Maroon Parking

[bmcconahey]

Looking for a parking pass for Maroon this Friday...anyone have one that they can no longer use? Willing to cover the cost.

[dfeezell]

Nothing for Friday, but I have Monday and Tuesday that I am planning to cancel (or transfer).

[bmcconahey]

Thanks, but I can only do Friday.
Anyone else?

[seannunn]

Not trying to be pushy, but at the risk of repetition, if you get there early in the morning and use the self-pay, you don't need a reservation.

Sean Nunn
Peculiar, MO

[bmcconahey]

I was unaware of this. If it's "sold out" online is there a risk on not finding a spot?

[bmcconahey]

The website says reservations are required.

[bmcconahey]

One opened up on the site. All good now! Just need the weather to improve.

[marksilas]

"Not trying to be pushy, but at the risk of repetition, if you get there early in the morning and use the self-pay, you don't need a reservation.
Sean Nunn"

USFS website:
"Maroon Bells Access: Reservations are required to visit Maroon Bells and associated trailheads by personal vehicle or shuttle. This includes overnight parking for those backpacking into the Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness. Reservations are available at the Aspen Chamber Resort Association."

I'm pretty sure this has been the case for several years!

[madmattd]

Not trying to be pushy, but at the risk of repetition, if you get there early in the morning and use the self-pay, you don't need a reservation.

Sean Nunn
Peculiar, MO

You've posted this multiple times, but I do not believe it to be true. Just because no one is at the gate at 3am to check your reservation doesn't mean you aren't required to have one. I'm sure they check for reservations in the windshields periodically like they do at many other reservation parking areas (Blue Sky for example 100% does this). Maybe not until 7 or 8am, but I'd be shocked if they don't check.

The USFS website is very clear that you MUST have a parking reservation. See Mark's quote above.

The Maroon parking reservations are supposed to be a guaranteed spot in an area with very limited parking. They aren't a "timed entry" like other sites (Blue Sky, RMNP, etc), it's a parking reservation. I'd be super pissed if I arrived with a reservation and there were no spots available because people without one parked in the lot I reserved a spot in.

[supranihilest]

Not trying to be pushy, but at the risk of repetition, if you get there early in the morning and use the self-pay, you don't need a reservation.

Sean Nunn
Peculiar, MO

I've heard this too but the one time I tried it there were no self-registration forms at the entrance station. Take my anecdote with a grain of salt but also as a cautionary tale.

I'm sure they check for reservations in the windshields periodically

I can confirm that they do check reservations - I was erroneously given a warning ticket when the staff misread the permit and thought I was using one that was for the previous day. I don't know if they're giving out real tickets yet but they are for sure checking.

[seannunn]

I could be wrong, but:

1. When you get a reservation, the email is very clear that nothing has to be displayed in your windshield. Being extra cautious, I put a list of my confirmation numbers on the dashboard the first day. Then the second day I forgot, and nothing happened. I am not sure how else they would check this, since making a reservation does not require you to enter a license plate #, make or model of your vehicle, etc.

2. You can use an America the Beautiful Pass, and you do not have to tell anyone in advance that you intend to use it on a given day. How can they know ahead of time how many people will do this?

3. One day we had a Maroon Bells Pass and were not climbing. So we waited until about 7:30am to get to the entrance station. Sure enough, it was staffed at that time, and they did ask us for the name on our reservation. When we got to the day use parking lot, we were able to get literally the last parking spot available in that large lot. So they only sell a certain number of parking passes in advance, but that number is not the same as the number of parking spots in the day use lot. And again, nothing to put on the dashboard to show that we had a reservation. So don't plan to get there on a busy day at 8am and expect a parking spot to be waiting for you in the main lot (I seem to remember an overflow lot but it is down the road a little ways).

4. The guide from Aspen Expeditions told me specifically that you can use the self pay station. He said the website is wrong and it causes a lot of confusion.

5. I know what the website says. But it is a government website. Enough said. (Forest service website has Capitol Lake labeled as 99XX' elevation.)

OK, I am done posting on this topic. I don't have a dog in the fight; I was just trying to help people. If I am wrong then I am sorry. No harm intended.

My guess is that they WANT people to make reservations ahead of time, but that it's not mandatory and that you can self pay if you get there early enough. But that's just my guess.

Oh, yeah, one other thing: the website says midnight-4:30pm. (One reason we started our climbs at 3:30am was to be sure we got back to the vehicle by 4:30pm each day.)
Where are people getting the "midnight-to-midnight" thing? Is that posted somewhere? Just curious.

Sean Nunn
Peculiar, MO

[seannunn]

I was unaware of this. If it's "sold out" online is there a risk on not finding a spot?

There is a definite risk if you get to the lot at 8am, even if you have a reservation. If you are climbing that day and you get there at 4:30am or before (like you should), there is no risk of the day use lot being full.
Best wishes on your climb(s).

Sean Nunn
Peculiar, MO