Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Colorado Aspen Maroon Bells

Maroon Bells

Despite being one of the most photographed vistas in the Rockies these twin peaks are rightfully known as the "Deadly Bells."

Aspen, Colorado

Added By
Thomas Harper
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Maroon Bells   Max and Dee Stark on Flickr
Maroon Bells   thomasharper / Atlas Obscura User
Maroon Bells   Jesse Varner on Flickr
Duck in Maroon Lake   David Crane - www.dcranephoto.com
  www.dcranephoto.com
Maroon bells (Maroon peak left, North Maroon peak right)   Dusty J
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Billed as the most photographed mountains in the Rockies, many visitors come to Aspen to take their pictures. However, climbers, local media, and even the US Forest Service know these mountains as the "Deadly Bells."

The beauty of the Maroon Bells, North and South Maroon Peak with their neighbor Pyramid Peak, in the White River National Forest just outside of Aspen, brings thousands of visitors to the viewing area in front of Maroon Lake every year. Their red mudstone layers give the mountains their unique maroon coloring. When the light is right, the peaks reflect in the lake, and this image is on prints for sale at most gift shops in the Colorado Rockies. Visitors can get to the viewing area by a bus trip up Maroon Bells Road. Tickets can be bought in the shop of the Aspen Highlands resort.

For climbers, however, the beauty belies their difficulty in climbing. Mudstone is very fragile, causing loose rock on the climbing routes. Eight people died in separate accidents in 1965 alone, leading the media to give it its deadly sobriquet. A sign placed by the US Forest Service at the start of the access trail states:

"The beautiful Maroon Bells, and their neighbor Pyramid Peak, have claimed many lives in the past few years. They are not extreme technical climbs, but they are unbelievably deceptive. The rock is downsloping, rotten, loose, and unstable. It kills without warning. The snowfields are treacherous, poorly consolidated, and no place for a novice climber. The gullies are death traps. Expert climbers who did not know the proper routes have died on these peaks. Don't repeat their mistakes, for only rarely have these mountains given a second chance. DO NOT CLIMB IF NOT QUALIFIED."

Most visitors may only hear a line or two about the climbs, and take their photos unaware of the hazards of the climb and those who have lost their lives.

 

Related Tags

Mountains Death

Know Before You Go

Take the Maroon Creek Road turnoff from the round-about in Aspen. Due to high levels of traffic, anyone not wielding a current ADA tag/license must ride the bus into the area during the week, between 9am and 5pm, Mon-Fri

Community Contributors

Added By

thomasharper

Edited By

kostas1964ath, EricGrundhauser, 14K Feet

  • kostas1964ath
  • EricGrundhauser
  • 14K Feet

Published

July 25, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maroon_Bells
Maroon Bells
Maroon-Snowmass Trail
Aspen, Colorado, 81611
United States
39.071062, -106.989069
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Conundrum Hot Springs

Aspen, Colorado

miles away

Ashcroft Townsite

Aspen, Colorado

miles away

Marble Mill Site Park

Marble, Colorado

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Aspen

Aspen

Colorado

Places 5

Nearby Places

Conundrum Hot Springs

Aspen, Colorado

miles away

Ashcroft Townsite

Aspen, Colorado

miles away

Marble Mill Site Park

Marble, Colorado

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Aspen

Aspen

Colorado

Places 5

Related Places

  • An icy pond forms just behind the brink of the viewpoint.

    Wellsboro, Pennsylvania

    Haunted Vista

    A rock maze opens up to a panoramic viewpoint at an abandoned mine full of ghost stories.

  • The Dan Clancy memorial chair.

    Wicklow, Ireland

    Dan Clancy Memorial Chair

    A teddy bear sits on a chair watching the sunset from the mountaintop—just as the late Dan Clancy had done since childhood.

  • Minakami, Japan

    Mount Tanigawa

    This little known mountain has claimed four times as many lives as Everest.

  • Hesperus Mountain.

    Mayday, Colorado

    Hesperus Mountain

    This jet-infused peak marks the traditional northern boundary of the Navajo nation.

  • Hiawassee, Georgia

    Bell Mountain

    Catch beautiful views at the graffitied observation deck on this mountain top.

  • Small statues of Buddha line the path to the top of the mountain.

    Hiroshima, Japan

    Mitaki-dera

    A mountaintop Buddhist temple with panoramic views of Hiroshima.

  • The view of the Blue Ridge Mountains here is spectacular.

    Canton, North Carolina

    Black Balsam Knob

    On a clear afternoon, you can see mountain peaks more than 40 miles away from this clearing in the Pisgah National Forest.

  • Vacant since the 1960s, this tower still offers the best view around.

    Cosby, Tennessee

    Mount Cammerer Lookout Tower

    Trek up to an abandoned fire lookout from the 1930s for an unimpeded view.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.