Winter Retreats in Aspen: Gather in the Snowy Castle Creek Valley at Toklat

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Winter changes the Castle Creek Valley. Snow settles over the meadows, the creek runs quiet under ice and the aspen trunks stand out white against the spruce. Upstream from Aspen, near the Ashcroft ghost town, the Catto Center at Toklat sits in the middle of it all. For more than 75 years, Toklat has nourished the minds, bodies and spirits of generations, and it still offers a window into wildness. If your group wants a winter retreat in Aspen that trades the hotel ballroom for snowshoes and a warm lodge, this is a good place to start.

Why Winter Is a Good Season to Gather at Toklat

Winter strips the valley down to the essentials. With the leaves gone and fresh snow on the ground, the landscape gets quieter and easier to read. Tracks cross the meadows overnight, and an ACES naturalist can tell you who made them and where they were headed. It’s one of the best times of year to look for wildlife around Aspen.

That stillness also carries indoors to the Catto Center at Toklat. After a slow drive up Castle Creek Road and a few minutes in the snow, most people walk in calmer and more focused than they would in a conference room.

The place has a story, too. Stuart and Isabel Mace built Toklat in 1948 as a wilderness lodge and family home, naming it for an Inuit word meaning headwaters. Over the years it has been a sled dog operation, small restaurant, a gathering place and an art gallery. ACES purchased the property in 2004 with support from Jessica and Henry Catto, and today it serves as ACES’ wilderness retreat center.

How a Toklat Retreat Differs From a Typical Offsite

Private retreats here give groups a unique setting to reflect and inspire their best work. The lodge is warm and inviting, with cozy nooks for discussion, a presentation space for when the agenda calls for one, and outdoor spots to gather when the sun is out.

Every private retreat at Toklat includes two things you won’t find at a typical offsite: an introduction to this special place and its history, and an educational outing into the surrounding valley. The landscape becomes part of the agenda instead of a view through the window.

What a Custom Winter Retreat Can Include

ACES shapes each Toklat retreat around what the group wants to come away with. In winter, these are some of the experiences that can fill the day:

• An introduction to Toklat. Every retreat includes the story of this place, from the Maces’ wilderness lodge to the restored retreat center your group is sitting in.
• Naturalist-guided snowshoe outings. Snowshoe tours around Toklat stay on gentle terrain at a leisurely pace and can be customized to your group, so first-timers and regulars can head out together. Expect animal tracks to read, winter ecology to talk through and a lot of quiet.
• Sound bath and forest bathing. Aspen local Megan DiSabatino pairs forest bathing outside in the winter landscape with a restorative sound journey indoors, using crystal bowls, Tibetan bowls, chimes, gongs and drums. Her public Winter Sound Bath and Forest Bathing sessions come to Toklat on January 26 and April 20, 2027 ($30, with a 10% discount for members; registration opens November 1). Groups can ask about weaving a session into a private day.
• Time to talk. Between outings, the lodge’s nooks and presentation space give your group room for planning sessions, small-group conversations or simply a cup of something warm.

Built for Organizations and Individuals Alike

Boards, teams and like-minded organizations

Toklat suits a nonprofit board working through strategic planning without the interruptions of an office day, a staff team looking to build cohesion, or a wellness group or small cohort that wants some quiet. Share your goals when you inquire, and Toklat Project Coordinator Charlie Robinson and the Toklat team can help build the day around them: a morning session in the nooks, a snowshoe outing at midday, a closing conversation before the drive back down the valley.

For mission-driven teams, the proper meeting space runs deeper than scenery. ACES has been educating for environmental responsibility since 1968, and Toklat is one of its three locations, alongside Hallam Lake and Rock Bottom Ranch.

Private tours for individuals, couples and families

A visit to Toklat doesn’t have to be a retreat. A private naturalist-guided snowshoe tour suits individuals, families or small groups who want a winter morning or afternoon in the Castle Creek Valley with someone who knows the land. Morning or afternoon slots are $200 for groups of one or two and $300 for groups of three to eight. Most tours run from the King Cabin to the Pine Creek Cookhouse and back, on the Ashcroft ski touring trails, unless the group heads to Riverdance. Afternoon tours without the cookhouse are rare but can be arranged. ACES is a permitted outfitter guide through the US Forest Service White River National Forest.

Season Note: Private Day Retreats Only, No Lodging

To be clear up front: Toklat does not offer lodging, and there are no overnight stays for retreat groups. Every retreat here is a private day retreat, so plan on arriving in the morning and heading back down Castle Creek Road at the end of the day.

• Retreat format: Private, custom day retreats
• Lodging: None. Plan to arrive and leave the same day
• Included in every retreat: An introduction to Toklat and a 15-minute to half-day educational outing
• Winter ways to get outside: Naturalist-guided snowshoe outings, plus sound bath and forest bathing sessions
• Public hours, October through May: Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5pm
• How to start: The Inquire form on the Catto Center at Toklat page

Want to see the space first? Toklat is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5pm, from October through May. Late December is a good time to visit. In recent years, ACES has opened Toklat for 10 Days of Toklat, a free community open house with nature walks, conversations, crafts and warm drinks by the fire. Check the ACES calendar for this year’s dates.

Plan Your Custom Winter Retreat at Toklat

Starting is simple. Use the Inquire form on the Catto Center at Toklat page and share your name, your organization, your email and, if you like, a short message about what you have in mind. The team will reach out to plan your day. You can also contact ACES directly or call 970-925-5756.

In your message, mention your headcount, preferred dates, the content or topics you’d like to work on and what you hope the group leaves with. Toklat hosts private retreats and public programs throughout the year, so early outreach gives ACES the most room to match your dates. A wilderness retreat this winter is one inquiry away.