How long is the Four Pass Loop?

From Maroon Lake the loop is about 26 miles (the Forest Service's figure). I started from the Snowmass Creek trailhead, which adds about 9 miles each way: 43.7 miles in four days on my GPS, September 25 to 28, 2021.

Do you need a permit for the Four Pass Loop?

Yes, in 2026 you need a Recreation.gov overnight permit for each permit zone and each night you camp in it: $10 a person a night from May 1 to October 31, plus a $6 reservation fee per permit. Permits go on sale on set dates (February 15, June 15 and October 15 in 2026). Bear canisters are required.

How high are the passes on the Four Pass Loop?

Buckskin Pass is 12,462 ft and West Maroon Pass 12,500 ft (Forest Service). Trail Rider Pass and Frigid Air Pass are both about 12,400 ft; my GPS read 12,425 ft and 12,398 ft.

Can you start the Four Pass Loop from Snowmass instead of Maroon Lake?

Yes. I parked at the Maroon-Snowmass Trailhead (also called the Snowmass Creek Trailhead) at the end of Snowmass Creek Road and walked up to Snowmass Lake, about 8.8 miles, so I didn't need the Maroon Lake shuttle. In 2026 parking there is limited to about 25 spaces from August 14 to November 14 while the trailhead is rebuilt.

Which direction should you hike the Four Pass Loop?

I went counterclockwise from Snowmass Lake: Trail Rider, Frigid Air, West Maroon, then Buckskin. From Maroon Lake the same direction starts with Buckskin Pass.

When is the best time to hike the Four Pass Loop?

Mid-July to September. The Forest Service says the loop is often snow-bound from October through June. For the yellow aspens, the colors usually peak from mid-September to early October; I walked it September 25 to 28.

The Four Pass Loop film: Maroon Bells, Colorado

Maroon Bells, Colorado · 4 days · 44 miles

Four Pass Loop Hiking Guide

4 days over four passes around the Maroon Bells.

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Look inside

Real pages from the guide. Tap one to see it big.

A day page
A day map and elevation profile
At a glance
Permits and camping (2026)

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The route

My GPS recording of 4 days on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts; the red dot is the finish. The full GPX files and the day maps come with the guide.

Relief map of the Four Pass Loop route: 4 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Maroon-Snowmass Trailhead, Maroon Peak, Trail Rider Pass, Frigid Air Pass, West Maroon Pass and Buckskin Pass. — Map data: Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (USGS 3DEP, SRTM) on AWS · Rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors

At a glance

Days: 4 days
Distance: 44 miles
Climbing: About 9,680 ft (2,950 m) up
Season: Mid-July to September
Permit: An overnight permit from Recreation.gov for every night in a permit zone, $10 a person a night plus $6 a permit
Start and end: The Maroon-Snowmass Trailhead

What's inside

All four days. Stats, the time I took, my notes, the trail, where to get off, a map with an elevation profile, and links to that day in my film.
My GPX files. My own recordings for each day, with waypoints for the trailhead, the four passes, the lakes and my three camps, ready for AllTrails, Gaia GPS, Garmin or Organic Maps.
Permits and camping. How the 2026 Recreation.gov permit zones, fees and release dates work, where you can camp, bear canisters and fires, and where my camps fall on the zone map.
Two ways to start. The Snowmass Creek trailhead I used, with no shuttle, or Maroon Lake with its 2026 parking and bus reservations.
Altitude. Every camp and pass height from my GPS, how coming from sea level hit me on Day 2, and the CDC's rules of thumb.
Other ways to do it. From Maroon Lake, a night in the North Fork to split the long day, and Aspen to Crested Butte.
Before you go and a trip sheet. One page of year-to-year checks and a printable one-page summary of the whole loop.

About this trip

In September 2021 I hiked the Four Pass Loop in Colorado's Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness: up Snowmass Creek to Snowmass Lake, over Trail Rider, Frigid Air, West Maroon and Buckskin passes, past Crater Lake under the Maroon Bells, and back down, with the aspens turning. 44 miles in four days on my GPS. It's the trip from my film Hiking 40 miles on the Four Pass Loop in Colorado. This guide has my GPS files, maps and notes for every day, how the 2026 overnight permits, camping rules and bear canisters work, starting from the Snowmass side or Maroon Lake, and the altitude.

