Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (Hallam Lake)
A 25-acre nature reserve beside the town centre, with lakeside boardwalks for birdwatching and close encounters with rescued golden eagles and owls.
The headquarters of the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) is at the Hallam Lake Nature Preserve, next to the old town. Boardwalks wind through its roughly 25 acres of wetlands, lake and forest, where visitors can observe waterfowl, beavers and deer. The centre keeps rescued birds of prey that cannot be released back into the wild, such as golden eagles and great horned owls, and holds raptor talks in summer. The reserve is free to visit and suits family walks. In summer, ACES also runs nature tours to the Maroon Bells and the summit of Aspen Mountain.
Opening hours
Approx. 09:00–17:00; closed Sundays
Nearby sights
- Aspen Art Museum
- Downtown Aspen
- John Denver Sanctuary
- Wheeler Opera House
- Aspen Music Festival (Music Tent)
- Smuggler Mountain Trail
- Aspen Mountain (Ajax) & Silver Queen Gondola
- Aspen Highlands