South of Aspen, Crested Butte offers just as much (if not more) recreation possibilities. Elevation profile . Each lake has excellent campsites. Featured Photo: Maroon Bells (photo by John B. Kalla) Why this hike? Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area: Four Pass Loop? Again, we cannot recommend it highly enough. Four Pass Loop, near Aspen, Colorado. In the summer months the aspen meadows are dotted with wild flowers are absolutely spectacular and, similarly, in the fall the aspen leaves are bright and striking. It is rigorous for sure, but with its plentiful water, beautiful campsites, and relatively high traffic, it is a backcountry trek without much chance of … The 7 Principles of Leave No Trace are even more important in areas of high traffic, so if you aren’t familiar with them, please take some time to look them over. Campground information This week's hike is the Maroon Bells / Four Pass Loop in Colorado's Rocky Mountains. Find out more details and check site availability for Site 012, Loop AREA FOUR JEFFREY in Four Jeffrey at Inyo National Forest with Recreation.gov. The Four Pass Loop is a 28 mile round trip with 8,000 feet of elevation gain and loss that stays around 10,000 to 12,000 feet in elevation covering four mountain passes in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. Plus I wanted to hike counter-clockwise. Getting there: Drive southwest of Aspen on Maroon Creek Road to the Maroon Bells Welcome Station and overnight parking lot. The result is the Four Pass Loop, which connects West Maroon Pass (12,500 feet), Frigid Air Pass (12,415 feet), Trail Rider Pass (12,420 feet) and Buckskin Pass (12,500 feet) around the maroon-colored peaks. The loop extends for a total of 27 miles and includes more than 8,000 feet of elevation gain. (Related: How to Increase Chances of Getting the Loop/Site You Want) Campsites at Fort Wilderness tend to be large and level, with varying degrees of shade and proximity to the amenities. Due to the popularity of the area, drive-in access to Maroon Lake (where your journey starts) is limited to buses that run to and from Aspen Highlands Ski Area. Cascade Creek Trail is aptly named for four major and numerous minor waterfalls that it passes. As in stay 200ft from water and the trails and try to find a previously used site and don't destroy underbrush, but otherwise camp where ever? Four Pass Loop is probably one of my top 3 favorite backpacking trips. Diamond Lake's site is the best, with an incredible view of the granite core of the Trinity Alps. To get here, you'll need to go to the town of Aspen and drive up the Maroon Creek Road. The Four Pass Loop will take you on a 27-mile loop with roughly 8,000 feet in elevation gain. I had wanted to do this loop as my fall color run. This challenging trek scales four passes over 12,400' with stunning views and long stretches of open alpine travel. This challenging trek scales four passes over 12,400' with stunning views and long stretches of open alpine travel. We highly recommend it! A Colorado backcountry classic, Four Pass Loop travels around the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness area over four mountain passes that exceed 12,000 feet. Along this route you cross four mountain passes over 12,000 feet high and have many different views of the Colorado Rockies. This option provides a slightly gentler ascent in the first day of travel and is the preferred method of travel for most regular hikers on the Rae Lakes Loop. your own Pins on Pinterest Four Pass loop looks equally as challenging and maybe even a bit more beautiful. The Four Pass Loop had been a moving experience we would not soon forget. The Four Pass Loop is a popular spot and only getting more so! We selected one of the first sites we found – just short of the lake and next to a waterfall. Backpacker editors just named the Four Pass Loop one of our favorite trips ever—and Rockies readers agree, voting this their #1 hike. The highest point of the hike is midway through at Glen Pass, towering at 11,926 feet. The station offered free guides to a variety of hikes in the Maroon Bells area, including the Four Pass Loop. The Four Pass Loop is awesome from beginning to end. This summer, the hubby and I went to Colorado to hike in the Maroon Bells. Footage from my fall trip through the epic Maroon Bells and Snowmass Wilderness. Here’s their advice for getting the 26-mile, four-day route’s sparkling creeks, peak-ringed lakes, and, yes, a quartet of 12,000-foot passes all to yourself. Second, it is a loop, which many would say is the most aesthetic type of hike, requiring both no car shuttle and no backtracking. This year's objective was the Aspen 4 pass loop. Deer Creek has one good site, but it is the most popular due to its proximity to the junction of the Stoney Ridge Trail and the Long Canyon Trail. Because the Rae Lakes Loop trail is… well, a loop… there are two directions a hiker can go. Answer 1 of 8: I am doing some research on the four pass loop hike near Maroon Bells/Snowmass wilderness. The route is a grand tour through meadows, valleys, alpine lakes, streams, and wildflowers. This is a trip report from a 4 day backpack I did recently in Colorado's Maroon Bell-Snowmass