Watch the film on YouTube (306K views).

Gear for this route

Paid links: I earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

What I carried in 2021

From the film and my photos.

Shelter and sleepa tent and my sleeping gear
Kitchena small stove and pot, a mug, four days of food
Clothesa hooded shirt and shorts in the day, an orange puffy jacket and a beanie in camp
Trekking polestrekking polesOut for the passes and the last day.
Headlampa headlampI walked the last part of Day 1 in the dark.
Navigationmy phoneRecording each day on AllTrails.

What I'd take now

Warm layerArc’teryx Cerium Hoody Arc’teryxLate-September mornings at 11,000 ft are cold.
HatPATH Projects Hoyt Merino Beanie PATH Projects
GlovesUnigear Touchscreen Liner Gloves Amazon
Rain shellArc’teryx Beta AR Jacket Arc’teryxFor afternoon storms.
PolesBlack Diamond Alpine Carbon Z Poles AmazonFor the four passes.
StoveJetboil Stash AmazonNo fires at the camps.
WaterKatadyn BeFree AC · 1L AmazonTreat or filter every stream.
NavigationAllTrails+ AllTrails · 30% offImport my GPX files and download them offline: there's no cell service. Offline maps need the paid plan.

Filming kit

What I filmed with in 2021.

CameraSony a7S III Amazon
Phonean iPhone 12 Pro Max

What I film with now

CameraDJI Osmo Pocket 4 Amazon
MicDJI Mic 3 · 1 TX + 1 RX AmazonIt pairs with the Pocket 4.
TripodSmallRig Carbon Fiber Tripod Amazon

Everything I carry now: my gear page.

The Day 2, Snowmass Lake over Trail Rider Pass and Frigid Air Pass page from the Four Pass Loop Hiking Guide

Free sample + packing list

Try Day 2 free, plus my packing list

Snowmass Lake over Trail Rider Pass and Frigid Air Pass

The whole day page from the guide as a PDF, plus my camping packing list: the 42 things I carry, with a note on each. The PDF opens right away and both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

The details

Format: A 52-page PDF sized for a phone (A5, prints fine too) and a folder of GPX files, in one zip download.
Edition: 2027 season edition, updated September 2026.
Delivery: Instant. After you pay you get a private download link. Bookmark it to download again on any device.
Payment: Secure checkout through Stripe, in your own currency. Tax is included in the price, except in the US and Canada, where any sales tax is added at checkout.
Refunds: Not useful? Email me within 30 days for a refund: kraig@kraigadams.com.
Questions: Email kraig@kraigadams.com.

Questions

How long is the Four Pass Loop?: From Maroon Lake the loop is about 26 miles (the Forest Service's figure). I started from the Snowmass Creek trailhead, which adds about 9 miles each way: 43.7 miles in four days on my GPS, September 25 to 28, 2021.
Do you need a permit for the Four Pass Loop?: Yes, in 2026 you need a Recreation.gov overnight permit for each permit zone and each night you camp in it: $10 a person a night from May 1 to October 31, plus a $6 reservation fee per permit. Permits go on sale on set dates (February 15, June 15 and October 15 in 2026). Bear canisters are required.
How high are the passes on the Four Pass Loop?: Buckskin Pass is 12,462 ft and West Maroon Pass 12,500 ft (Forest Service). Trail Rider Pass and Frigid Air Pass are both about 12,400 ft; my GPS read 12,425 ft and 12,398 ft.
Can you start the Four Pass Loop from Snowmass instead of Maroon Lake?: Yes. I parked at the Maroon-Snowmass Trailhead (also called the Snowmass Creek Trailhead) at the end of Snowmass Creek Road and walked up to Snowmass Lake, about 8.8 miles, so I didn't need the Maroon Lake shuttle. In 2026 parking there is limited to about 25 spaces from August 14 to November 14 while the trailhead is rebuilt.
Which direction should you hike the Four Pass Loop?: I went counterclockwise from Snowmass Lake: Trail Rider, Frigid Air, West Maroon, then Buckskin. From Maroon Lake the same direction starts with Buckskin Pass.
When is the best time to hike the Four Pass Loop?: Mid-July to September. The Forest Service says the loop is often snow-bound from October through June. For the yellow aspens, the colors usually peak from mid-September to early October; I walked it September 25 to 28.

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