I have wanted to do this hike for a long time but wasn’t exactly sure of how to get to the trail! Seven Castles lies about 5 miles up the Frying Pan river from Basalt (which is about 18 miles from Aspen). It is so named because of the cliff formations in the area which may be seen from the Frying Pan road. This hike was my third attempt this summer as the Wilderness Society were sponsoring hikes and they knew how to get there! The first two times I tried the hike was fully booked and then cancelled due to flash flooding risk so I was very excited to finally go! It is amazing how different the countryside is back here – sort of like Utah – with narrow canyons (mountain lion country) leading to beautiful waterfalls. We were even fortunate enough to see a flock of bighorn sheep who crossed the trail ahead of us. They posed for photos but mine did not turn out well enough to put up here!