Area Guide

Where is this happening?

Just outside the former city limits of Marble, Colorado, now unincorporated. It’s part of the White River National Forest, and sits in the Elk Mountains within the greater Rockies. The trail we sponsor and work on, Raspberry Creek Trail, has its main trailhead off of the road up the marble quarry from which the town gets its name. The same quarry provided the marble for the Lincoln Monument and Treasury Department building, amongst other D.C. landmarks.

Travel Strategy

The nearest airport is Aspen, about a 50-minute drive from the house. For more info on flight logistics, check out the FAQs. It should be early enough in fall that most passes, and specifically Independence Pass, will be accessible if you’re coming up from the south and don’t want to drive through Denver and then back down into the mountains. It’s dealer’s choice from any other direction, really, and the most direct from the west. If you fly to Aspen, we may be able to coordinate some shuttling on Wednesday afternoon/night and Sunday. If you fly to Denver, you’ll need to rent a car and drive the 3 hours from there. We love you, but that’s a pretty epic shuttle service.

Camping

If you love camping, we highly recommend the Bogan Flats Campground, which is a part of the National Forest Service. It sits right along the Crystal River, and is just a few miles down the road from the Thompson homestead.

Crystal River & Beaver Lake

The bank of the Crystal River – a tributary of Roaring Fork River – is about 400 yards from the homestead, and it is renowned for its fly fishing. Rainbow, cutthroat and brown trout are plentiful in this waterway. Down the other direction, just past Marble proper, is Beaver Lake, which has been stocked with trout, as well.

Hiking, Biking & Running

There are plenty of trail options within 15 minutes drive time, and even more within 30. It’s also pretty common to see cyclists and runners zipping up and down County Road 3, which runs by the house, throughout the year.

Grub

Believe it or not, there’s a pretty incredible Detroit-style pizza place in Redstone. It rules. The same people own and operate a solid BBQ joint in Marble. After that, the nearest food — restaurant, grocery or otherwise – is 30 minutes away in Carbondale.

Brews

Hey, we’ll have plenty of suds, but if you’re hankering for a tasting adventure, there are 7 breweries or taprooms sprinkled between Carbondale, El Jebel and Glenwood Springs.

Sights

Well, this is pretty obvious. You know, just look around. But if you want something off the beaten path, stop by Doc Holliday’s grave in Glenwood Springs. Isn’t that a daisy?