Location:

11247 Castle Creek Rd.
Aspen, CO 81611

Hours:

Closed for renovations until winter 2024

Catto Center at Toklat

The Catto Center at Toklat was once the family home of one of ACES’ most influential founders, Stuart Mace, and holds great meaning for the Aspen community. Nestled high in the pristine Castle Creek Valley, the site is often compared to Thoreau’s Walden Pond, Leopold’s Shack, or the Murie Ranch.

The Catto Center at Toklat provides a unique “window into wilderness” for visitors to experience the extraordinary beauty and to understand the rich ecological diversity of the upper Castle Creek Valley. The goal is to challenge the visitor to explore the scientific, historical, and spiritual roots of our relationship with the natural world. Toklat, an Inuit word meaning “headwaters,” was built by Stuart and and his wife Isabel in 1948 as a wilderness lodge and family home. The early dog sledding trips, the pristine sub-alpine environment, and tall tales told around the hearth in the evening drew both locals and visitors from all over the world.

In 2004, with the help of long-time ACES supporters Jessica Hobby Catto and her husband Henry, ACES bought Toklat to preserve Stuart’s legacy and this community touchstone. The Catto Center at Toklat is located near the headwaters of Castle Creek in a dramatic landscape and serves as a gathering place for cultural and ecological discourse.

While You're Here

Visit with a resident Naturalist.

Visit with a resident Naturalist.

Shop with an Artist-in-Residence.

Shop with an Artist-in-Residence.

Pull up a chair and relax by Devaney Creek.

Pull up a chair and relax by Devaney Creek.

Take a sip of “Toklat water.”

Take a sip of “Toklat water.”

Walk the Bettie Willard Trail behind Toklat.

Walk the Bettie Willard Trail behind Toklat.

Listen to the wind. Watch the water. Hug a tree.

Listen to the wind. Watch the water. Hug a tree.

Dine with the Pine Creek Cookhouse.

Dine with the Pine Creek Cookhouse.

Stroll through the Ashcroft Ghost Town.

Stroll through the Ashcroft Ghost Town.

Private Naturalist-Guided Tours

Private Naturalist-Guided Tours

Hire a Naturalist guide for your hiking or educational experience exploring the mountains around Aspen. Our guides know the area and have a wealth of stories and information to share about wildlife, history, and ecology. Private guided options are perfect for individuals, families, or groups. Email guide@aspennature.org and we will help you determine what hike is best for you. ACES is a permitted outfitter guide through the US Forest Service White River National Forest.

Artist-in-Residence Program

Elena Gonzalez Ruiz

The Magic of the Zapotec Hand

Learn More

Trevor Washko

Cold Mountain Craft

Learn More

Other Locations

Hallam Lake

Mon - Fri, 9am-5pm
Sat, 9am-5pm in summer

Hallam Lake

Rock Bottom Ranch

Wednesday-Friday 9am-4pm, Saturdays 9am-1pm

Rock Bottom Ranch

Working together we can make a difference.

Protect our world for the future. A donation to ACES allows us to forge bold innovation in environmental science education, ecological literacy, forest health, restoration of our lands, and sustainable agriculture. We hope you will make an investment in nature today and join a community of environmental stewards!