Wilderness. Aspen is home to one of Colorado’s backpacking classics. Oh man, so beautiful. The typical trip would be to spend the first night at Four Point (13.9 km), then to Brazeau Lake Camp (18.1 km), over Poboktan Pass to the Jonas Cutoff (16.2 km), and then over Jonas Shoulder back to Four Point (18.9 km). On the last day, return to the Nigel Pass trailhead (13.9 km). Four-Pass Loop is considered by ultra-distance trail-runners to be the best one-day run in the state. After about 3 miles you'll see an area of dense campsites over the falls where Buchanan and Cascade Creeks come together and descend via a few switchbacks to another flat section where the Buchanan Pass Trail splits off. Most do the loop clockwise, but I always recommend counter-clockwise. Four Pass Loop Recommended Campsites - West Maroon White River National Forest 0 0.25 0.5 ± Miles 1 2 3 5 4 6 8 7 CAMPSITE # NO Campfires # Campfire OK … Drape that route over four passes, which expose views of the Bells that make the all the effort worthwhile. The name “Four Pass Loop” gives much information about the route. Just a few miles outside the town of Aspen, this route is commonly referred to as the Four Pass Loop, combining 4 different high mountain passes with a few spectacular lakes over a 28 mile stretch of trail. The Four Pass Loop, which most often starts and ends at Maroon Lake and takes participants on a hike around the Maroon Bells using West … The famed three-day to four-day 26-mile Four Pass Loop takes adventurous hikes through aspen groves, over four 12,400-plus-foot peaks and amongst pristine mountain lakes. The 4 Pass Loop runs 26.8 miles through the heart of the Elk Mountains and Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. The four group campsites are open year-round. The campground features shaded picnic tables at each campsite, electric service for RV sites, and group sites with advanced reservations. It was also freezing, but I’ve chosen to mostly forget that part. West Maroon Pass (12,465') Frigid Air Pass (12,405') Four pass loop starts at Maroon Lake, and meanders over four 12000ft+ passes (hence the name). It is a pretty strenuous hike! Not sure if it'll happen this year anymore. First, it crosses four mountain passes, in this case each above 12,400 feet, which suggests that the views are stunning. The Four Pass Loop is one of the top hikes in Aspen and a quintessential Colorado backpacking trip, traversing high alpine passes, wildflower-filled valleys and … - See 92 traveler reviews, 163 candid photos, and great deals for Colorado, at Tripadvisor. The Maroon Bells Loop provides an intimate, close up view of the Maroon Bells and other peaks in the Elk Mountain Range. There are numerous fantastic places to camp along the Four Lakes Loop. I actually did 5 passes, as I added Willow Pass. Listed in our “10 of Colorado’s Best Less-Traveled Mountain Towns”, Crested Butte is a ski town that has held onto its small-town roots. Four Pass Loop, Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area, Colorado - 26 miles (2-3 days) Colorado has an abundance of awesome mountains, but the Maroon Bells are considered the most photogenic in the entire continent of North America. This ambitious backpacking trip located in the Maroon Bells/Snowmass wilderness is routed over four mountain passes (West Maroon - 12,500 ft.; Frigid Air - 12,415 ft.; Trail Rider - 12,420 ft.; Buckskin - 12,500 ft.). Last year was Pawnee-Buchanan loop. The unofficial FKT (fastest known time) on Four-Pass Loop in a single push is less than four-and-a-half hours. The Cedar Pass Campground 2020 Season: April 1st 2020 to October 15th 2020 (offices close October 26th, 2020) I'd say that the 4-Pass Loop is harder than most parts of the Teton Crest. Four Pass Loop and Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness Tips. Four Pass Loop from Crested Butte. The following gallery tours the loop clockwise, from Maroon Lake to West Maroon Pass, Frigid Air Pass, Trail Rider Pass and Buckskin Pass. 4 Pass Loop - 26.8 Miles Round-Trip The 4 Pass Loop runs 26.8 miles through the heart of the Elk Mountains and Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. I am having a tough time gauging the difficulty...I have seen it rated as moderate, difficult, and strenuous. Or do you need to reserve those backcountry campsites along the 4 pass loop? This popular 3-4 day backpacking loop around the stunningly beautiful Maroon Bells climbs four 12,000-ft. passes and traverses some of the most amazing scenery in the Maroon Bells / Snowmass Wilderness area. Hiking up from Maroon Lake, it was the best place for a campsite for my short first day. There were many hikers and campsites at the Lake. The Four Pass Loop in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness near Aspen, CO is one of Colorado’s premiere backpacking trails. Can you do 100% dispersed camping on the Four Pass Loop of the Maroon Bells? (See: 10 of the Very Best Sites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness) There are four types of campsites at Fort Wilderness, each with different price points. This hike is approximately 28 miles long. Trail Map | Photo Gallery. 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