Wild Chime

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Permit guide · Maroon Bells–Snowmass

Four Pass Loop permits, in the order you actually need them.

Clockwise and counterclockwise trips use the same three permit areas in this Wild Chime itinerary—but on opposite nights. The reservation has to match the direction.

This page compares the two catalog-backed sequences and explains the shared permit system. Use the direction page for the exact route profile and night-by-night itinerary.

Choose an exact trip Check the official sources

Current warm-season fee

$10 per person, per night

May 1–October 31; children 16 and under are free. Recreation.gov also lists a $6 nonrefundable reservation fee.

Recreation.gov / USDA Forest Service

Trailhead access

Reserved separately

The wilderness permit is not a Maroon Lake parking or bus reservation.

USDA Forest Service
Clockwise Four Pass Loop sequence from Maroon Zone to North Fork Zone to the Snowmass side, beside the counterclockwise reverse sequence.
The two three-night permit sequences. This catalog-derived planning diagram is not a trail map or field-navigation aid.

Catalog-derived comparison

The same three permit areas, on opposite nights.

The rows below come from the same published trip data used by the exact watch builder. They are planning sequences, not trail maps.

Direction first

Clockwise or counterclockwise changes every permit date.

Both trips leave and return to Maroon Lake, but the first permit night falls on opposite sides of the loop.

In the Wild Chime three-night clockwise itinerary, the overnight order is Maroon Zone, North Fork Zone, then the Snowmass side. The counterclockwise itinerary reverses that order: Snowmass side, North Fork, then Maroon Zone.

Choose the direction before searching availability. A set of areas on the wrong dates is not interchangeable merely because the same names appear somewhere in both itineraries.

Official references: Maroon Bells–Snowmass permit area map Four Pass Loop — West Maroon to Buckskin

What the permit means

These are permit areas, not numbered campsites.

The reservation records where the party may camp each night. It does not assign a tent pad inside the dispersed area.

01 · Build the trip

Enter the complete overnight sequence.

Use one Recreation.gov itinerary and select the correct area for each calendar night rather than treating the trip as unrelated one-night reservations.

02 · Match the party

Choose the reservation choice that fits.

Current small-party choices cover one through four people; larger parties use the applicable large-party choice. The saved watch follows the party size.

03 · Camp in the held area

Use a legal established campsite.

The named permit area is binding for that night even though the reservation does not identify a numbered campsite.

Official references: Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness Overnight Permit Maroon Bells–Snowmass permit area map

Release status

Only the early-2027 winter window is currently confirmed.

The current official listing names three 2026 release windows. It does not yet announce the spring-through-fall 2027 release dates.

February 15, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. Mountain Time released April 1–July 31, 2026. June 15, 2026 at the same local time released August 1–November 30, 2026.

October 15, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. Mountain Time releases December 1, 2026–March 31, 2027. That is the only currently published window containing 2027 dates. The summer 2027 schedule is not yet announced as of August 24, 2026.

Recreation.gov says canceled permits become available within 24 hours. That is a return window, not a promise of an exact minute or of renewed availability.

Official references: Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness Overnight Permit

Separate logistics

A wilderness permit does not get the vehicle to Maroon Lake.

Parking and bus rules are controlled separately and can change by season.

Use the access link supplied with the overnight confirmation and verify the current Maroon Scenic Area instructions. Do not assume the overnight permit includes a parking space or shuttle seat.

Treat transportation as a second reservation task: confirm the trailhead arrival plan and the overnight permit before relying on either one.

Official references: Maroon Bells Scenic Area Maroon Bells reservations Maroon Bells bus service

Exact overnight plans

Choose the trip before watching availability.

Each watch below preserves one route, direction, party boundary, and night-by-night reservation order.

Plain answers

Permit questions.

Which direction is easier to permit?

Neither direction is inherently easier to reserve. They need the same three catalog areas on different nights, so availability for the complete date sequence decides what works.

Can I book one Four Pass Loop permit area and camp anywhere on the loop?

No. The reservation must name the correct permit area for every overnight date, and the party must camp in the area held for that night.

Are summer 2027 Four Pass Loop release dates available?

Not yet as of August 24, 2026. The official page currently confirms October 15, 2026 for the winter window through March 31, 2027, but not the spring-through-fall 2027 schedule.

Does a Four Pass Loop permit include parking or the bus?

No. The Maroon Lake parking or bus arrangement is separate from the wilderness permit.

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.

  1. Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness Overnight Permit

    Recreation.gov / USDA Forest Service · Verified

    Current release windows, fees, nightly area requirement, party choices, cancellation returns, and visitor rules.

  2. Four Pass Loop — West Maroon to Buckskin

    USDA Forest Service · Verified

    Official route identity and four-pass circuit context.

  3. Maroon Bells–Snowmass permit area map

    USDA Forest Service · Verified

    Official named permit areas and their geographic relationship; linked for planning, not embedded as a navigation map.

  4. Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness

    USDA Forest Service · Verified

    Current wilderness overview and links to official planning resources.

  5. Maroon Bells Scenic Area

    USDA Forest Service · Verified

    Current separation between overnight permits and trailhead access.

  6. Maroon Bells reservations

    Aspen Chamber Resort Association / Maroon Bells partners · Verified

    Current parking and bus reservation portal linked by the land manager.

  7. Maroon Bells bus service

    Roaring Fork Transportation Authority · Verified

    Current transit operator information; schedules remain date-specific.