Maroon Bells Amphitheatre

Reputed to be the most photographed mountains in Colorado, the spectacular Maroon Bells dominate this setting. Hemmed in by Maroon Lake, aspen groves and evergreen forests, the Maroon Bells Amphitheater is designed for interpretive talks and is especially popular for recreational events and weddings. It is a venue with a view, tucked behind the visitor center and overlooking a vast meadow speckled with wildflowers mid-summer, Maroon Lake, and the Bells themselves — a space suited to interpretive programs, weddings, spoken-word performances, contemplative thought, or a picnic. The maximum number of people allowed is 50; the amphitheater is available for use by the general public when not booked for a private event, and can be rented for private gatherings most days of the week throughout the summer. Accessible vault toilets and a water fountain are available at the site; electrical outlets and phone service are not. Decorations are allowed within the amphitheater, but the following are prohibited: arches or other large structures, items that are thrown or animals released (doves, flower petals, rice, confetti), collection of items from the surrounding area, PA systems or loud music, lights hung from trees, floating lanterns, fireworks, and aluminum cans dragging from vehicles. All decorations must be removed upon leaving. Parking is available at the day use parking area, 200 yards from the site; no vehicles are allowed in the bus loop for any reason. Amphitheater reservations include five vehicle passes to the Maroon Bells Scenic Area, available for pickup at the Welcome Station five days prior to the event, and guests who cannot be accommodated with the included passes will have to either purchase a vehicle pass or reserve a seat on the shuttle bus well ahead of time. The shuttle bus operates from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and drops guests off just 25 yards from the amphitheater; dogs are permitted on it. Vehicle traffic is restricted on Maroon Creek Road past the Forest Service Welcome Station from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., so guests with vehicle passes must come through the Welcome Station before 8:00 a.m.; people with disabilities and vehicles carrying children under 2 in a restraining car seat are exempt from the road restrictions. Receptions cannot be held at the amphitheater, but the nearby East Maroon Portal Picnic site — about a four-mile drive — is a popular option. It is a small, developed area along Maroon Creek that shares a parking lot and path with the East Maroon Creek Trailhead and can accommodate up to 75 people. All food, beverages and scented items there must be stored in the bear-proof food locker while unattended. There are hiking trails of varying length and difficulty. Trails next to Maroon Lake are fairly flat and wheelchair and stroller accessible; beyond the lake they become steeper and rocky. For hikers and backpackers, the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness epitomizes the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Starting from the Maroon Bells Scenic Area, the West Maroon Trail winds through aspen groves, crosses streams and switchbacks through forests, climbing to alpine terrain where backpackers find high mountain lakes and a smattering of wildflowers in early summer. Check specific regulations for camping in the wilderness area. The Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness is one of the five original Colorado wilderness areas designated by the 1964 Wilderness Act. Its scenic value exudes from aspen groves, meadows of wildflowers and dark forests of spruce and fir that rise up from the valleys to alpine landscapes, where bighorn sheep, pika and ptarmigan find habitat above timberline. Towering over glacial valleys at over 14,000 feet, the Maroon Bells are the most recognizable peaks in the Elk Mountains, and are unique in the Rockies in being made of metamorphic sedimentary mudstone that gives them their maroon color and their unstable nature for climbing.