Sleeping Overnight in Car @ Maroon Bells Parking Lot

[msmith7361]

Hypothetically, does anyone know if you can you sleep in your car at the Maroon Bells Parking Lot? The USFS site states that the "overnight lots are located below the Day Use lot at Maroon Lake; camping is prohibited." But, just wondering if rangers check to see if people are sleeping in their cars. Thanks.

[tsand]

We did it a couple years ago. There was at least one report last year of someone getting booted.

[cedica]

> puff <

[ultrarunningkid]

It depends on how late/early you get there if i remember correctly. Why not just camp somewhere up the road but close then drive in immediately before you hike? I assume they will not be booting people at 3am given some of those people are definitely not over nighters.

[kzm5355]

Hike in to Crater lake and camp, it'll get you away from the worst of the crowds and you can sleep in a little bit longer. Its a pretty sweet spot tucked in between Pyramid and the Bells.

[benlen]

Hypothetically, does anyone know if you can you sleep in your car at the Maroon Bells Parking Lot? The USFS site states that the "overnight lots are located below the Day Use lot at Maroon Lake; camping is prohibited." But, just wondering if rangers check to see if people are sleeping in their cars. Thanks.

Yes you can, but keep everything in your car and be super quiet. This is common.

[justiner]

Why not just camp somewhere up the road but close then drive in immediately before you hike? I assume they will not be booting people at 3am given some of those people are definitely not over nighters.

I don't believe you're allowed to simply park on the side of the road (like any normal road, really) unless there's a pullout, which rules out dispersed camping. This is a heavily regulated area, I wouldn't put it past the managers of the area to ticket/tow a car they find simply parked at the side of the road. If this was the norm, there would be a line of cars leading up to... ...to the parking lot. And there's not.

Camp somewhere else, get up early, drive to the parking lot, do your thing.

Edit: a word

[Wish I lived in CO]

Why not just camp somewhere up the road but close then drive in immediately before you hike? I assume they will not be booting people at 3am given some of those people are definitely not over nighters.

I don't believe you're allowed to simply park on the side of the road (like any normal road, really) unless there's a pullout, which rules out dispersed camping. This is a heavily regulated area, I wouldn't put it past the managers of the area to ticket/tow a car they find simply parked at the sign of the road. If this was the norm, there would be a line of cars leading up to... ...to the parking lot. And there's not.

Camp somewhere else, get up early, drive to the parking lot, do your thing.

There's no dispersed camping. Campgrounds are likely booked by now.

[FCSquid]

I slept in my car at the 'East Maroon Portal Picnic Site' parking lot last summer without incident. It's about 1/2 mile down the road from trailhead.

Like others have mentioned, keep quiet, keep everything in your car, and you shouldn't have a problem. I just laid the driver's seat back, and pulled a sleeping bag over as a blanket and nobody ever peeked into my car. The rangers were far more interested in the group next to me that was making a ton of noise after midnight.

[Trotter]

or camp up the road on indy pass. plenty of dispersed camping, about 30 minutes from the TH.

[benlen]

Alternatively you can sleep in your car at the base of the Castle/Conundrum road. Never had issues doing that, and it's not too far out from South Maroon either.

[BrentRichter]

I have 2 or 3 times, but the last time, Sept 2017, a ranger on a power trip gave me a $150 fine. I parked in the overflow lot down the road a bit from the 'day use' and 'overnight parking' lots. Around 4 am he tapped on my window. I'll plan on Indy Pass next time, or perhaps along the dirt portion of Castle Creek Rd, where I have seen people camping before.