My favorite hike in Aspen is a butt kick.  It’s short and steep.  The Ute Trailhead is close to town.  It is about 0.4 miles on Ute Avenue or about a half mile from The Little Nell.  Go early as this trail is very popular with locals and tourists.

This is a pretty shady trail with lots of switchbacks and a steady incline up over a thousand feet in under a mile.  To be exact the trail is .9 miles with an elevation gain of 1,165 feet.

The trail is pretty rocky so I’d suggest hiking shoes or trail running shoes.  You can still do it in regular sneakers but hiking or trail shoes give you a little extra protection.

The rock outcropping sits at 9,185 feet.  Yes, you can expect your heart to be pounding and to be huffing and puffing as you ascend Ute Trail.

The view of Aspen from the rock outcropping is spectacular.