I was really excited about visiting Maroon Bells during our trip to Aspen last month. The first time we went to Aspen I didn’t even know about it, but this time around, I looked up a few things to do while we were there and this hike always came up at the top of the lists. I had my heart set on seeing it all orange and red from the Fall colors but we were a little too late and came when it had already started to look like winter! ❄ Fine by me since that means we’ll need to come back ? During the actual hike, past the lake, it was mostly ice and snow which got a little scary at times. As you can see from the pictures, I still have to wear my ankle brace during workouts (severe sprain or fracture from a hike 5 months ago) and this was actually my first hike since my accident so I was all the more careful. Scotch walked in the beginning before we got to the snow, but then it became too slippery and steep for him so in the Snoozer he went, lol. He loves it in that little thing as you can see, but he has to be able to see Mike at all times or he starts to get squirmy and try to get out so he can see him.
If you plan on visiting Maroon Bells I suggest going at the beginning of October. Not only will it be beautiful with Fall colors but it’s also still open during the regular season during that time.
That means the regular bathrooms are open and you can take a bus to the hike instead of driving. The season was closed when we went, so we drove ourselves, which I actually preferred since buses can take forever sometimes, but that also meant the water was shut off for the water fountain and regular bathrooms, so that was unexpected and requires a little more planning. The area is closed completely during winter and I believe that starts sometime in November, but it depends on how much snow they get too. Either way, if you’re in the area I recommend stopping by because it’s so beautiful. I would also try going later in the afternoon so you get the “golden hour” light over the lake ❤.
