Snowmass Is Becoming a Go-To Colorado Destination

A number of high-profile developments are on the rise

Trees in Snowmass, Colorado
Winter decorations in Snowmass, Colorado.
RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post via Getty Images

In 2019, The New York Times wrote about a Colorado destination seeking to make a name for itself. The space in question is Snowmass, and as the Times‘ Elaine Glusac pointed out, it had long been overshadowed by nearby Aspen. Glusac wrote about the developments that had been underway there for many years, including the opening that winter of Snowmass Base Village.

Six years have passed; in that time, Snowmass’s reputation and amenities have grown. Writing for InsideHook in 2022, Kevin Gray observed that it was “relatively affordable and laid back” compared to its better-known neighbor. If you’d prefer a more luxurious trip to the mountains of Colorado, though, Snowmass is gaining ground there as well.

Writing at Business Insider, Monica Humphries recently surveyed Snowmass’s ongoing development, which includes a growing push to appeal to what she refers to as “wealthy travelers on the hunt for a luxury vacation.” Humphries points to the ongoing work on the luxury development Stratos as one element of this; according to her article, work will be completed on it in 2027. Currently, a number of residences are available, with prices ranging from $2.95 million to $30 million.

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Snowmass Mountain manager Susan Cross told Business Insider that “I’ve seen it go from a ski area to a resort.” As you might expect, that’s led to some conflict among locals over whether the push for Snowmass’s own identity has lost something ineffable that first drew people there. Snowmass isn’t the first locale where that debate is taking place; it’s also unlikely to be the last.

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