Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness Permit Guide 2026

Colorado · Leashed dogs OK

By Casey Rowan, Permit Ranger

Last updated

Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness in Colorado's White River National Forest is one of the most photographed and heavily used ranges in the Rockies, home to the Four Pass Loop, Conundrum Hot Springs, and Capitol Lake. An overnight permit is required and is issued for a specific camping zone or campsite, with one reservation covering your whole party. Popular zones like Conundrum and the Four Pass Loop sell out fast, so competitive dates can be hard to secure.

Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness issues its wilderness permits through recreation.gov, and popular passes sell out ahead of the season. Overnight zone permits are quota'd year-round and sold in three seasonal releases at 8:00 AM Mountain (7:00 AM Pacific): Feb 15 (for Apr–Jul entries), Jun 15 (Aug–Nov), and Oct 15 (Dec–Mar). One reservation covers your whole party. Permit Ranger watches every pass here and alerts you the moment a sold-out date opens.

When permits are released

Overnight zone permits are quota'd year-round and sold in three seasonal releases at 8:00 AM Mountain (7:00 AM Pacific): Feb 15 (for Apr–Jul entries), Jun 15 (Aug–Nov), and Oct 15 (Dec–Mar). One reservation covers your whole party.

Your odds

There is no lottery and no published odds report: White River National Forest releases no application or sell-out statistics, so your chances come down to quota math and release-day speed. The supply numbers are public and small. Conundrum Hot Springs has just 20 designated sites, most capped at 2 to 4 people, which makes it the tightest draw in the wilderness.

Speed-of-sale notes are estimates from observed release-day behavior: summer weekend nights at Conundrum are effectively gone within minutes of the February 15 release at 8:00 AM Mountain, and the Four Pass Loop zones and Capitol Lake follow close behind. Midweek dates, shoulder-season weeks, and less famous zones like Geneva Lake hold out much longer.

The realistic path to a sold-out zone is cancellations. Because one reservation covers a whole party and plans change, zones reopen in ones and twos all season with no schedule. Watching the exact zone and nights you need is exactly what Permit Ranger does.

Source: White River National Forest and recreation.gov permit pages (site counts and quotas); the Forest Service publishes no application or sell-out statistics, so speed-of-sale notes are estimates. Last checked July 2026.

Fees

  • Reservation: $6 per permit (non-refundable)
  • Per person, per night: $10 per person per night (ages 17 and up; 16 and under free)

How to get a Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness permit

  1. Choose the overnight camping zone or designated site you want (Conundrum Hot Springs, Four Pass Loop zones, and Capitol Lake are the busiest).
  2. Identify your release window: permits are quota'd year-round and sold in three seasonal releases at 8:00 AM Mountain (7:00 AM Pacific) - February 15 for April–July entries, June 15 for August–November, and October 15 for December–March.
  3. Book your permit on recreation.gov as soon as your entry date's release opens, reserving each zone for the nights of your itinerary.
  4. If your dates are sold out, keep watching - cancellations reopen zones over time, and Permit Ranger can alert you the moment a watched zone frees up.

Notable trails

Top passes in this area

The most in-demand Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness entry points, each with its own detail page.

Frequently asked questions

When do Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness permits open?

Overnight zone permits are quota'd year-round and sold in three seasonal releases at 8:00 AM Mountain (7:00 AM Pacific): Feb 15 (for Apr–Jul entries), Jun 15 (Aug–Nov), and Oct 15 (Dec–Mar). One reservation covers your whole party. Exact on-sale details are on the recreation.gov permit page.

What if my dates are sold out?

Cancellations open up all season. Watch the passes you want on Permit Ranger and you get an instant alert when a date you need becomes bookable.

Does Permit Ranger book the permit for me?

No. Permit Ranger alerts you the moment a watched date opens, with a direct booking link, but the booking is always yours to make on recreation.gov.

More permits in Colorado

Dog-friendly permits

Plan ahead

Sold-out dates reopen all the time from cancellations and quota drops. Permit Ranger checks recreation.gov around the clock and alerts you the moment your dates open. It never books for you.

Browse Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness passes · Book on recreation.gov