.attraction-map-buttons-container {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: wrap;
justify-content: center;
margin: 20px 0 10px;
}
.attraction-map-buttons-container a {
flex-grow: 1;
flex-shrink: 1;
flex-basis: 150px;
max-width: 200px;
margin: 0 7px 10px;
font-weight: normal;
}

.attraction-activities-btns-container {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: wrap;
justify-content: center;
}
.attraction-activities-btns-container a {
flex-grow: 1;
flex-shrink: 1;
flex-basis: 150px;
max-width: 200px;
margin: 0 7px 10px;
font-weight: normal;
overflow: hidden;
text-overflow: ellipsis;
}

This trail starts at the immensely crowded Maroon Lake Scenic Trail and follows the only slightly less busy Crater Lake Trail to the foot of the iconic Maroon Bells. But turn right and tackle the long, steep climb to Buckskin Pass, and you’ll be rewarded with a bit more solitude and awe-inspiring views of the Bells, Snowmass Mountain, and the rest of the Elk Mountains. Unlike the two aforementioned hikes, this is no walk in the park. Hikers gain almost 3,000 feet of elevation in 4.8 miles, topping out at 12,462 feet atop Buckskin Pass. From here, many longer options are possible, such as hiking down to Snowmass Lake and then to the Snowmass Creek Trailhead, if you left a shuttle vehicle there. Overnight options abound, from great campsites on Buckskin Pass to a multi-day adventure on the Four Pass Loop, which crests three more passes as you make a long loop around the Bells.

In 2010, we hiked the Four Pass Loop clockwise, as most hikers do, and after cresting three passes in two days we dragged our tired legs up Buckskin. I recall little about being on top of the pass except I could finally see where the car was and that meant a cheeseburger was not far off.

Pro Tips

Recommended season(s): Mid-summer to early fall.

–R. Scott Rappold