Maroon Creek Road

Description:

• Maroon Creek Road is one of the most scenic drives in Colorado. Spectacular fourteen thousand foot peaks stand tall above the valley floors. Beavers tend to their dams built beside the clear waters of Maroon Creek. Deer and Elk graze in wildflower covered meadows. Avalanches roar down the sides of the steep valley in winter, destroying everything in their paths and leaving clearly defined chutes.

  This area is a haven for hikers, bikers, backpackers, mountain climbers, horseback riders, fisherman, hunters, nature enthusiasts and photographers. From mid-June through September, the Maroon Creek Road is closed from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and you will need to take a shuttle bus from Ruby Park in Aspen. The bus includes an informative guided tour of the valley. Contact the Roaring Fork Transit Agency at 925-8484 for more information. Because of the road closure, this is an excellent route for bicycles, inline skaters and dryland cross-country skiers.

  As you drive up Maroon Creek Road, you will pass the Aspen Highlands Ski Area on your left. Pyramid Peak is visible at the head of the valley. A few miles further you will pass the Maroon Bells Lodge and Outfitters ranch where you can ride horses in the summer and snowmobiles in the winter. Just past the ranch is the start of the White River National Forest and the guard gate to prevent automobile traffic in the summer. Avalanche schutes are visible on both sides of the valley. Beaver ponds are visible on the left along the creek. At about the 7 1/2 mile point you will round a corner and the Maroon Bells come into view. Directions: Drive 1/2 mile west of Aspen on Highway 82 to the roundabout where you turn onto Maroon Creek Road. Continue 9 1/2 miles to the Maroon Lake Parking Area.From mid-June through September, the Maroon Creek Road is closed from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and you will need to take a shuttle bus from Ruby Park in Aspen. The bus includes an informative guided tour of the valley. Contact the Roaring Fork Transit Agency at 970-925-8484 for more information.