Maroon Bells Four Passes Loop: Backpacking Guide

This is a strenuous backpacking trip, 26.3 miles with approximately 8,000 feet of total elevation gain, most of it on rough, rocky terrain above 12,000 feet. Fit, experienced backpackers complete it in 3 days. A more comfortable pace is 4 days. You should be comfortable with multi-day backpacking before attempting this loop; it is not a beginner trip.

Yes. An overnight permit is required for every zone and night you camp in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. It costs $10 per person per night from May 1 to October 31 (16 and under free) plus a reservation fee, and permits are released on recreation.gov on three dates at 8am Mountain Time (February 15 for April to July, June 15 for August to November, October 15 for winter). The popular zones sell out within minutes. Starting at Maroon Lake also needs a separate parking or shuttle reservation.

Counterclockwise is the most popular direction, starting on the West Maroon Creek Trail and finishing via Buckskin Pass. This saves the iconic view of the Maroon Bells for the final day, which is a good morale boost when you are tired and sore. Clockwise is also fine and avoids the steep talus descent on the west side of Buckskin Pass.

Mid-July through mid-September. The loop is typically snow-free on the passes by late June or early July, though snowfields can linger on north-facing slopes. Peak wildflowers are mid-to-late July. Late August and early September offer drier weather, lighter crowds, and the beginning of fall color in the aspen groves. Avoid going after October 1, early snowstorms are common and passes can become dangerous.

Yes. The overnight permit requires a bear canister or an Ursack in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness; a plain hang is not a substitute. A BearVault BV500 or BV450 works well. Bring enough capacity for your full trip, roughly 100 cubic inches per person per day.

Yes, and it is mandatory. Private vehicles are not permitted past the Aspen Highlands parking area from May 22 to October 18 (2026). The RFTA shuttle runs from Aspen Highlands to Maroon Lake roughly every 20 minutes from 7am. Reserve on visitmaroonbells.com; it costs $16 per adult and $10 for 12 and under.

Two hazards define this loop: thin air on four crests above 12,400 feet, and fast-building afternoon thunderstorms. Sleep a couple of nights in Aspen or Carbondale before you start so your body adjusts to the elevation, then get moving by about 5am each day to clear the high pass before storm cells typically build in the early afternoon. Watch for headache, nausea, and dizziness, descend if they worsen, and never linger on an exposed pass when clouds are stacking up.

Maroon Lake sits near 9,600 feet, so the weather at Maroon Bells is cooler and far more changeable than in Aspen. Summer days typically reach the 60s and 70s with cold mornings, and afternoon thunderstorms build almost daily in July and August. Snow is possible in any month of the year, and the passes on the Four Pass Loop hold snowfields into early July. Bring layers, rain protection, and sun protection no matter the season, and check the forecast the morning you go.

Peak fall colors at Maroon Bells usually arrive from roughly mid to late September, when the aspen groves around Maroon Lake and along Maroon Creek turn brilliant gold below the red peaks. Exact timing shifts a week or so year to year with the weather, so watch local fall foliage reports as September approaches. It is the most popular leaf-peeping spot in Colorado, so reserve shuttle or parking access well ahead for late-September weekends and go early on a weekday if you can.

During the main season, roughly late spring through fall, access to Maroon Lake is managed with timed reservations. Most day visitors park at Aspen Highlands and ride the RFTA shuttle up Maroon Creek Road, with buses departing every 20 minutes or so during operating hours. Shuttle tickets and reservations are sold in advance online and sell out on peak summer and fall-color dates, so book as early as you can. Exact dates, hours, and prices change season to season, so confirm current details on visitmaroonbells.com before your trip.

"Maroon Bells tickets" usually means one of two things: a shuttle ticket reserved on visitmaroonbells.com, or a paid parking reservation at Maroon Lake itself. In peak season you cannot simply drive up during the day: private vehicles are restricted past Aspen Highlands while the shuttle is running, May 22 to October 18 in 2026. A limited number of paid parking reservations have been offered in recent seasons, mainly for early morning and evening arrivals outside shuttle hours, and they sell out fast. Outside the shuttle season you can usually drive the road when it is open and free of snow; check the current-year rules on recreation.gov or with the Aspen Ranger District before you go.

Sunrise is the classic moment at Maroon Bells: on calm mornings the first light turns the peaks red and the reflection in Maroon Lake is at its stillest before the wind picks up. Plan to be at the lake 30 to 45 minutes before sunrise, which means securing a pre-dawn parking reservation since the shuttle usually starts running after first light. Late September sunrises combine alpenglow with golden aspens and are the most photographed, and the most crowded, of the year. Bring warm layers; mornings at 9,600 feet are cold even in summer.

Yes, in two ways. For car camping near Maroon Bells, the Silver Bar, Silver Bell, and Silver Queen campgrounds sit along Maroon Creek Road below the lake; they are small, reservation-only on recreation.gov, and book out months ahead for summer and fall-color season. For backcountry camping, an overnight wilderness permit is required in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness from June 1 through October 31, with zones like Crater Lake selling out within minutes of the March 1 opening. Dispersed roadside camping is not allowed along the Maroon Creek corridor.

Application window: released on three fixed dates, 15 February, 15 June and 15 October, each at 8:00 AM Mountain Time, and you reserve a zone for every single night you camp..

Four Pass Loop zones in July and August go at release. Shoulder dates survive much longer.

Book the zones you can get and walk the loop in the other direction, or shift to September. Snowmass Lake is the zone that goes first.

Aspen, CO is the gateway town, flying into Aspen/Pitkin County (ASE).

Tell us your dates and we ask a local guide who works this area what they can do on your days and what it costs. If nobody is free, we tell you. Asking is free: no card, no deposit, and nothing is held until you say yes.