Four Pass Loop, Kraig Adams's way

The numbers come from my own GPS recordings, smoothed the same way for every day. The film calls it 40 miles and my description added up the days as 44; my GPS says 43.7. Apps count climbing differently: see each day for what I said at the time.

What I did. I flew from my home in New York to Denver, direct, rented a car at the airport, and made the 4-hour drive up into the mountains toward Aspen. I went to Snowmass Village, stocked up on supplies, and drove out to the trailhead at the end of Snowmass Creek Road.

Most people take the shuttle up to Maroon Lake and start there, or stay in the campsites, but you have to pay for it and there's a reservation system. You can't just go and do what you want to do, which isn't my style. So option number two is to park at this trailhead. I parked there for three nights, no problem. The road from Snowmass Village is a dirt road, but you don't need four-wheel drive. Parking was free. There were about 12 to 20 other cars in the lot and alongside the road. I signed into the log book and started my hike right before sunset.

The two starts today.

1. The Snowmass side (what I did). The Forest Service calls it the Maroon-Snowmass Trailhead; Pitkin County calls it the Snowmass Creek Trailhead. From Highway 82 take Brush Creek Road about 5.5 miles to Snowmass Village, turn right on Divide Road (gravel, past Krabloonik), keep left where it forks at the bottom of the valley, and follow it to the end. The Forest Service recommends a high-clearance vehicle. 2026: the trailhead is being rebuilt, and from August 14 to November 14, 2026 parking is cut to about 25 spaces, about half; cars parked along the access road can be ticketed or towed. I couldn't find any parking fee on an official page. Free WAG bags at the trailhead.
2. Maroon Lake. Maroon Creek Road from the Aspen roundabout to the Maroon Bells Scenic Area. In 2026 you need a reservation from visitmaroonbells.com for the car or the bus. Parking is $10 a vehicle (May 15 to October 31), and from May 22 to October 18 the road is closed to cars going in from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., so you drive in before 8 or after 5. Overnight permit holders reserve parking through a link in their permit email; spaces are limited. The Aspen Chamber says one $10 reservation covers 60 hours (two nights), arriving before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m. and leaving by 6 p.m., so a longer trip may need more than one; the official site only says $10. The RFTA bus runs from the Maroon Bells Welcome Center at Aspen Highlands, May 22 to October 18, 2026, $16 an adult ($10 for children 12 and under and seniors 65 and over); the last bus down from Maroon Lake is at 5 p.m. 2026: after a mudslide on September 14, 2026 the overnight lot at Maroon Lake was closed and permit holders parked in the overflow lot (alert of September 18, with no end date). On September 25, 2026 the Forest Service proposed handing day-to-day management of the Maroon Bells Scenic Area to Pitkin County (open for comment, not decided), so 2027 parking and bus booking could change.

To the area. Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) is closest; RFTA's buses into Aspen and Snowmass Village are free. From Denver it's about 199 miles by I-70 and Glenwood Springs, about 3.25 hours in good conditions, more with traffic, or 159 miles over Independence Pass in summer. In 2026 Independence Pass opened May 21; it usually closes in late October or early November, and vehicles 35 ft or longer are banned on it.

Water at the trailheads. There's none. Fill up in town.

What I paid

My records for this trip are a United receipt and what I said in the film.

For your budget (2026). The overnight permit: $10 a person a night (May to October) plus $6 a permit, so a solo three-night trip costs $36. A bear canister (rent or borrow one if you don't own one). From Maroon Lake: $10 a vehicle for parking or $16 for the bus. A rental car from Denver or a flight to Aspen. A CORSAR card is $5 a year (see Weather and safety).

Permits and camping (2026)

What I did. In 2021 there was no reservation system on the loop. I parked at the trailhead, signed into the log book, started my hike, and camped where I liked. You can't do that now.

The overnight permit (2026). Under a Forest Service order in force since April 2023, the busiest parts of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness need a reserved overnight permit. You book it only on Recreation.gov ("Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Overnight Permits"); ranger stations don't issue them.

• By zone, by night. The loop runs through seven permit zones: Snowmass Lake, Upper Snowmass, Geneva Lake, North Fork, East Fork, Maroon and Crater Lake. You reserve a zone for each night you camp in it. You don't need one for zones you only walk through.
• Price (2026). $10 a person a night from May 1 to October 31 (free the rest of the year, but you still need the permit), children 16 and under free, plus a $6 reservation fee for each permit. Each person can hold two permits a year, of up to seven nights each.
• When they go on sale (2026). On set dates at 8 a.m. Mountain Time, not on a rolling window: February 15 for April to July, June 15 for August to November, October 15 for December to March. A trip can't run into a window that hasn't opened yet. Leftover permits can be booked up to the day of your trip.
• Group size. Most permits are for up to four people; some zones have permits for 5 to 10. The wilderness limit is 10.
• Carry it. A printed permit and photo ID. Once printed (up to 14 days ahead) it can't be changed or refunded; cancel at least 48 hours ahead for a refund less the $6.

