27px, we want 27. Please register or login . With six peaks rising above 14,000 feet, this area draws mountaineers by the thousands every year. A non-Wilderness road punches into the area to Maroon Lake creating traffic jams in summer.
Climbers come in herds, but the peaks are among the most difficult in the state.
Caution and skill are advised, but the rewards are stupendous. The Snowmass Creek Trail travels 16 miles to Maroon Lake and provides some of the best views of the Wilderness. Hot springs steam at the head of Conundrum Creek and attract many hikers. In mid-summer the wildflowers are arguably the best in the world. Although elk and deer still abound here in the Elk Mountains, development around Aspen and Snowmass threaten habitat.