Destination guide · Elk Mountains
Maroon Bells–Snowmass overnight permits, without mixing up areas and campsites.
One Recreation.gov listing contains dispersed permit areas and exact designated campsites. The reservation meaning changes with the place you choose.
Use this destination page for the shared permit system, release status, fees, and access boundaries. Each trip page owns its exact trail direction and overnight order.
Supported trips
Seven exact itinerariesEach one links to its own permit-night sequence and exact-trip watch.
Recreation.gov / USDA Forest ServiceReservation types
Areas and exact campsitesConundrum, Crater, and Capitol use designated sites; other supported Maroon Bells nights use named dispersed areas.
Recreation.gov / USDA Forest ServiceSummer 2027
Not yet announcedThe current official listing does not yet name spring-through-fall 2027 release dates.
Recreation.gov / USDA Forest ServiceCurrent warm-season fee
$10 per person, per nightMay 1–October 31, plus the listed $6 reservation fee; children 16 and under are currently free.
Recreation.gov / USDA Forest ServiceRead the reservation literally
A permit area is not the same thing as a numbered campsite.
The official listing requires the party to sleep in the held place each night, but some places are broad areas and others are individual sites.
Dispersed permit area
The reservation names an area.
Four Pass Loop, Snowmass Lake, West Maroon, and the reserved portion of Three Pass use named areas. Camp legally inside the held area; no numbered pad is assigned.
Designated campsite
The reservation names one physical site.
Conundrum Hot Springs and Capitol Lake use numbered sites. A party-aware watch may check several eligible sites, but a completed reservation authorizes only one.
Mixed requirement
Not every night uses Recreation.gov.
The supported Three Pass itinerary begins with Willow Lake trailhead self-registration and follows with one Snowmass Lake advance-reservation night.
Official references: Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness Overnight Permit Maroon Bells–Snowmass permit area map Conundrum Hot Springs designated campsite map
2027 status
Do not turn the 2026 schedule into an invented 2027 calendar.
The current listing confirms one release whose reservable window reaches into early 2027. It does not yet publish the summer 2027 dates.
The published 2026 schedule used February 15 at 8:00 a.m. Mountain Time for April 1–July 31, and June 15 at 8:00 a.m. Mountain Time for August 1–November 30.
October 15, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. Mountain Time releases December 1, 2026–March 31, 2027. Spring-through-fall 2027 remains not yet announced as of August 24, 2026.
Canceled permits may return within 24 hours according to Recreation.gov. A return is not guaranteed, and the statement does not establish a predictable drop minute.
Official references: Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness Overnight Permit
Access is route-specific
Only Maroon Lake starts use the Maroon Scenic Area reservation path.
The destination shares one wilderness permit listing, but its trailheads do not share one parking rule.
Maroon Lake portal
Parking or bus access is separate.
Four Pass and West Maroon trips begin at Maroon Lake. Use the current access link supplied with the wilderness confirmation; the permit itself is not a vehicle or bus reservation.
Conundrum Creek
Do not buy Maroon Lake access for this route.
The Conundrum out-and-back begins at Conundrum Creek Trailhead. Verify that trailhead’s current parking and road guidance instead.
Other portals
Capitol and Snowmass have their own approaches.
Capitol Creek, Snowmass Creek, and East Snowmass Creek access conditions remain separate planning tasks and may change independently of permit availability.
Official references: Maroon Bells Scenic Area Maroon Bells reservations Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness
Before checkout
Match the place, date, party, and access plan.
An opening is useful only when it describes the actual trip the party can take.
Confirm whether each night is a dispersed area or an exact campsite, then verify that the reservation choice accepts the whole party. For multi-night trips, every named place must appear on the correct date.
Review the current land-manager page again before travel. A Wild Chime alert reports observed availability; it does not book, hold, or override agency rules.
Official references: Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness Overnight Permit Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness
Exact overnight plans
Choose the trip before watching availability.
Each watch below preserves one route, direction, party boundary, and night-by-night reservation order.
3 nights
Four Pass Loop Clockwise
Three permit nights in Maroon, North Fork, then the Snowmass side.
- N1Maroon Zone
- N2North Fork Zone
- N3Snowmass-side Zone
3 nights
Four Pass Loop, counterclockwise
The reverse three-night sequence: Snowmass side, North Fork, then Maroon.
- N1Snowmass-side permit zone
- N2North Fork Zone
- N3Maroon Zone
2 nights
Three Pass Loop
A self-registration Willow night followed by one Snowmass permit night.
- N1Willow Lake
- N2Snowmass Lake Zone
1 night
Conundrum Hot Springs Out-and-Back
One reserved numbered campsite selected for the saved party size.
- N1Conundrum Hot Springs
1 night
Capitol Lake Out-and-Back
One night at one of nine designated Capitol Lake campsites.
- N1Capitol Lake
1 night
Snowmass Lake Out-and-Back
One small-party night in the dispersed Snowmass Lake permit area.
- N1Snowmass Lake Zone
1 night
West Maroon Pass to Schofield Park
A Maroon Zone night before a point-to-point pass crossing.
- N1Maroon Zone
Plain answers
Permit questions.
Do all Maroon Bells–Snowmass permits reserve a camping zone?
No. Conundrum Hot Springs, Capitol Lake, and Crater Lake use designated campsites. Other supported nights use named dispersed permit areas. Read the exact reservation label before checkout.
When do summer 2027 permits go on sale?
The official listing has not announced the spring-through-fall 2027 release dates as of August 24, 2026. October 15, 2026 is confirmed only for the window ending March 31, 2027.
Does the overnight permit include Maroon Bells parking?
No. For trips starting at Maroon Lake, parking or bus access is arranged separately. Trips from other trailheads need their own route-specific access check.
Can Wild Chime make the reservation?
No. Wild Chime can report observed qualifying openings for an exact supported trip. The traveler completes any reservation directly with Recreation.gov.
Evidence register
Official sources checked August 24, 2026.
Changing permit facts are sourced to the responsible agency or its Recreation.gov listing. Recheck them before booking.
-
Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness Overnight Permit
Recreation.gov / USDA Forest Service · Verified
Current reservation semantics, release windows, fees, party choices, cancellation returns, and visitor rules.
-
Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness
USDA Forest Service · Verified
Current wilderness, trailhead, regulation, and official planning links.
-
Maroon Bells–Snowmass permit area map
USDA Forest Service · Verified
Official named permit areas and designated-site locations; use the current map for planning.
-
Conundrum Hot Springs designated campsite map
USDA Forest Service · Verified
Official 20-site layout and party-capacity reference.
-
Maroon Bells Scenic Area
USDA Forest Service · Verified
Current Maroon Lake access boundary and reservation links.
-
Maroon Bells reservations
Aspen Chamber Resort Association / Maroon Bells partners · Verified
Current parking and bus reservation portal linked by the land manager.