Where you can camp (2026).

• At Crater Lake you camp only in your reserved numbered site (there are 11). No camping within a quarter mile of Crater Lake or Geneva Lake except at designated sites.
• In the other zones, use a campsite that's already there, at least 100 ft (about 70 big steps) from lakes, streams and trails. A forest-wide order from July 1, 2026 repeats the 100 ft rule.
• No camping in the meadow below Buckskin Pass on the Willow Lake side.

My camps in 2026 terms. On the Forest Service's permit zone map (January 2023), my first camp, about 2 miles below Snowmass Lake, is outside the pink permit zones: there you self-register at the trailhead. My second camp, below Belleview Mountain between Frigid Air and West Maroon passes, is near where the North Fork, East Fork and Maroon zones meet; my third, west of Buckskin Pass, is in the Upper Snowmass zone. Check the zone map when you book. My camp 3 was "not too far from water": make sure yours is at least 100 ft away.

Bear canisters. Required for every backpacker in this wilderness: all food, trash and scented things in a container certified by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. People without one are ticketed and sent out. Recreation.gov says a bear canister or an Ursack. The Aspen-Sopris Ranger District lends some canisters, (970) 963-2266, and shops in Aspen rent them. Hanging food isn't an option here.

Other rules (2026). Fires: none above 10,800 ft, within a quarter mile of Crater Lake, or within 100 ft of water and trails. Dogs: on a leash shorter than 6 ft (banned only in the Conundrum valley, off this route). Human waste: pack it out in a WAG bag (free at the Snowmass Lake trailhead) or bury it 6 to 8 inches deep, 200 ft from water, camps and trails.

Day hikes need no permit, but driving to Maroon Lake does need a reservation (see Getting there).

Where I slept, food and water

Where I slept

The night before, I was in New York (my photos); there's no night in Aspen or Snowmass Village in my record.

All three camps are in the GPX files as waypoints. In 2026 camp where your permit and the rules allow: Crater Lake only in its numbered sites, and anywhere else at an existing site 100 ft from water and trails (see Permits and camping).

Water

There's water every few miles: Snowmass Creek and its ponds, Snowmass Lake, the North Fork and its streams, West Maroon Creek, Crater Lake, and streams near both high camps. There's no drinking water at the trailheads. The CDC says boiling (1 minute, 3 above 6,500 ft) or a filter takes out Giardia and Cryptosporidium; chemicals alone may not.

Food

There's nothing to buy on the loop. I stocked up in Snowmass Village and carried four days of food, with a stove for hot breakfasts and dinners: coffee and a warm meal at Snowmass Lake on both mornings I was there. Everything scented goes in your bear canister.

Gear for this route

What this loop needs (2026)

• A bear canister or another IGBC-certified container: required
• Your printed permit and photo ID
• Warm layers, a hat and gloves: late-September mornings at 11,000 ft are cold
• Rain gear, for afternoon storms and the weather that came in on my last day
• A stove (no fires at the camps) and a way to treat water
• Offline maps with the GPX files, and a satellite messenger: there's no cell service
• A WAG bag or a trowel

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What I carried in 2021

From the film and my photos.

Hiking

• Shelter and sleep: a tent and my sleeping gear
• Kitchen: a small stove and pot, a mug, four days of food
• Clothes: a hooded shirt and shorts in the day, an orange puffy jacket and a beanie in camp
• Headlamp: a headlamp. I walked the last part of Day 1 in the dark.

Other

• Trekking poles: trekking poles. Out for the passes and the last day.
• Navigation: my phone. Recording each day on AllTrails.

What I'd take now

Hiking

• Warm layer: Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody (Arc’teryx). Late-September mornings at 11,000 ft are cold.
• Hat: PATH Projects Hoyt Merino Beanie (PATH Projects)
• Gloves: Unigear Touchscreen Liner Gloves (Amazon)
• Rain shell: Arc’teryx Beta AR Jacket (Arc’teryx). For afternoon storms.
• Poles: Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Z Poles (Amazon). For the four passes.
• Stove: Jetboil Stash (Amazon). No fires at the camps.
• Water: Katadyn BeFree AC · 1L (Amazon). Treat or filter every stream.

