Hunting, Hospitality, and Heritage: Aspen’s Subtle Ties to Western Colorado
Aspen may be known globally for its designer boutiques, celebrity ski sightings, and lavish après scenes, but there’s another Aspen—a quieter, more rugged side—that leans into the culture of the mountains in a different way. It’s not glitzy. It doesn’t show up in glossy travel spreads. But every year when the summer crowd thins and the gold rush of fall colors sweeps through the Elk Mountains, a different kind of visitor starts to show up: hunters, outfitters, land stewards, and backcountry guides.
And surprisingly, many of them come through Aspen.
While it might seem contradictory to imagine someone booking an Aspen car service to head out for a guided elk hunt, that’s exactly what happens more often than most would guess. In fact, Aspen has become something of a starting point for an emerging hybrid demographic—people who enjoy the outdoor traditions of western Colorado (like hunting and fishing) but also don’t mind ending the day with a soak in a private hot tub, a chef-prepared dinner, or a short walk to the Little Nell for bourbon.
These aren’t your stereotypical hunters. Some are tech entrepreneurs with private land outside of Basalt. Others are actors, retired athletes, or corporate executives who book high-end hunting experiences through local guides. They fly in for long weekends, gear up in performance camo that costs more than most snowboards, and venture out into remote terrain in pursuit of elk, mule deer, bear, or upland game.
Rifle, just 70 miles downvalley from Aspen, plays an essential role in this seasonal tradition. A ranching town with strong ties to Colorado’s hunting and firearms heritage, Rifle is where many of the state’s most experienced outfitters are based. Licenses are processed there. Dogs are trained. Guns are serviced. And from mid-September through November, it becomes the center of gravity for big-game season in the region.
The route from Aspen to Rifle isn’t just geographical—it’s cultural. You leave the curated environment of Aspen’s five-star downtown and within an hour, you're in the rugged high desert, surrounded by sagebrush, cottonwoods, and mesas. This contrast is exactly what draws many hunters in. They enjoy the dissonance: shooting skeet in the morning on a private Rifle ranch, and then returning to Aspen in the evening for a farm-to-table dinner or a performance at the Wheeler.
The connection between the two towns is deeper than one might think. A number of Aspen-based private chefs have started preparing wild game dishes specifically for clients who return from a hunt. There are guides who split time between the two places, living in Rifle but outfitting for guests who stay in Aspen. And for those who don’t want to handle the driving or logistics, local transportation companies offer full-service planning. It’s not unheard of for someone to be picked up in a Range Rover from their rental on Red Mountain, driven to a drop zone outside Rifle, and met by a backcountry guide on horseback for the rest of the day.
Luxury hunting is a real thing, and Aspen is increasingly part of that narrative. These aren’t canned experiences either. While the accommodations may be high-end, the hunting itself is often the real deal—multi-day treks through remote, high-altitude terrain that test fitness, patience, and marksmanship. The contrast between the rugged pursuit and the soft-landing afterward is part of the allure.
It’s not just big game that draws people west. Shotgun sports have also seen a resurgence, with several shooting ranges near Rifle offering clay target courses, private instruction, and competitions. Some travelers build full itineraries around this—flying into Aspen, staying in a private chalet, then commuting daily to shooting grounds near the Colorado River. One week might include upland bird hunting, a long-range rifle clinic, and a final celebratory dinner with locally sourced quail or venison prepared sous vide.
Much of this lifestyle is still under the radar. Hunting is often portrayed either as rustic and rural, or as something completely removed from modern luxury. Aspen quietly straddles both worlds. A person might spend their morning glassing for elk from a ridge near Silt, then spend the evening in a perfectly lit mountain home decorated in mid-century modern furniture and filled with vintage hunting memorabilia. They might wear a Sitka camo jacket and custom boots, then change into cashmere and loafers for dinner. The line between wild and refined is blurred in a way only this part of Colorado can pull off.
For locals and long-time second homeowners, this blending isn’t new—it just hasn’t been talked about much. Hunting has long had its place here. Several prominent Aspen families have their own ranches in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys. Some have private guides on retainer. Others run their own conservation operations, blending wildlife habitat protection with ethical harvest traditions.
Aspen’s environmentalist streak and its hunting culture aren’t necessarily at odds. In fact, many of the town’s most conservation-minded residents are also active hunters. They see responsible game management and land stewardship as part of the same ethos. Some are even involved in rewilding projects, predator tracking, and habitat restoration efforts that directly benefit both the ecosystem and the hunting community.
What makes Aspen’s role in this story unique is how seamlessly it integrates the extremes: the rustic and the refined, the hunt and the après, Rifle and the Residences at The Little Nell. It’s this mix that creates a whole new kind of outdoor culture—one where the thrill of the backcountry can coexist with spa treatments, local wine tastings, and a guided art tour on your rest day.
So, while the ski crowd looks toward winter and the music crowd flocks here in July, there’s another calendar that’s quietly followed each fall. The rut. The migration. The draw results. The private property access permits. It’s a different kind of Aspen experience, but no less crafted—and no less revealing of what this town can offer beyond its glossy exterior.
By: E.B. Solomont and Katherine ClarkeI The Wall Street Journal I July 31, 2025