Located just a 20-minute drive from Aspen, Snowmass, Colorado has long lived in the chic mountain town’s shadow, but it’s no consolation prize. Snowmass has been attracting ranchers and explorers for more than a century, providing verdant land, snow-fed creeks and majestic views. Once the ski industry was established in the middle of the 20th century, more people followed, and today it sports the area’s best mountain for summer and winter activities.

In contrast to its ultra-luxe neighbor, Snowmass is relatively affordable and laid back, but it’s still home to all the creature comforts your next vacation requires, including amenity-packed hotels and a growing restaurant scene. Now, all you need is a game plan. Here’s a primer on visiting Snowmass, with everything you need to know about where to stay, what to do and where to find surprisingly good sushi.

How to Get There

The easiest way to visit Snowmass is by plane, and both American Airlines and United offer direct flights into Aspen/Snowmass Pitkin County Airport from a handful of major metro areas. If you can’t book a direct flight, you can stop in Denver before taking a short hop to your destination. Otherwise, it’s about a four hour drive from Denver through mountain peaks and valleys.

Where to Stay

Snowmass accommodations range from simple lodges to luxury hotels and multi-room condos. For spacious and comfortable rooms, great food and a lively après scene, you can’t beat the Viewline Resort Snowmass, which is built into the mountain and located at the top of Snowmass Village. A recent $50 million renovation transformed an old Westin hotel into this shiny new Autograph Collection property, complete with 254 guestrooms, including 18 suites and a couple of two-bedroom penthouses. The lobby has everything you want in a mountain hotel, provided you want slopeside views, a stylish retro-Alpine aesthetic and a floor-to-ceiling fireplace. The property’s ski in/ski out location makes it convenient for winter stays, whether you’re first in line at the lifts or glued to the après-ski patio with a cocktail in one hand and a private-label Viewline IPA in the other. The outdoor pool and hot tubs are welcome respites after a long day outdoors, or visit the spa and oxygen bar before adjourning to dinner at Stark’s Alpine Grill. The downstairs restaurant serves local and seasonal dishes like Ora king salmon, steak frites…