Other

• Navigation: AllTrails+ (AllTrails, 30% off). Import my GPX files and download them offline: there's no cell service. Offline maps need the paid plan.

Filming kit

What I filmed with in 2021.

Hiking

• Phone: an iPhone 12 Pro Max

Filmmaking

• Camera: Sony a7S III (Amazon)

What I film with now

• Camera: DJI Osmo Pocket 4 (Amazon)
• Mic: DJI Mic 3 · 1 TX + 1 RX (Amazon). It pairs with the Pocket 4.
• Tripod: SmallRig Carbon Fiber Tripod (Amazon)

An overnight permit from Recreation.gov for every night in a permit zone, $10 a person a night (May to October) plus $6 a permit. A bear canister is required

Summer and early fall. The Forest Service says the Four Pass Loop is often snow-bound from October through June; from early October to late June the camps, trails and passes are usually under snow, the trailheads may be closed, and there's avalanche danger. In July and August afternoon thunderstorms are the thing to plan around: be over the passes early.

Fall colors. I went for the aspens. In Aspen and Snowmass the colors usually peak between mid-September and early October, and the Maroon Bells are at their best in late September (Aspen Snowmass, the local tourism office). The year before, I came a couple of weeks later and the leaves had all fallen.

What I got. Four days of mostly blue sky at the end of September. The mornings were cold. On Day 3 a bit of cloud came in for the first time, right at the Maroon Bells view. On Day 4 I knew rain was coming, so I hurried out.

Late September in 2026. Hunting season: Visit Maroon Bells says hunters are allowed in the area, so wear orange if you go off trail. Snow can come early to the passes. Most of the Forest Service's developed campgrounds around Aspen close by early October.

Altitude

This is the part I underestimated. Denver is at about 5,300 ft, the trailhead at 8,400 ft, my first camp at about 10,100 ft, and all four passes are above 12,400 ft.

I'd been testing my lungs, my body and my blood with how I deal with altitude, and coming from sea level the day before, it hit me hard. At the top of the first pass, about 12,500 ft, I felt it. It wasn't the worst I've ever felt. But I was absolutely feeling the altitude on Day 2, feeling really like crap, not being able to breathe, with a headache. I probably could have drunk more water. I was completely winded on all of these passes, and I didn't even get to 13,000 ft. As I dropped lower, things got easier, and I gained speed and energy.

The rules of thumb. The US CDC's guidance (Yellow Book, April 2025): altitude illness becomes a risk when you sleep above about 8,000 ft (2,450 m); above 9,800 ft (3,000 m), don't raise your sleeping height by more than 1,650 ft (500 m) a night, and add a rest night for every 3,300 ft (1,000 m). I went from sea level to a tent at 10,100 ft in one day. A night or two in Aspen or Snowmass Village (around 8,000 ft) first, and a short first day, would have made Day 2 easier.

Going down helps. Headache is the first sign. If it gets worse despite rest, go lower. On this loop that means back down the valley you came up: Snowmass Creek, the North Fork, or West Maroon Creek to Maroon Lake.

Weather and safety

Emergency (2026). Call 911. From a phone with an out-of-area number, Pitkin County dispatch is 970-920-5310; Mountain Rescue Aspen answers through them. There is no cell service on the loop and, as Visit Maroon Bells puts it, rescue can take several hours to reach you: be ready to get yourself out. A satellite messenger is the real backup.

CORSAR card. Colorado's search and rescue card helps fund rescue teams, but it isn't insurance and doesn't pay for medical transport. It is $5 for a year or $20 for five (Colorado Parks and Wildlife).

Lightning. In the mountains thunderstorms usually build in the early afternoon (National Weather Service), and the passes are far above treeline. Be over each pass by midday in summer, and get off ridges when a storm comes.

Snow. The Forest Service says the loop is often snow-bound from October through June, and snow returns to the high country early. Check the forecast before each pass in September.

September 2026. On September 14, 2026 heavy rain set off debris flows in the wilderness, including on the Four Pass Loop. The trails stayed open; Maroon Creek Road reopened with delays while crews clear debris. Read the current Forest Service alerts before you go.

Leave a plan with someone at home, with your trailhead, your route, your permit nights and when you'll be out.

Where to be careful:

• The altitude: four passes above 12,400 ft. Go slow, drink, and go down if a headache gets worse (see Altitude)
• The passes: steep, loose switchbacks and exposure to storms; cross early
• Stream crossings: Snowmass Creek below the lake, and West Maroon Creek, dangerous in early summer runoff
• Bears: a canister for everything scented. I saw a cub below Snowmass Lake
• Cold nights in September, and snow on the passes any time from late September
• Hunting season in the fall: wear orange off trail

Going solo. I walked alone. If you do, leave a plan, carry a satellite messenger, and don't push over a pass when you feel as bad as I did on Day 2 or when a storm is building.

