Basalt, Colorado

These photos are from the Riverwalk and Old Town areas of Basalt. Basalt straddles the county line between Pitkin and Eagle Counties, the parts pictured here being just barely in Eagle County. The greater part of the population of Basalt is where the large new subdivisions are being built, to the west of the old townsite.

Basalt looks as though it was originally a supply center for the mines further back in the hills. The original townsite is located at the confluence of the Fryingpan and Roaring Fork Rivers. These days, the Fryingpan and Roaring Fork are both designated Gold Medal Trout Waters, both sourced in the White River National Forest. That has made Basalt a supply center and hub for fishing, boating and mountain biking in the area. It's another 15 miles up the valley of the Roaring Fork to get to Aspen and all that world-class skiing and celebrity watching...