspen, and Ute City Cycles.

For media information and images, contact Promo Communications at 970.948.3176 or

Maureen Poschman • [email protected]

Melissa Wisenbaker • [email protected]

For visitor information, visit www.aspenchamber.org, or call 1.888.290.1324 or 970.925.1940.

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About Aspen, Colorado – Aspen, Colorado is an authentic, historic mountain town that is renowned for its year-round outdoor lifestyle, cosmopolitan cultural calendar, and bustling downtown ambiance. With an endless array of arts, culture, dining, and nightlife, Aspen is defined by an urbane feel that belies its small-town charm. An Aspen vacation is an experience that energizes the mind, body, spirit, whether soaking in mountain beauty and 300 days of annual sunshine, learning a new skill, feeding a fascination, or simply absorbing the mountain spirit. Located 18 miles east of Independence Pass on the Western Slope of the Continental Divide, Aspen is nestled in the heart of the White River National Forest at the confluence of the Roaring Fork River, Hunter Creek, Maroon Creek, and Castle Creek, and encircled by the peaks of the Elk Mountain Range in the central Rocky Mountains. Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) is conveniently located only three miles from downtown Aspen. For visitor information, a complete calendar of events, or to book an Aspen vacation, visit www.aspenchamber.org, or call 1.888.290.1324 or 970.925.1940.