Located 170 miles west of Denver and 30 miles from Aspen in the heart of Colorado’s central Rocky Mountains, the picturesque town of Carbondale was first occupied by the Ute Indians, then by silver prospectors, cattle ranchers, and potato farmers. With a strong arts and music community, the town embraces its mining, ranching, skiing, and resort identities, and has also become an attractive place for sustainable businesses.

Touted as one of the “Top 12 Towns” in the “50 Next Great Places to Live and Play” by National Geographic Adventure magazine, and as one of the “50 Best Places to Live/Most Active Towns” by Men’s Journal magazine, Carbondale is a great base camp for recreation enthusiasts.

At an altitude of 6,171 feet, the Carbondale area is characterized by an average of 295 days of sunshine, low humidity, cold but mild winters, and comfortable summers. Resting in the magnificent shadow of 12,953-foot Mt. Sopris, Carbondale offers plenty to do, including biking, hiking, gold-medal fly-fishing, kayaking, and world-class skateboarding. In winter, excellent cross-country skiing can be found at Spring Gulch, and beautiful snowmobiling and snowshoeing trails are accessible in all directions. World-famous downhill skiing and snowboarding is 30 miles away in Aspen/Snowmass and 15 miles away at Sunlight Mountain.

For a spectacular driving experience, the West Elk Loop, a Colorado Scenic Byway, starts/ends in Carbondale and wanders on the edge of town, and the commercial airports of Aspen, Eagle/Vail, and Grand Junction offer convenient access to Carbondale.

Carbondale residents embrace a sense of community that manifests itself in the promotion of recreation, great dining, art and artists, public radio, renewable energy and resources, community gatherings and events, and a wide range of economic, social, and philosophical viewpoints. Carbondale also has a lively and thriving creative district. 

The Town of Carbondale strives to provide up-to-date information on town services and is working to enhance your quality of life. To learn more about the Town of Carbondale, and to visit the Town’s website, click here. To download a map of parks, open space, and trails in Carbondale, click here.