Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness

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Overview

Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness was one of five areas in Colorado designated as wilderness in the original Wilderness Act of 1964 which now comprises of 183,847 acres.

You'll have plenty of human company in Colorado's fourth largest Wilderness. This area exemplifies Rocky Mountain splendor with over 175 miles of trail that take users over nine passes above 12,000 feet, vast regions lie above the treeline, and long glacial valleys pointing to glistening alpine lakes.

With six peaks rising above 14,000 feet, this area draws mountaineers and riders by the thousands annually. The awesome, jagged symmetry of the twin 14,000 ft. the Maroon Bells, reflected in Maroon Lake, is the most photographed peaks in all of North America.

Local Info

Please Note: There are no singletrack trails within Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness that are open to mountain bikes. This page serves as a general overview of the area.

Camping & Lodging

Use Permits: Advance reservation overnight permits are required for the busiest areas of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness including Conundrum Hot Springs, Capitol Lake, Crater Lake, and the Four Pass Loop (including Snowmass Lake and Geneva Lake). Permits must be purchased in advance at recreation.gov. For all other trips to the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, free self-registration is required. Self-registration permits are available at trailheads, parking lots, and wilderness boundaries. For more information, check out the US Forest Service's website.

Food Storage: First is bear-proof storage. The Bells is in bear country and due to an increase in use, increase in bear activity and a focus on safety we have in place an order that requires overnight riders to use IGBC approved bear-proof food storage containers. As a reminder of proper use of the containers; all food (including alcohol), trash, and toiletries must fit in the container.