Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness
Colorado's fourth largest Wilderness exemplifies Rocky Mountain splendor: 100 miles of trail lead over nine passes above 12,000 feet, vast regions lie above the tree line, and long glacial valleys point...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Colorado |
| Size | 181,973 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1964, by Congress |
| Center point | 39.1134, -107.0249 |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 22) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
1 federal campground sits inside the boundary and 26 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
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15 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 10 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 8 day hikings, 1 backpacking, 1 trailhead. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 9 miConundrum Creek TH #1981 ↗Trailhead
- 2 miBuckskin Pass Trailhead #1975 ↗Day hiking
- 2 mi
- 2 miWillow Lake #1978 ↗Day hiking
- 2 miNorth Fork Cutoff TH #1976 ↗Day hiking
- 4 miNorth Fork TH #1974 ↗Day hiking
- 4 miMaroon/Snowmass - Crater Lake TH #1975 ↗Backpacking
- 5 miArkansas Mountain TH #1965 ↗Day hiking
- 5 miWest Snowmass #2187 ↗Day hiking
- 6 mi
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
48 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 209 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Avalanche/Silver Creek ↗ | 17.8 | |
| Maroon Snowmass ↗ | 15.4 | |
| Lily Lake ↗ | 11.2 | |
| Conundrum Creek ↗ | 10.3 | |
| West Maroon ↗ | 8.8 | |
| Capitol Creek ↗ | 8.4 | |
| East Maroon ↗ | 8.3 | |
| North Fork Crystal River ↗ | 8.2 | |
| East Creek/Gift Creek ↗ | 7.6 | |
| Nickelson Creek ↗ | 7.6 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- WildfireWillow
32 mi from the center point · 7,389 acres · 80% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 0.6 miOsgood-Kuhnhausen House ↗Redstone, CO
- 0.7 miRedstone Inn ↗Redstone, CO
- 0.8 miAshcroft, Colorado ↗Aspen, CO
- 0.8 miRedstone Coke Oven Historic District ↗Redstone, CO
- 0.9 miOsgood Castle ↗Redstone, CO
- 1.1 miCrystal Mill ↗Crystal, CO
- 1.2 miOsgood Gamekeeper's Lodge ↗Redstone, CO
- 1.5 miHaxby House ↗Marble, CO
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness?
181,973 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness in?
Colorado.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1964.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness?
1 federal campground sits inside the boundary, including Maroon Bells Amphitheatre. 27 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Where to camp
Where are the trailheads in Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness?
The Forest Service lists 10 recreation sites here, including 8 day hikings, 1 backpacking and 1 trailhead. Each one links to its Forest Service page.
Source: Trailheads and sites
How do I get to Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 39.113, -107.025. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Willow at 32 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 22 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness?
47 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Osgood-Kuhnhausen House and Redstone Inn.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.