The main river running through Aspen, Colorado, is the Roaring Fork River.
The Roaring Fork originates some 13 miles (or 21 kilometers) east southeast of Aspen at Independence Lake, an alpine lake near Independence Pass in the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains.
From Aspen, it continues flowing northwest along the Roaring Fork Valley (named after the river) to Glenwood Springs where it joins the Colorado River. The 70-mile (or 110-kilometer) long river is popular for recreational activities such as whitewater rafting and fly fishing.
