Silver Bar Campground

USDA Forest Service campground, 4 sites

Overview

Silver Bar Campground is located approximately five miles southwest of Aspen, Colorado, on the banks of Maroon Creek. The campground is adjacent to the Maroon Bells Welcome Station. This small, primitive, campground features four tent-only, walk-in sites with centralized vault toilets only a few yards away from each campsite. A single accessible campsite is located near the toilets and water source.

The campground sits at an elevation of 8,460 feet, allowing guests to experience warm summer days and cool evenings with probable afternoon thunderstorms. Properly licensed anglers may fish in Maroon Creek, which runs along the eastern edge of the campground. Come prepared for changing weather conditions. Snow is possible even at the peak of summer.

Recreation

For hikers and backpackers, the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area epitomizes the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Starting from the Deadly Bells Trailhead at Maroon Lake, the West Maroon Trail gains elevation through aspen groves and evergreens, traverses boulder fields, crosses streams, and leads hikers through high-elevation (10,000+ feet) mountain passes. Climbing through alpine terrain, backpackers will find high mountain lakes and a smattering of wildflowers in mid-summer. Check specific regulations for camping in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area.

For day hikers and horseback riders, nearby Maroon Creek Trail offers a less crowded alternative to viewing the Maroon Bells, Pyramid Peak and the entire Maroon valley. The gentle, flat terrain offers scenic stops that are great for picnicking.

Facilities

Silver Bar Campground has four walk-in, tent-only sites. Sites are equipped with picnic tables, vault toilets, food storage lockers (bear boxes) and campfire rings. Drinking water and electrical hook-ups are not available.

Natural Features

The Maroon Bells Scenic Area is surrounded by the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. This wilderness is one of the five original Colorado wilderness areas designated by the 1964 Wilderness Act. Its scenic value exudes from its aspen groves, meadows of wildflowers, and dark forests of spruce and fir that rise up from the valleys to alpine landscapes. Here, bighorn sheep, pika, and ptarmigan find habitat above timberline.

Towering over glacial valleys at over 14,000 feet in elevation, the Maroon Bells are the most recognizable peaks in the Elk Mountains. The Maroon Bells are unique in the Rockies in that they are made up of metamorphic sedimentary mudstone that gives the peaks their maroon color and unstable nature for climbing.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (970) 945-2521.

Nearby Attractions

The nearby mountain resort town of Aspen is a popular destination for visitors to the area. From downhill skiing and world-class fly fishing, to dining and resorts, there is a multitude of outdoor and indoor opportunities in this mountain town.