The Roaring Fork Valley is a geographical region in western Colorado in the United States. One of the most populated and economically vital areas of the Colorado Western Slope, it is defined by the valley of the Roaring Fork River and its tributaries, including the Crystal and Fryingpan River. It includes the communities of Aspen, Snowmass Village, Basalt, Carbondale, and Glenwood Springs. The valley extends for approximately 50 miles (80 km) southeast to northwest from Aspen northwest to Glenwood Springs at the mouth of the Roaring Fork on the Colorado River, ranging in width between 1 mile (1.6 km) and 5 miles (8 km). It is surrounded by mountains on all sides, in particular on its southwest edge by the high Elk Mountains that are location of the popular Aspen/Snowmass ski resorts. The upper (southeast) end of the valley is sometimes called the Aspen Valley. Mount Sopris dominates the lower (northwest) end of the valley and serves as an unofficial symbol of the region. This is the article on the state. ... The Western Slope of Colorado refers the region of the US state of Colorado west of the Rocky Mountains. ... The Roaring Fork River, a tributary of the Colorado, is shown highlighted on a map of the western United States The Roaring Fork River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately 70 mi (113 km) long, in west central Colorado in the United States. ... Crystal River may refer to: The town of Crystal River, Florida in the United States. ... The Fryingpan River is a tributary of the Roaring Fork River, approximately 30 mi (48 km) long, in west central Colorado in the United States. ... View south along Galena Street in downtown Aspen. ... Snowmass Village is a town located in Pitkin County, Colorado. ... Basalt is a town located in Eagle County, Colorado. ... Carbondale is a town located in Garfield County, Colorado. ... Glenwood Springs is a city located in Garfield County, Colorado. ... Colorado River in the Grand Canyon from Desert View The Colorado River is a river in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately 1,450 mi (2,333 km) long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. ... Aspen/Snowmass is an expansive winter resort complex located in Pitkin County in western Colorado in the United States. ... A ski area is a place where one goes to participate in the sports of skiing and snowboarding. ...

Description and history

The valley was inhabited by the Ute people prior to the coming of the first U.S. settlers over Independence Pass in 1879. The first settlers were prospectors looking for silver in the wake of the Colorado Silver Boom in nearby Leadville. Aspen flourished as a mining community in the late 1880s and early 1890s until the silver crash of 1893. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, coal mining in the valley of the Crystal emerged as an important extractive industry, one that has nearly entirely vanished (coal is still extracted south of McClure Pass in the nearby North Fork Valley). Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... 1879 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Atomic mass 107. ... The Colorado Silver Boom was a dramatic expansionist period of silver mining activity in the U.S. state of Colorado in the late 19th century. ... View of Mount Massive looking west from Harrison Street in downtown Leadville Leadville is the county seat of Lake County, Colorado. ... // Events and Trends Technology Development and commercial production of electric lighting Development and commercial production of gasoline-powered automobile by Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Maybach First commercial production and sales of phonographs and phonograph recordings. ... The 1890s were sometimes referred to as the Mauve Decade, because William Henry Perkins aniline dye allowed the widespread use of that colour in fashion, and also as the Gay Nineties, under the then-current usage of the word gay which referred simply to merriment and frivolity, with no... 1893 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Wyoming coal mine Coal mining is the extraction of coal from the Earth for use during combustion. ... The North Fork Gunnison River (locally known as the North Fork) is a tributary of the Gunnison River, approximately 25 miles (40 km) long, in southwestern Colorado in the United States. ...

The politics of the valley are somewhat complex, arising principally from the fact that the valley is split awkwardly among four different counties: Pitkin (Aspen), Eagle County (Basalt), Garfield County (Glenwood Springs, Carbondale), and Gunnison County. The fragmented structure is in contrast to to the nearby Eagle Valley, which lies entirely within Eagle County. The fragmented govermental structure has made the adoption of a comprehensive land-use and growth policy more difficult, especially in regard to Aspen, which has struggled between the extremes of allowing unbridled growth leading to sprawl and restricting growth altogether. Pitkin County is a county in the U.S. state of Colorado. ... Eagle County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. ... Garfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. ... Gunnison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. ... The Eagle River, a tributary of the Colorado, is shown highlighted on a map of the western United States The Eagle River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately 70 mi (113 km) long, in west central Colorado in the United States. ... Sprawl; please see: urban sprawl (also called suburban sprawl) For the metropolitan region stretching from Boston to Atlanta in William Gibsons fiction, see The Sprawl. ...

The main economic activities of the valley are recreational skiing (principally at the resorts of Aspen/Snowmass) and agriculture (principally livestock raising, including cattle and horses. Potato cultivation has historically been important in the lower valley. The elevation of the valley ranges from approximately 8000 ft near Aspen to approximately 5800 ft near Glenwood Springs. Summer recreational activities include fly fishing (especially on the Fryingpan) and whitewater rafting (especially on the Roaring Fork). Although the valley floor is largely privately owned, most of the surrounding highlands are within the White National Forest, headquartered at Glenwood Springs, Sheep are commonly bred as livestock. ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Rainbow arching over a paddock of cattle Cattle are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ... horse, see Horse (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Solanum tuberosum L. The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, grown for its starchy tuber. ... Fly fishing is an ancient and distinct angling method, developed primarily for salmonids (trout and salmon, mostly) and now extended to other species such as pike, bass, and carp, as well as a wide range of marine species. ... Rafting is a recreational activity utilizing a raft to navigate a river or other body of water. ...

The valley has been one of the most rapidly growing areas of Colorado in recent years, not only in the vicinity of Aspen, but notably in the lower end of the valley below Basalt. The communities of Basalt and Carbondale have served as bedroom communities for day workers in Aspen, where high property values have increasingly strained the ability of low- and middle-income workers to live in the resort. Colorado State Highway 82 serves as the principal transportation artery of the valley. Desite the rural character of much of the valley and the absence of large cities, the valley is served by an extensive public transportation system called the Roaring Fork Transit Authority, which is a popular commuting route between Aspen and its bedroom communities for day workers. A bedroom community is a town or city that is primarily residential in character, with most of its residents commuting to a nearby town or city to earn their livelihood. ... Colorado State Highway 82 is a state highway of the U.S. state of Colorado. ... A taxi serving as a bus Public transport comprises all transport systems in which the passengers do not travel in their own vehicles. ...

Communities

• Aspen
• Basalt
• Carbondale
• El Jebel
• Glenwood Springs
• Marble (Crystal Valley)
• Meredith (Fryingpan Valley)
• Redstone (Crystal Valley)
• Snowmass (sometimes called "Old Snowmass")
• Snowmass Village
• Woody Creek