Lower Maroon Creek
- 6.0 mi
- round trip
- 397 ft
- climb
- 8,743 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Is Lower Maroon Creek open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 6 alerts for White River National Forest.
FSR 286, Radical Hill, is closed due to washouts and unsafe conditions
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
Limited parking at Snowmass Creek Trailhead
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
Grizzly Creek Trail Closure
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · Order 2026-02 · USFS · White River National Forest
Ruedi Marina Day Use area Dump Station is CLOSED
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
Asbestos safety closure - Camp Hale
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · White River National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Lower Maroon Creek is a 6-mile out-and-back hike in Colorado's White River National Forest, within the Aspen Ranger District. The trail rises from about 8,300 feet to roughly 8,740 feet, a climb of about 400 feet, and is rated hard. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trailhead is at the East Maroon Wilderness Portal Trailhead. The trail is natural-surface and allows horses, but bikes are not permitted. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Aspen, about 3 miles away, put July highs around 76°F with lows near 48°F, while winter months bring highs near freezing. Maroon Creek, a canoeing spot, sits just 0.1 mile away. Silver Bar Campground and Maroon Creek Road are each about a mile off, and the Sugarbowl hike is about 1.8 miles away.
Go with a guide
- Mineral Belt Trail Guided WalkRoamze · $25 per person · 32 mi away
- Maroon Bells Guide and Outfittersunder a mile away
- Maroon CreekCanoeing0.1 mi
- Silver Bar CampgroundCamping1.1 mi
Maroon Creek RoadSki touringPhoto: This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder.
Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author and send me a message.
This image is not in the public domain. Please respect the copyright protection. It may only be used according to the rules mentioned here. This specifically excludes use in social media, if applicable terms of the licenses listed here not appropriate.
Please do not upload an updated image here without consultation with the Author. The author would like to make corrections only at his own source. This ensures that the changes are preserved.Please if you think that any changes should be required, please inform the author.Otherwise you can upload a new image with a new name. Please use one of the templates derivative or extract., CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1.1 mi- Silver Bell CampgroundCamping1.3 mi
- SugarbowlHiking1.8 mi
Southwest TRRock climbingPhoto: David Leo Veksler, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)4.4 mi- East FaceRock climbingPhoto: David Leo Veksler, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)4.4 mi
- Castle CreekCanoeing4.5 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Congo TrailHiking · ~3 min drivePhoto: randomduck, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Thunderbowl TrailHiking · ~4 min drivePhoto: Cloudforest, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Ajax TrailHiking · ~6 min drivePhoto: Frans-Banja Mulder, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
SummitHiking · ~4 min drivePhoto: NHV, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Maroon Gorge TrailHiking · ~4 min drivePhoto: Cloudforest, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
GovernmentHiking · ~5 min drivePhoto: Nabeel H, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Maroon CreekHiking · ~5 min drivePhoto: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Maroon Gorge TrailHiking · ~5 min drivePhoto: Peter Alfred Hess, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
East MaroonHiking · ~7 min drivePhoto: Cal Wolfe, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Ute TrailHiking · ~6 min drivePhoto: Baker Pics and Whatnot, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Also worth it near here
- Silver Bar CampgroundCamping · ~2 min drive
- SugarbowlMountain biking · ~3 min drive
Highland PeakSummit · ~4 min drivePhoto: This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder.
Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author and send me a message.
This image is not in the public domain. Please respect the copyright protection. It may only be used according to the rules mentioned here. This specifically excludes use in social media, if applicable terms of the licenses listed here not appropriate.
Please do not upload an updated image here without consultation with the Author. The author would like to make corrections only at his own source. This ensures that the changes are preserved.Please if you think that any changes should be required, please inform the author.Otherwise you can upload a new image with a new name. Please use one of the templates derivative or extract., CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
ButtermilkDownhill skiing · ~4 min drivePhoto: Werdna, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Best time to visit Lower Maroon Creek
Best months: May–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
32° / 10°
13 wet
Feb
35° / 13°
12 wet
Mar
43° / 20°
12 wet
Apr
50° / 27°
12 wet
May
60° / 35°
11 wet
Jun
71° / 42°
8 wet
Jul
76° / 48°
11 wet
Aug
73° / 47°
12 wet
Sep
67° / 40°
10 wet
Oct
55° / 30°
9 wet
Nov
42° / 19°
10 wet
Dec
32° / 10°
12 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Aspen 1sw, CO, 3 mi away at 8,175 ft. The station sits about 600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