How many days do I need? I took four, but the first was a 6-mile walk in after sunset and the last was a fast 11 miles out by lunchtime. I'd call it maybe a three-day hike if you add them together. From Maroon Lake, the loop itself is about 26 miles (the Forest Service's figure), and most people take three or four days. See Other ways to do it.

How hard is it? The trail is clear, but you cross four passes above 12,400 ft. Coming from sea level the day before, the altitude hit me hard. I'd planned two or three passes on Day 2 and only made it over two, with a headache and no breath. See Altitude.

Do I need a permit? In 2026, yes, for every night you camp in a permit zone, and the whole loop is in permit zones: you reserve each zone for each night on Recreation.gov. Bear canisters are required. See Permits and camping. In 2021 I signed the log book at the trailhead; that was before the permit system.

Where do I start? Most people start at Maroon Lake, which in 2026 needs a parking or bus reservation. I started from the Snowmass side, at the end of Snowmass Creek Road: no shuttle and, in 2021, no fee. It adds about 9 miles each way. See Getting there.

Which way round? I went counterclockwise from Snowmass Lake: Trail Rider, Frigid Air, West Maroon, then Buckskin. From Maroon Lake, the same direction means Buckskin first.

Will I see other people? Yes. So many people came up and said hi at Snowmass Lake. If you're on the trail and you spot me and you're a subscriber, say hi: it always makes my day.

Can I have a campfire? Not at most of the loop's camps: fires are banned above 10,800 ft (including Snowmass Lake), within a quarter mile of Crater Lake, and within 100 ft of water and trails. Bring a stove.

Is there phone signal? No. There's no cell service on the loop. Download everything before you go.

I walked the four days in this guide. These are other ways to use it, and I didn't do them.

From Maroon Lake

The way most people do it. From Maroon Lake the loop is about 26 miles (the Forest Service's figure) and doesn't need the 9 miles up Snowmass Creek and back. Counterclockwise from Maroon Lake, as I went: up past Crater Lake and Minnehaha Gulch to Buckskin Pass, down to Snowmass Lake, over Trail Rider Pass, the North Fork, Frigid Air Pass, West Maroon Pass, and down West Maroon Creek to Crater Lake and Maroon Lake. You'll need Maroon Lake overnight parking, booked through your permit email, or the bus (see Getting there), and a permit for each zone you sleep in. My Days 2 and 3 and the first 2.6 miles of Day 4 cover the loop from Crater Lake round to Crater Lake; I didn't walk the 2 miles between Crater Lake and Maroon Lake, or the Day 1 and Day 4 Snowmass Creek walk you'd skip.

Three or four nights, shorter days

My Day 2 was 15 miles with two passes, and it destroyed me. The night I'd planned and didn't make was in the woods of the North Fork valley, between Trail Rider and Frigid Air passes. That splits the long day in two. Book each zone for each night.

Aspen to Crested Butte

West Maroon Pass is also the way to Crested Butte. The West Maroon Trail goes on south to the Schofield Park parking area; the Forest Service says to arrange transport to Crested Butte ahead. It's a classic one-way day hike, not the loop, and I didn't do it.

Before you go, check these

These change every year. Everything else in this guide stays the same.

Permits and rules

• Your overnight permit on Recreation.gov, a zone for every night you camp in one, bought on the release date (2026: February 15, June 15, October 15, at 8 a.m. Mountain Time; check Recreation.gov's Important Dates for 2027). $10 a person a night plus $6 in 2026
• Printed permit and photo ID
• A bear canister or another IGBC-certified container
• The camping rules: Crater Lake's numbered sites, 100 ft from water and trails, no fires above 10,800 ft

Getting there

• From Maroon Lake: overnight parking through the link in your permit email (2026: $10, about 60 hours a reservation; in before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m.), or the bus on visitmaroonbells.com (May 22 to October 18, $16)
• From the Snowmass side: parking at the Maroon-Snowmass (Snowmass Creek) Trailhead after its 2026 rebuild, and a high-clearance car for Divide Road
• Independence Pass, if you drive over it: open late May to late October or early November

Conditions

• Forest Service alerts and fire restrictions (debris flows in September 2026)
• Snow on the passes (October to June) and the afternoon storm forecast
• Fall colors, if that's why you're going: mid-September to early October

Your stuff

• Offline maps and GPX files, a satellite messenger, a CORSAR card, warm and rain layers, a stove, a water filter