Silver Queen Campground

Located just outside Aspen, Colorado, Silver Queen Campground is hemmed in by aspen groves, a short walk from Maroon Creek, with views of 14,018-foot Pyramid Peak. The campground sits at an elevation of 8,460 feet, allowing guests to experience warm summer days and cool evenings with probable afternoon thunderstorms. Come prepared for changing weather conditions — snow is possible even at the peak of summer. For hikers and backpackers, the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area epitomizes the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Starting from the Deadly Bells Trailhead at Maroon Lake, the West Maroon Trail gains elevation through aspen groves and evergreens, traverses boulder fields, crosses streams, and leads hikers through high-elevation (10,000+ feet) mountain passes. Climbing through alpine terrain, backpackers will find high mountain lakes and a smattering of wildflowers in mid-summer; check specific regulations for camping in the wilderness area. For day hikers and horseback riders, nearby Maroon Creek Trail offers a less crowded alternative to viewing the Maroon Bells, Pyramid Peak and the entire Maroon valley, with gentle, flat terrain and scenic stops that are great for picnicking. Five campsites are able to accommodate tents, trailers and RVs. Sites are equipped with picnic tables, food storage lockers (bear boxes), campfire rings and drinking water, and vault toilets are provided. Electrical hook-ups are not available, and horses are not allowed in the campground. The Maroon Bells Scenic Area is surrounded by the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, one of the five original Colorado wilderness areas designated by the 1964 Wilderness Act. Its scenic value exudes from its 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 in elevation, the Maroon Bells are the most recognizable peaks in the Elk Mountains, unique in the Rockies in that they are made up of metamorphic sedimentary mudstone that gives the peaks their maroon color and unstable nature for climbing. The nearby resort town of Aspen is a popular destination for visitors to the area. From downhill skiing and world-class fly fishing to dining and resorts, there is a multitude of outdoor and indoor opportunities in this mountain town.