The Ashcroft Ski Touring and Pine Creek Cookhouse:

The Ashcroft Ski Touring Area and the Pine Creek Cookhouse offer a truly unique recreation and dining experience. Located 12 miles above Aspen in the spectacular Castle Creek Valley, the area offers excellent terrain for all levels of Nordic skiers. Eighteen miles of meticulously groomed Nordic trails are located on over 600 acres in the sub-alpine valley and surround the ghost town of Ashcroft, a turn of the century mining town designated on the National Register of Historical Places.

All trails lead to the Pine Creek Cookhouse, which is located at the headwaters of Castle Creek and Pine Creek at the base of the Elk Mountain Range. This legendary restaurant serves gourmet lunches and dinners with breathtaking views of 13,000-foot Taylor Mountain and Star Peak that crown the valley. In the winter, cross-country skiing, snow shoeing, and a horse drawn sleigh are the only means of access to the Pine Creek Cookhouse. The evening guided ski tour by miner’s light or sleigh ride under the stars to the restaurant are both unique Aspen traditions.
During the summer, the Pine Creek Cookhouse is the premier destination for cyclists, hikers, fishermen, and other visitors to the Castle Creek Valley. The Pine Creek Cookhouse hosts a variety of private functions from weddings and parties to corporate events throughout the year.