Maroon Bells

The view from Maroon Lake

The Maroon Bells are two of the most photographed peaks in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The peaks are located just outside of Aspen and are highly visited. For much of the day, when the park road is passable to vehicles, you must board a bus at the Aspen Highlands that will take you Maroon Lake. The bus ticket is $8 and parking is available at the Aspen Highlands ($5 during the week, $10 on weekends). Private vehicles are not allowed from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.


The bus driver narrates a tour on the ~20 minute drive to the lake, but the return journey is not as long. Once the bus drops you off, it's a short walk down to Maroon Lake where you can get a view of the peaks. There are short, easy trails around Maroon Lake, but one trail continues about 1.5 miles up the valley and gains 500+ feet in elevation before arriving at Crater Lake. Crater Lake sits below the peaks, and other trails continue in different directions, allowing the exploration of the surrounding peaks and valleys.

See more photos here.

The view at Crater Lake

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