Colorado · Hiking

Sunnyside

8.0 mi
round trip
1,360 ft
climb
10,101 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Aug
best months

Is Sunnyside open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 6 alerts for White River National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · White River National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Sunnyside is a moderate out-and-back hike in the Aspen Ranger District of White River National Forest, about 2 miles from Aspen, Colorado. The trail is 8 miles long, with a one-way climb of about 1,360 feet from a low point of roughly 8,536 feet to a high of about 10,101 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is natural-surfaced, with horses and bikes both allowed. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 73°F with lows near 39°F, while winter highs stay around 31°F. The Shadyside Cut and Shadyside mountain biking trails sit within a mile. Climbers can head to East Face, about 1.4 miles away, and paddlers will find Woody Creek about 2.3 miles off.

Go with a guide

  • Best time to go · Jun–Aug

    Best time to visit Sunnyside

    Best months: June–August. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      31° / 3°

      8 wet

    2. Feb

      33° / 3°

      8 wet

    3. Mar

      39° / 9°

      8 wet

    4. Apr

      44° / 18°

      8 wet

    5. May

      55° / 27°

      9 wet

    6. Jun

      68° / 34°

      9 wet

    7. Jul

      73° / 39°

      12 wet

    8. Aug

      70° / 38°

      12 wet

    9. Sep

      62° / 31°

      8 wet

    10. Oct

      51° / 23°

      6 wet

    11. Nov

      39° / 14°

      7 wet

    12. Dec

      31° / 6°

      7 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Sugarloaf Rsvr, CO, 24.1 mi away at 9,738 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Secret Jedi TrailPhoto: tommypjr, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Secret Jedi Trail

~2 min drive

1.62-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 235 ft elevation gain.

Sunnyside PlungePhoto: tommypjr, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Sunnyside Plunge

~3 min drive

3.21-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's White River National Forest with 1,182 ft gain.

Rio Grande Soft TrailPhoto: Christopher Michel, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Rio Grande Soft Trail

~2 min drive

0.43-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 12 ft of elevation gain.

HIKE

Shadyside

~1 min drive

5.48-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's White River National Forest with 754 ft gain.

Hunter ValleyPhoto: dconvertini, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Hunter Valley

~2 min drive

2.82-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's White River National Forest with 299 ft gain.

HIKE

SMUGGLERS CUTOFF

~3 min drive

5.28-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 1,114 ft elevation gain.

Gold Butte Climber's TrailPhoto: David Leo Veksler, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Gold Butte Climber's Trail

~2 min drive

0.12-mile lollipop trail with 257 ft gain in Colorado.

HIKE

Tinpot

~3 min drive

4.84-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado on the White River National Forest.

InstitutePhoto: Peter Alfred Hess, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Institute

~3 min drive

0.10-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 58 ft of elevation gain.

Smuggler LoopPhoto: Lorie Shaull, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Smuggler Loop

~3 min drive

0.7-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 256 ft elevation gain.