Hiking The East Maroon Creek Trail

Southwest of Aspen, the East Maroon Creek Trail is a 9 mile route to East Maroon Pass within the Maroon Bells Wilderness. The trail climbs from 8,750 feet at the trailhead to 11,800 feet at the pass. While the trail ends at the pass, the Copper Creek Trail continues down the west side past the scenic Copper Lakes and leads to Judd Falls near the Gothic townsite. The total distance of the combined trails is 14.0 miles.

Another nearby popular trek is the 19 mile Conundrum Hot Springs Hike.

To reach the trailhead from Aspen, head west on SR82 to the roundabout. Head southwest on Maroon Creek Road (CR13) for several miles up the canyon to the East Maroon Wilderness Portal parking area. The trail starts down by the river. Keep in mind that from Memorial Day to Labor Day, personal vehicles are only allowed on Maroon Creek Road before 8am and after 5pm. Otherwise, a public bus ride is required; this bus runs every 20 minutes.

Overall, East Maroon Creek Trail is the 39th most popular hiking trail of all 66 hikes in Colorado. Several of the better hiking trails are nearby East Maroon Creek Trail including Maroon Bells Loop, Independence Pass Trail, Conundrum Creek Trail and 10th Mountain Huts - West.