On the outskirts of Aspen, the Smuggler Mine is the opposite of a tourist trap. Almost 1,800 feet into the earth, tours for the 128-year-old mine operate by reservation only. Tours starts in a shack that served as the mine office, and after a crash course in Aspen’s shuttered mines—some tunnels really do go under the courthouse—visitors are fit for hard hats and miner’s lights. The opening of the mine looks like little more than an oversized rabbit warren. Some of the tunnels are so tiny that they measure just a tad wider than your shoulders. (Anyone over six feet tall should be prepared for some serious hunching.) Fun for the whole family, learn about some of Aspen’s rich history, beginning in the mine that produced the world’s largest silver nugget in 1884.
Aspen, Colorado | 970.925.2049 | allaspen.com










