I have lived here in Colorado since 1989 and there are still many places in Colorado that I have yet to visit or hike. Maroon Bells was one of these places for me. I recognized that Maroon Bells in Aspen is one of the most photographed landmarks in the state of Colorado so I decided I needed to do a quick trip and take some beautiful photographs for myself. I was willing to embrace the “tourist” in me, brave the crowds and shuttles in order to experience the beauty.
Maroon Bells is 4 1/2 hours from our home (south of Denver) so this couldn’t be just a day trip. My son Logan and I decided it would be best (and least expensive) to camp near the Bells. I was able to snag a camping spot at Silver Bar Campground- this is only 5 miles southwest of Aspen on Maroon Creek Road. We stayed in site 1 – it was walk in tent only site. The site had a picnic table and large bear box. There is no water at this campsite but there is a nice river near the site- we used my Grayl GeoPress to filter the stream water and it was perfect! (I used this water bottle on our Costa Rica trip as well – loved it!). Here’s a link in case you were looking to buy one for yourself: Grayl Geopress
Here is a short video to show you how BEAUTIFUL this campsite was :). I loved the short walk through the tall grass and wildflowers to our secluded campsite.
If you wanted to book this site at Silver Bar (or other close campsites such as Silver Bell or Silver Queen Campground) you need to reserve EARLY (6 months) on the Recreation.gov app.
This campsite only has 4 non-electric tent sites. It has a vault toilet and no water source (except the river of course)
Parking/Shuttle at Maroon Bells
You do have the option to drive to Maroon Bells yourself for $10 a day with a reservation. In the summer, you must arrive at Maroon Bells before 8 am. If you don’t want to get up that early, you can reserve a shuttle (like we did). If you choose this option. you can park at Aspen Highlands (ski resort) for $8 per hour (yes, ouch!) or find parking in town (that will cost you per hour as well) and take a free RFTA bus. The RT shuttle should be reserved ahead of time and it cost us $16pp for adults.
The parking lot area/shuttle drop-off has bathroom facilities and an information map of nearby trails. We decided to hike to Crater Lake. It is 3.5 miles RT with a 688 ft elevation gain. (Remember that you are starting the hike at 9,600 ft elevation) Alltrails: Crater Lake trail
If you don’t want to hike very far you can go around Maroon lake on the Maroon Bells Scenic Loop Trail. This trail is under 2 miles and considered easy.
If you want a serious challenge you can tackle the 14er Maroon Peak. I have hiked many 14ers but have not tackled this one- be ready for 11.2 RT miles with 5,013 elevation gain and some class 3 scrambles. (this is NOT for the weary)
After our hike we returned to Aspen Highlands Resort by shuttle and explored a little at the ski resort and the town of Aspen. After some yummy Aspen ice cream we decided to head back to Denver via Independence Pass. This route is closed in the winter but is a beautiful drive in the summer with epic views. I highly recommend it if you have the time.
Leave a Reply