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Submission
Amazing. Incredible. Beautiful. A Colorado MUST-SEE. You must either reserve a parking pass well in advance or purchase shuttle tickets. We parked in the parking garage and rode the shuttle to the park area. In order to see the lake and the mountains it requires very little effort, the path is paved and handicap accessible. Once down to the main area with water you can branch off to several trails if you so choose. We loved our experience here - I hope we can bring our parents back to see it.
Here are the pros and cons:
The cons: the Maroon Bells shuttle station is a mess. The exit payment is want working so we had to kind a kiosk. We couldn’t find parking on the top level but the only way to get to the lower level is to go out of the lot, circle back around, and come back in! It is $7/hr or $30/day to park.
The cons: the shuttle staff are so friendly! The Maroon Bells are a must see. Bring water and sunscreen and good walking shoes. There is a easy walk around the lake or you can hike to Crater Lake which is a bit rocky. The bathrooms at the Bells were clean, not water in sink. Worth the trip! After, have lunch and drinks at Highlands Alehouse. The burger and shrimp quesadilla was delicious!
Buy tickets in advance and arrive early like they say on the instructions.
This place lives up to the hype. I would love to see the NFS implement a mandatory Leave No Trace informational video to reduce the wear and tear on this heavily used area, but we'll see. We backpacked for 3 day 2 nights and it's an u forgettable experience. The permit system should help significantly with reducing impact and garbage beginning to litter the area.
We had a fun semi-challenging hike up to Crater Lake at Maroon Bells. Takes about an hour to get there from where the bus drops you at the ranger station. Awesome views and a lot of photographic vistas. Saw a fox. Rangers mentioned a black bear is seen up there often but we missed it. A lot of people on this hike and you do have to navigate rocks and boulders. Not for anyone with mobility issues. Ranger station offers walking poles to borrow. There’s a bus that takes you there from Aspen highlands and that is the only way to get there due to the popularity of this site. You can make your visit as challenging or chill as you want. The hike up to crater lake is an option but you see the Maroon Bells perfectly fine from the first lake you come upon less than a quarter mile from drop off point.
Stunning views of nature at its finest from the beautiful trails to the “awe” moments. There is an easy and accessible path to the first lake area. Take a dip in the cool mountain snow runoff in the top lake and embrace an experience you can never get in a cold plunge at home!
