more stats
2.0 miles
Distance
165 ft
Climb
-677 ft
Descent
00:11:06
Avg time
-513 ft
Altitude change
7,786 ft
Altitude min
8,332 ft
Altitude max
8,324 ft
Altitude start
7,812 ft
Altitude end
-4.8%
Grade
-33.1%
Grade max
24.5%
Grade min
2,185 ft
Distance climb
1 mile
Distance down
2,671 ft
Distance flat
00:11:06
Avg time

Airline Trail Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Sky Mountain Park
    Aspen, Colorado
  • Difficulty Rating
    Blue Rate
  • Local Popularity
    100 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 85 in Trail Running
    • 85 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #48096 in Mountain Biking
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T1 Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC
  • Direction
    Downhill Only[+]
    • Downhill Only for Trail Running
    • Downhill Only for Hiking
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Season
    Seasonal wildlife closure in effect Dec. 1 through May 15
  • eBike Allowed
    No
  • TTFs on Trail
    Berm, Jump, Gap Jump
  • Land Owner
    Pitkin County Open Space & Trails

Overview
This was originally constructed in Fall of 2013 for two-way travel, but is now downhill-only for bikes The very bottom of the trail remains open to two-way travel for a short distance, and provides access to Sky Mountain Park from the Aspen side from the Owl Creek Trail and nearby Buttermilk ski area parking lot. Please keep this in mind when descending from the start of the Incline/Airline intersection back to the Owl Creek Trail.

If accessing from the Brush Creek Park and Ride (aka Intercept Lot), climb the winding Cozyline Trail through the endless sage and scrub oak gullies, eventually arriving at the start of the Airline Trail 800 feet above Highway 82. If riding from Aspen, use the Butterline Trail as a nice, flat warm up before starting up the still two-way section of the Airline Trail. Soon enough, you'll take a left on the Incline Trail and meander through the shale landscape as you work your way higher and higher. Incline Trail eventually tops out on the ridge, just west of the airport's radar. From here, descend the top section of Cozyline Trail to the start of Airline Trail.

This trail was a first of its kind for the Aspen / Snowmass area, featuring many flow trail elements including large, generous berm turns, dips, and rollers. You'll find a number rollers along the way that offer opportunity for "air" time. Additional improvements for downhill flow and fun were made in 2023.

Enjoy big views of the upper valley towards Independence Pass & Aspen Mountain, not to mention the airport runway just below.

Disclaimer

The majority of this trail is now open to downhill only travel for bikes (except the bottom 1/4 mile where two-way travel is allowed for uphill access to the Incline Trail. One Way Only: This is designated as a directional trail.

Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 5 rides
  • 25.2 km average
6 Months
  • 77 rides
  • 30.7 km avg distance
All
  • 366 rides
  • Last: Sep 10, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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Status:
on Aug 2, 2026
Dry
Avg: 4.38 (12 votes)
Your vote: 0

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Trail Conditions
  • Unknown
  • Snow Groomed
  • Snow Packed
  • Snow Covered
  • Snow Cover Partial
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
Trailforks scans users activity logs to determine the most popular direction each trail is ridden. A good flowing trail network will have most trails flowing in a single direction according to their intension.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
  • > 96%
  • > 90%
  • > 80%
  • > 70%
  • > 50%
  • < 50%
  • bi-directional trail
  • no data
Trail Last Used
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  • < 2 days
  • < 1 week
  • < 2 weeks
  • < 1 month
  • < 6 months
  • > 6 months
Trail Ridden Direction
The intended direction a trail should be ridden.
  • Downhill Only
  • Downhill Primary
  • Both Directions
  • Uphill Primary
  • Uphill Only
  • One Direction
Contribute Details
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  • Description
  • Photos
  • Description & Photos
  • Videos
Trail Popularity ?
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months. Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades. Think of this as a heatmap, more activities = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
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Jump Magnitude Heatmap
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BC Backroad Status

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Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
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        Directions to airline-trail-27342 trailhead (39.234910, -106.883660)
        View on Discover Map

        Photos

        1 more »
        report
        mtb
        115 |
        May 19, 2019 @ 10:36am
        May 19, 2019

        Videos

        no videos have been added for Airline Trail yet, add a video.

        Routes with this trail

        29
        Skyline Ridge Adventure
        ★ 5.0 • 18 miles • 2,196 ft • 8 • Loop •
        Ride the Skyline Ridge Adventure to experience an excellent selection of Snowmass trails. Expect a decent...
        84
        Aspen Snowmass Mega Loop (IMBA Epic)
        58 miles • 8,920 ft • 19 • Loop •
        158
        Snomwass/Government Loop
        33 miles • 5,521 ft • 35 • Loop •
        Trying to find a way to loop Snomwass and Governement.
        4.6 ★★★★★
        12 Ratings
        5 ★ 83%
        4 ★
        3 ★ 8%
        2 ★ 8%
        1 ★

        2 Reviews & Comments

        Darhawk
        Fun contour downhill with a few switchbacks. Great for XC riders.
        Pedalnomad Pedalnomad
        Flow, very few rocks. As a climb you get a few short breaks and quite a few steep switchbacks. As a decent it's pretty fun, a few small jumps.

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        Nearby Trails

        Sky Mountain Park

        • By toddTF Pro Trailforks & contributors
        • #27342 - 2,526 views

        Frequently Asked Questions

        ▼ Where is Airline Trail located?
        Airline Trail is located in Sky Mountain Park, Aspen, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Sky Mountain Park trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 39.23491, -106.88366.
        ▼ How hard is Airline Trail?
        Airline Trail is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 4.8%.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Airline Trail?
        Airline Trail has 165 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 677 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 7,786 ft to 8,332 ft.
        ▼ Is Airline Trail a point to point trail?
        Yes, Airline Trail is a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Only. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ How long is Airline Trail?
        Airline Trail is 2.0 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on Airline Trail?
        There is no information about dogs being allowed on Airline Trail. Check with local trail managers or the trail page for the latest access rules.
        ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Airline Trail?
        Airline Trail is best visited during: Seasonal wildlife closure in effect Dec. 1 through May 15.
        ▼ How do I access Airline Trail? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Airline Trail are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How long does it take to ride Airline Trail?
        Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 21 minutes to ride Airline Trail. The trail is 2.0 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
        ▼ How busy is Airline Trail?
        Airline Trail is a very popular trail. There have been 2,353 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 2,628 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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