Need a bucket list backpacking trip in the USA? The Maroon Bells 4-Pass Loop in Aspen, Colorado, will be sure to top your list! This blog post outlines the itinerary, packing must-haves, what not to do, and everything in between to make this a successful trip for you!

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4 PASS LOOP OVERVIEW

Length: approximately 29 miles (according to our own tracking)

Elevation gain: 7,800 feet

This loop is still one of our favorite backpacking adventures. It’s full of beautiful wildflowers, cold streams, wildlife, and the most spectacular views. However, I will say this trip is not for the faint of heart. My husband and I consider ourselves to be in great shape and this was tough. We completed this trail in 3 days, 2 nights (August 2-4, 2022).

With each pass being over 12,000 feet in elevation, you’re going to be working hard. To cross each of the 4 passes, you must gain and lose approximately 3,000 feet each time. However, with each pass comes some of the most beautiful mountain views that will leave you forgetting about those tired legs and sore shoulders. This loop is worth EVERY step.

Permits are REQUIRED.

Overnight permits need to be purchased in advance. You can purchase your permits through the recreation.gov link listed below. The best time to visit and complete this loop is July – September. All other times of the year you risk having snowpack and inaccessible trailheads.

Link: https://www.recreation.gov/permits/4675333

GETTING TO THE TRAILHEAD: WHAT WE DID

Parking: We paid to park at Aspen Highlands, and we are glad we did. You can actually park in Aspen and take a bus to Aspen highlands, then shuttle to the trailhead but we are thankful we didn’t do that. After you spend 3 days in the wilderness, you just want to be able to hop in your car and be on your way rather than take multiple different transportation systems. It was seamless. You can only park for up to 4 days in the lot. We did the loop in 3 days.

Shuttle: You must book your shuttle passes in advance. It is important to book your shuttle ride to and from the trailhead. Passes can be purchased here: https://www.rfta.com/routes/maroon-bells/

ALTERNATE OPTION: You can also park at the trailhead but you have to park there super early in the morning before any shuttle services begin running and you also risk the lot being full and being stuck without transportation to the trailhead.

THINGS YOU MUST PACK

Food storage – This is black bear country…bear canisters ARE necessary. We had one bear canister and one bear bag along with us. We used the canister for food and at night, we used the bear bag for storing our stinky clothes and other scented items. We trust the canister more than we trust the bag so we made sure to keep our essentials in the canister.

Water + a filtration system – There are no potable water stations on this trail. We have done backpacking trips in the past that provide potable water along the route but this is a truly primitive backpacking experience. It is necessary for you to filter the water from the streams to avoid illness. Those streams are full of bacteria that you don’t want in your system.

Sandals or Water Shoes – During the time we visited, the streams and rivers were pretty low but some of them were still too deep to pass without soaking your hiking boots and nothing is worse than doing a hard hike with wet socks. You’re just asking for blisters. We would quickly change into our sandals for crossing rivers and streams and even the ones that looked shallow, we made sure to eliminate the risk by just putting our sandals on. And we are glad we did. We witnessed a handful of people slip off rocks while trying to cross thinking they would get across dry and ended up with soaking wet boots. NOT WORTH IT!

Pack for every weather source – We had rain, we had sun, we had cold and we had warm. We packed all the rain gear, sunscreen, hats, winter hats, and gloves, base layers, you name it. Obviously, we didn’t pack our whole closets, just one piece for every weather type. You never know what you’re going to get out there and it’s better to be safe than sorry.

CAMPSITE + CAMPFIRE REGULATIONS

- You are required to travel with bear canisters for any food, trash, or scented items.

- There are no toilets – so bring your shovel and make a bathroom plan.

- You are not allowed to camp or have campfires within 100 feet of a water source such as lakes or streams, or the trail itself.

- Dogs are allowed but are prohibited from a few areas but not along the path we took (there are Moose in the area so it’s in your best interest to keep your dog leashed)

- Campfires are prohibited at all designated sites at Crater lake, Capitol Lake, and above 10,800 feet anywhere in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness area.

- This trail provides visitors with a primitive recreational experience so there is no use of ATV’s, bikes, or any other motorized/mechanized equipment or transportation.

