Sometime during the winter, when hikers start to get cabin fever, my friend Deborah put out a call on Facebook seeking backpackers to plan a summer trip to coincide with peak wildflower season in the Rocky Mountains. A Facebook group was created, preferences discussed, and we eventually settled on a Maroon Bells backpacking trip. Specifically, we were going backpacking near Crested Butte. So while this hike is within the Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness, it sees far fewer visitors than the popular Four Pass Loop near Aspen. Without crowds, traffic, and permit process, backpacking Maroon Bells remains one of my all-time favorite Colorado adventures.

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Maroon Bells Planning

As noted, most planning took place through a private Facebook group. We all combed through the maps we had on hand, made suggestions, and responded with feedback. Most of us are members of the Backpacker Magazine forums, so we did a lot of research there, looking through past trip reports. Once we settled on the Crested Butte area, we all purchased a Maroon Bells Topographic Map and began planning the logistics of our hike. With this self-sufficient group, gear coordination was not necessary. Depending on the group, it may make sense to double up and share some gear like stoves, tents, or water filtration, especially if you have beginners joining you.

First time backpacking? Check out my list of backpacking gear to bring!

Copper Lake Colorado Basecamp

After deciding the location of our trip, we then had to narrow in on an itinerary, and we decided to set up a base camp at Copper Lake, which is only about five miles in from the trailhead on Gothic Road / Scofield Pass. Since Crested Butte is about five hours from Denver, we got a pretty late start to our hike after stopping for lunch in Crested Butte. In hindsight, we probably should have just gotten a hotel in Crested Butte and got an early start the next morning. But part of the beauty of this kind of trip is having the flexibility to do whatever you want. So, rather than push on to Copper Lake so late in the day (three of us were flat-landers, so altitude acclimation is a factor), we made it a few miles in and decided to set up camp near a stream crossing.

Check out the hike from Aspen to Crested Butte!

This left us a nice, short hike the next day, so we arrived at Copper Lake early enough to have a relaxing afternoon.  Copper Lake Colorado is a beautiful alpine lake, situated right at treeline, with several established campsites. This is apparently a popular stop on the way to Conundrum Hot Springs, so we did have hikers at the other campsites, but it was far from crowded.

Copper Lake is also situated near several trails, so we had some great options for day hikes. Many “hardcore” backpackers will do a loop where you pack up your tent every day and move sites, but I have to say, I’m a big fan of the base camp trip, and this was the perfect location to come home to each night!

Day hikes from Copper Lake Basecamp

On our first day, we hiked over East Maroon Pass, to East Maroon Creek. We started off on a ledge trail up above Copper Lake and immediately found fields of gorgeous wildflowers.

We got back to camp just as the late afternoon thunderstorms rolled in, perfect for a pre-dinner nap. On our second day, we hiked to the Triangle Pass trail. This was the longest hike of the trip and featured the most breathtaking scenery as well.

We made it up to Triangle Pass for a much-needed break, then realized we had missed our turnoff and had to double back a bit. Some in the group did not appreciate the exposure on this narrow trail, but I didn’t mind because the view was spectacular!

We even did some off-trail hiking and I let Bailey off-leash for the first time since there were no other hikers around to disturb. She was pretty good and didn’t let me out of her sight!

After another great day of hiking, followed by dinner and conversation, we all passed out in our tents for the night. The next day, we packed up and hiked back to our cars to go our separate ways. Again, it would have been fun to spend the night in Crested Butte, grab some beers and rehash the trip, but everyone has jobs to get home to. This remains one of my favorite backpacking trips that I’ve taken; it was the perfect combination of amazing scenery and great company, including Bailey, of course! She’s a great backpacking dog! Buy her Ruffwear backpack here!

Check out Colorado Hikes and Hops for different hikes to see the Maroon Bells!

Crested Butte Backpacking Logistics

At the time of our trip, no permits or fees were required to backpack in this area of the Maroon Bells. Furthermore, parking was free at the trailhead. As Colorado continues to become more crowded, I’m sure this will change. If you have more recent information that has changed, let me know!