Basalt Colorado
Basalt is a mountain community located at the confluence of the Fryingpan and Roaring Fork Rivers. In addition to Gold Medal trout fishing, the area is a great destination for boating and other water sports and offers a wealth of other recreational opportunities both in Basalt and in the surrounding communities of Aspen, Snowmass Village and Glenwood Springs. There are a dozen excellent cross-country trails as well as lift-accessed downhill skiing within 15 miles of Basalt, both up and down the valley. Basalt began as a railroad town and was known as Aspen Junction until 1895 when the name was changed to Basalt. This name was taken from the basaltic rock formation of Black Mountain (now known as Basalt Mountain) located to the north of the Town. The discovery of coal near Carbondale and the arrival of the railroad allowed the smelters in Aspen to utilize coke from ovens in Cardiff (near Glenwood Springs) and the Crystal River Valley. The combination of these factors resulted in the disappearance of the early community of Fryingpan and the kilns ceased to operate. In the intervening years the kilns have been used by local ranchers to store machinery and even shelter livestock. On August 25, 1993, the Fryingpan Kilns at Arbaney Park were designated as a Local Historic Landmark. Basalt was incorporated in 1901 and since that time, has gone through numerous changes and expansions.
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