Dallas to Aspen road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time

Planning a Dallas to Aspen road trip itinerary

The Dallas to Aspen drive takes you from north Texas to one of Colorado’s top ski resorts.

Dallas has plenty of high quality cultural attractions. These include the Nasher Scupture Center, Pioneer Square and the Perot Museum of Science and Nature.

But for many visitors, the main reason to visit Dallas is the JFK assassination. Yes, you can go up to the Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald supposedly took his shot from.

Top Dallas experiences include a JFK Assassination and Museum tour, the GeO-Deck at Reunion Tower and a self-guided scavenger hunt.

Good places to stay in Dallas with a pool include the sassy Kimpton Pittman downtown and the historic Warwick Melrose near Turtle Creek.

The best way to combine the JFK sites in Dallas is a special themed tour. This takes in the JFK Memorial, Dealey Plaza and the Grassy Knoll before heading to Lee Harvey Oswald’s rooming house. It finishes in the Sixth Floor Museum of the Texas Book Depository. On the way, expert guides take you through the assassination facts and theories. Find out more here.

Of the Colorado ski resorts, Aspen is the one with the star power. But it also has a sense of heritage grandeur, and cultural leanings. You’ll find ballet, art museums, concerts and theatre here, alongside the snow.

For skiers, four mountains are linked together with 336 trails and 46 lifts. For non-skiers, there are ghost tours, history tours, yoga classes, fat biking, ice climbing and fly fishing.

You will almost certainly need to book your Aspen accommodation in advance. Look for the best deals here.

Dallas to Aspen distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Dallas to Aspen is 930 miles. You can expect a driving time of around 15 hours and 12 minutes.

The best road trip stops to add to a Dallas to Aspen road trip itinerary are Wichita Falls TX, Amarillo TX and Raton NM.

Best stops between Dallas and Aspen: Wichita Falls TX

The ‘falls’ in Wichita Falls is a man-made waterfall in Lucy Park. Artificial or not, it still looks pretty cool. But there’s more to see in this North Texas city.

If you want serious, there’s the Museum of North Texas History. If you want fun, there’s the Castaway Cove Water Park. And, for a touch of nature, plump for the River Bend Nature Center.

Dallas to Aspen drive: Amarillo

Amarillo is a classic stop on Route 66. Highlights include Cadillac Ranch, an art installation featuring 10 brightly-painted Cadillacs buried nose-first in the ground. You’ll also find the Texas Air and Space Museum here, and the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame. For the great outdoors, Palo Duro Canyon State Park is just to the south-east of the city.

Interesting Amarillo activities include Route 66 walking tours and scavenger hunts.

For high quality Amarillo accommodation, try the historic Barfield or the spacious Embassy Suites Amarillo Downtown.

Dallas to Aspen road trip attractions: Raton NM

Raton NM lies just to the south of the scenic, 7,834ft-elevation Raton Pass, which straddles the Colorado/ New Mexico border. This was once one of the key points on the Santa Fe Trail. There’s a scenic overlook on the Colorado side, and a camp and café on the New Mexico side.

Raton is also the gateway to the Sugarite Canyon State Park, which offers all manner of outdoor activities and plenty of wildlife viewing.

Aspen, Colorado, outside the ski season.
Aspen, Colorado, outside the ski season. Photo by Lyndsey Duffer/ Unsplash.

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