Maroon Bells Lake parking

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dwoodward13
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Re: Maroon Bells Lake parking

Post by dwoodward13 »

CaptainSuburbia wrote: Tue Apr 13, 2021 9:47 am
dwoodward13 wrote: Tue Apr 13, 2021 9:24 am
ccerling wrote: Tue Apr 13, 2021 8:10 am If anyone happened to score a day parking, midnight to midnight, or overnight pass reservation starting on on 7/3 I'd be more than happy to chip in some gas money or something to get a ride up Maroon Creek Road to the trailhead. I'll even cling to your roof rack if that's the only space you have. I'm looking to run the 4 pass loop that day and I would prefer to not start my day off with a 9 mile+ uphill bike ride in the dark.

There's still plenty of day parking for that day. Midnight to midnight also has 10/24 slots open...
I don't see any spots available except for May and late October :(
Its a bit confusing how they have it set up for the "main" season. It implies that all are shuttle spots, but if you are choosing any of options outside of "shuttle" or "downhill shuttle" they are parking permits, not shuttle reservations even if the main header says "Shuttle Season Reservations".

As of this morning there are only 3 days sold out for 12am-430pm permits. A bit less availability for midnight to midnight, but hardly any availability for the 60 hour permit. Circle below means availability.
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CaptainSuburbia
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Re: Maroon Bells Lake parking

Post by CaptainSuburbia »

dwoodward13 wrote: Tue Apr 13, 2021 9:54 am
CaptainSuburbia wrote: Tue Apr 13, 2021 9:47 am
dwoodward13 wrote: Tue Apr 13, 2021 9:24 am

There's still plenty of day parking for that day. Midnight to midnight also has 10/24 slots open...
I don't see any spots available except for May and late October :(
Its a bit confusing how they have it set up for the "main" season. It implies that all are shuttle spots, but if you are choosing any of options outside of "shuttle" or "downhill shuttle" they are parking permits, not shuttle reservations even if the main header says "Shuttle Season Reservations".

As of this morning there are only 3 days sold out for 12am-430pm permits. A bit less availability for midnight to midnight, but hardly any availability for the 60 hour permit. Circle below means availability.
Ok thanks! I was looking at pre shuttle season. Now I see lots of spots :-D
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Re: Maroon Bells Lake parking

Post by ccerling »

Yeah that's not straightforward at all. Thanks!
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Re: Maroon Bells Lake parking

Post by r_grizz »

crowdsurf wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 12:19 pm
Barnold41 wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 12:01 pm "The most photographed peaks in North America"

...find another route and enjoy the Elks. Standard is overrated, anyway.

If you haven't done it, how do you know? Got my 2 day reservation for August 29th-31st to try and avoid the crowds. Looking to do N. Maroon or the traverse S to N.

Stoked!


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I can say for fact that he's only even driven his own vehicle for an attempt at Maroon Peak. He knows absolutely ZERO about climbing North Maroon P....and is literally too scared to even try "The Traverse."
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Rollie Free
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Re: Maroon Bells Lake parking

Post by Rollie Free »

If anyone is interested there are some 24 hour parking passes for weekdays in the first half of September.

https://aspenchamber.org/plan-trip/trip ... ns/24-hour
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Re: Maroon Bells Lake parking

Post by hokiehead »

Just checked in at Silver Bell CG for a non-climbing weekend. Four FCFS spots were still open.
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Re: Maroon Bells Lake parking

Post by CheapCigarMan »

hokiehead wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 12:45 pm Just checked in at Silver Bell CG for a non-climbing weekend. Four FCFS spots were still open.
It's only Thursday. Let us know how many are still open tomorrow through the weekend. Chances are I'll drive out tomorrow evening and they'll be all booked. Realizing that you took my spot! Lol
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Re: Maroon Bells Lake parking

Post by CheapCigarMan »

speth wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 3:52 pm I have nothing to add other than I feel bad for people who still need to get to this area and rely on a Ticket Master lottery system to do a hike now. What a disaster.
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Re: Maroon Bells Lake parking

Post by Alpinefroggy »

Nothing to add except I found that if you have a person who is willing to drop you off well before 4 am for these hikes, nobody is enforcing private car drop offs during most times that the bells or surrounding peaks are actually hiked so you do not need permits. Now afterwards you will need to figure out how to get out after your hike is over but if you meet climbers on the way maybe you can bum a ride out.
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Re: Maroon Bells Lake parking

Post by 3DCJ »

I had been booking passes since June 2020 and all were cancelled because of weather or an I-70 closure. I finally got my shot at Pyramid last month and afterwards I stopped and talked to the Maroon TH host guy. He couldn't recall a time when dashboards were checked for passes during business hours. He also said that some of the hotels in Aspen book several spaces that never get used and other spaces are also available because of no shows. They have two big overflow lots that were empty and when I was packing up to leave, the main parking lot was 70% full.

I understand that these guys can use the funding for operations but I think the daily parking passes are just eyewash and it's inefficient, unfortunately.

If you want to climb when it works with your schedule or have a weather opening, go for a day trip as long as you get past the gate going up before 7:00 AM. If the front gate is still open when you drive down, stop and give them the $10 then.
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Re: Maroon Bells Lake parking

Post by jfm3 »

3DCJ wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 3:54 pm I had been booking passes since June 2020 and all were cancelled because of weather or an I-70 closure. I finally got my shot at Pyramid last month and afterwards I stopped and talked to the Maroon TH host guy. He couldn't recall a time when dashboards were checked for passes during business hours. He also said that some of the hotels in Aspen book several spaces that never get used and other spaces are also available because of no shows. They have two big overflow lots that were empty and when I was packing up to leave, the main parking lot was 70% full.

I understand that these guys can use the funding for operations but I think the daily parking passes are just eyewash and it's inefficient, unfortunately.

If you want to climb when it works with your schedule or have a weather opening, go for a day trip as long as you get past the gate going up before 7:00 AM. If the front gate is still open when you drive down, stop and give them the $10 then.
I have also found this to be true. I got reservations for 3 different days this year. I got to the parking lot very early each time, but there was no one standing at the parking lot checking reservations. I left a note with my reservation number on the dashboard each time, but I've never seen anyone in the parking lot checking license plates during the day. It may be more complicated if you have one of the overnight passes, since you'd be arriving during the day when there are rangers in the parking lots. But at 0-dark-thirty it seems you can just drive right in.
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Re: Maroon Bells Lake parking

Post by Chicago Transplant »

FYI that if you have a National Parks pass (America the Beautiful), you don't have to pay the $10. Just have to leave your parks pass on your dash. That is what I did in August (I had a reservation though, and it was free at checkout because I have the parks pass)
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