(check this website for more information regarding rules and regulations: https://www.recreation.gov/permits/4675333)

OUR FULL ITINERARY

Day 1 | 8/2/2022 | 10.5 miles | 3,700 feet elevation gain

We drove down to Aspen Highlands Ski Resort. At the time we were living in Fort Collins, CO so we had quite the drive down. We made it to Aspen Highlands by 10:30 AM and took the shuttle up to the trailhead. We started our hike around 11:30 AM. Our day started out cloudy and misty. We were happy it wasn’t a full rainy day. Our initial plan was to hike to the campsites just before West Maroon Pass and complete approximately 6-7 miles of hiking because we assumed the weather wasn’t going to clear up for us. However, we hiked much faster than we anticipated and the skies turned blue! So we decided to continue and make a big day out of day one and smaller days out of day 2-3. I feel like we are the most motivated on day one with fresh legs and excitement.

We were so motivated that we ended up completing both the Maroon Pass and Frigid Air Pass before setting up camp for the night. This took us around 6.5 hours to complete the two passes to get to camp. We both were feeling the elevation on our climb to Frigid Air Pass. We were glad to have packed our cliff blocks caffeine chews with us because they saved us.

Day 2 | 8/3/2022 | 9.5 miles | 2,400 feet elevation gain

We woke up to a handful of deer grazing around our campsite with the sun peeking through the trees. There’s nothing like a quiet morning in the woods, watching wildlife while drinking a cup of coffee you brewed by hand. We took off from our campsite around 8 AM. We had a slow morning recovering from some elevation headaches. Keep yourself hydrated and having some caffeine along always helps!

Today our plan was to hike to Snowmass Lake and set up camp by the lake for the night. However, because we did extra miles on day one, we had some extra ground we could cover on day two. We climbed Trail Rider Pass today and at the top, we saw a momma mountain goat and her baby. The mom was shedding her coat, so she looked pretty goofy. We took a break at the top of this pass and watched those agile goats rock climb the face of this mountain pass. Sometimes I wish I had their footing.

Although climbing Trail Rider Pass almost killed us (kidding, but it was incredibly humbling), we were happy to have a long descent to Snowmass Lake. When we reached Snowmass, there weren’t any campsites available, so we continued a couple more miles just past the lake and set up camp near a stream.

Day 3 | 8/4/2022 | 9 miles | 1,700 feet elevation gain

LAST DAY! We were sad to be ending our epic adventure but also just wanted a juicy burger, a hot shower, and a comfortable bed. The juicy burger and cold beer waiting at the end was our primary motivation. Buckskin Pass wasn’t that hard to climb. I felt like it was the easiest day we had even with tired, sore bodies. You hike through a ton of willows and rocky hillsides. The first and third days were filled with chirping Pikas and scurrying Marmots.

Upon the descent of Buckskin Pass and when we entered the primary “tourist” trail territory where many visitors do day hiking, we were informed there was a moose near Crater Lake. So, the last 2 miles of our adventure, we were practically running downhill in hopes of getting some cool shots of said moose. Mr. Moose had other plans and decided to hide in the willows by the time we got to the lake. We were thrilled to have completed this backpacking trip and were left wanting to see more of this backcountry!

3 THINGS WE ARE GLAD WE PACKED

Caffeine chews - We typically take some form of an energy chew on any long hike or backpacking trip. This time we decided to try ones with caffeine in them. The Clif Bloks with Caffeine saved us from elevation sickness. We both really liked the black cherry flavor but there are tons of flavors to choose from. We often times will purchase from REI because you can buy just a single packet instead of a bulk order. We both felt headaches and nausea at elevation and these chews helped to alleviate some of those symptoms.
Sandals (or water shoes) for River Crossings - The rivers weren’t very high at the time of our visit but the water still was shin-deep in some spots and often times, there wasn’t a comfortable alternative route for getting around the river. So the easiest, quickest, and safest way to cross the river without soaking your hiking socks and boots was to just quick switch over to sandals. I brought my Chaco’s for this but a lighter weight option that I saw a few others have were basic Crocs.
Bug Spray - The bugs weren’t as bad as we had read on AllTrails Reviews but we were glad to have bug spray along because they were certainly annoying and pesky during the early morning and evening hours.

THAT’S A WRAP

We hope this blog post gives you some insight into what you need to prepare for a successful backpacking adventure through the Maroon Bells. Like we said before, this trip is not for the faint of heart but the tough hike is worth every single view along the way. Each pass has its own unique features that will leave you excited for what’s to come at the next pass. If you have any questions about this trip, please feel free to reach out to us on social media (linked on the blog), by sending an email to rowenmadecreations@gmail.com, or commenting below!