Cancelled Maroon Bells 12a-12a Permit for 8/10/24

[sfreytag]

Just cancelled a midnight to midnight Maroon Bells parking pass for Saturday 8/10. I no longer need it. Go get it:

https://www.adventurecentral.com/user/w ... 807c00d4cd

[benopp]

Thanks, I claimed this. Still a high likelihood I'll have to re-release though, so I'll pass it on on this forum with another message.

[ltotheg003]

Trying to find an overnight parking pass for Maroon Bells (48 hours) for 8/9/24. OR, if anyone knows an Aspen local willing to drop off 4 hikers at 5.30am on Fri, Aug 9, we're more than happy to pay. The shuttle gets us on the trail 90 mins later than we'd prefer.

[benopp]

I just re-released this for anyone who wants it. Too rainy on Saturday!

[seannunn]

We spent last week climbing in the Bells. We talked with a guide with Aspen Expeditions and, together with our experience, I can tell you the following:

If you are worried about parking as Maroon Lake for an attempt at the Bells or Pyramid, you don't need to be.
If you are getting to Maroon Lake EARLY (read: no later than 4am) LIKE YOU SHOULD BE if you are climbing the Bells or Pyramid, then you can just pay at the self pay station on the way in. You don't really need a reservation. There is a large parking lot and overflow parking. (Honestly, they never checked our car that I know of to even see if we had reserved or paid for a spot, but I wouldn't feel right not paying if everyone else was).
If you wait until nearly 8am (when the road closes going uphill), then yes, they are checking for reservations (we did this on our day off between N. Maroon & Pyramid climbs). But you would be very foolish to start up any of the 3 mountains that late in the morning.

This applies to DAY parking. If you are wanting to park overnight and camp, then you would need one of those coveted 60 hour reservations, which are probably all gone for the year.
I can't see much of an advantage to camping at Crater Lake in order to attempt the Bells or Pyramid. It is less than 2 miles to Crater Lake on easy, almost flat trail. It would only save you 40 minutes of very easy hiking the morning of your attempt. And right now Crater Lake is very low and not very pretty.

Sean Nunn

[gcook33]

Good to know. But what’s the point of the reservation system then? I think the website makes it pretty clear a reservation is needed before 8am as well. Are you saying the self pay counts as a reservation in a way? Just curious as I’m heading up there soon for North Maroon and if I can’t get a permit during the week I’d rather not get towed or ticketed haha.

[seannunn]

Good to know. But what’s the point of the reservation system then? I think the website makes it pretty clear a reservation is needed before 8am as well. Are you saying the self pay counts as a reservation in a way? Just curious as I’m heading up there soon for North Maroon and if I can’t get a permit during the week I’d rather not get towed or ticketed haha.

I don't have a good answer to your question.
What I can tell you is that there is no one checking for a reservation at 3:30am, but there is at 7:30am.
And honestly, I don't think that anyone is checking license plates against reservations in the lot later in the day either. From an ethical standpoint, I would not freeload (park without paying) if everyone else is paying.
There is clearly a self-pay station (I believe just past the "tollbooth" where they check for reservations later in the day). We didn't bother to check it out because we had reservations already.
Pretty sure its just like other self-pay stations; you fill out the form, put $10 in the envelope, deposit it in the slot, and put the other part on your windshield/dashboard.
A guide with Aspen Adventures was guiding someone on the traverse the day we did N. Maroon and expressed his frustration to us that the Forest Service doesn't make this clear.
It is worth mentioning that this is for midnight-4:30pm passes. 48 hour or 60 hour is a whole different thing; they park in a different place and it's very possible that someone checks those tags.

Sean Nunn
Peculiar, MO

[HikesInGeologicTime]

Good to know. But what’s the point of the reservation system then? I think the website makes it pretty clear a reservation is needed before 8am as well. Are you saying the self pay counts as a reservation in a way? Just curious as I’m heading up there soon for North Maroon and if I can’t get a permit during the week I’d rather not get towed or ticketed haha.

Check the site at 8 AM three days before your planned visit. They release additional permits then.