The Maroon Bells are the most photographed peaks in Colorado, and the Forest Service manages access accordingly. Between roughly Memorial Day and mid October, Maroon Creek Road is closed to private cars past the Welcome Station from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and everyone arrives by reserved shuttle or reserved parking. A wedding here means working inside that system. The good news is that the system is designed for exactly this: there is a reservable amphitheater, a reservable reception site four miles down the road, and a clear set of rules published by the White River National Forest and the Aspen Chamber Resort Association.
The amphitheater
The Maroon Bells Amphitheatre sits behind the visitor center, overlooking the meadow, Maroon Lake and the Bells. It is a public interpretive space that can be reserved for private events, and weddings are its main business. The Forest Service lists it on Recreation.gov with these terms:
- Fee: $200 per day, before Recreation.gov fees and taxes.
- Capacity: 50 people maximum.
- Reservation window: opens one year in advance on a rolling basis. The Aspen Chamber adds that the window opens at 8 a.m. Mountain time.
- Your window: the Chamber says your reserved time runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a sign to hold the space; after 3 p.m. the amphitheater is first come, first served and extensions are not available.
- Facilities: accessible vault toilets and a water fountain. No electricity, no phone service.
Receptions are not allowed at the amphitheater. For that there is the East Maroon Portal Picnic Site, about four miles back down Maroon Creek Road, reservable in a morning block (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), an afternoon block (3 p.m. to 7 p.m.) or both. Recreation.gov lists its capacity at 75 and the Chamber page says 70; plan for 70 and confirm. It has a bear proof food locker, and the Forest Service requires food and scented items to stay locked up until the meal. The Forest Service describes it as the only site in the Maroon Bells Scenic Area where wedding receptions can be held.
Blackout days
The amphitheater is not reservable on the busiest days. The Chamber’s FAQ lists Fridays and Saturdays in June, July and August, and Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in September, as unavailable. The Chamber also notes that reservations will be available seven days a week beginning in summer 2027, so check Recreation.gov for the calendar that applies to your year rather than assuming either rule. Weekday ceremonies are the norm here, and they are quieter anyway.
Vehicle passes and the shuttle
An amphitheater reservation comes with five vehicle passes that allow travel past the Welcome Station during the restricted hours. You pick them up at the Welcome Station up to five days before the event, and the Forest Service asks that vehicles with passes come through before 8 a.m. Those five cars are your couple, your photographer, your officiant and whoever else you prioritize. Everyone else has two options:
- The shuttle from Aspen Highlands. Reservations are required and the Chamber lists the fare at $16 per adult and $10 for seniors and children under 12. Hours vary through the season; the Forest Service page says 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dogs are allowed on the shuttle.
- A parking reservation for arrival before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m., booked at visitmaroonbells.com.
Private shuttle companies in Aspen run wedding transportation to the amphitheater and East Maroon Portal; the Chamber names Blazing Adventures. For a group over fifteen, a private shuttle is usually simpler than coordinating a dozen individual bus reservations.
What you can and cannot bring
Decorations are allowed inside the amphitheater, with a list of exceptions that the Forest Service and the Chamber publish identically:
- No arches or large structures.
- Nothing thrown and no animals released: no petals, rice, confetti, doves or butterflies.
- No collecting items from the surrounding area.
- No PA systems or loud music.
- No lights hung from trees.
- No floating lanterns or fireworks.
- No cans dragging from vehicles.
Everything you bring must leave with you. Portable chairs are fine. A small arrangement on a stand is fine. The amphitheater is tucked above the main trails so you get some privacy, but the public is not excluded from the area and the lake trail will be busy.
Eloping without the amphitheater
A couple with no guests can skip the amphitheater and marry on the lakeshore or along the Maroon Lake Scenic Trail, provided they follow the same access rules as every other visitor and the forest order for the scenic area. The Forest Service’s published events guidance for the neighboring Arapaho and Roosevelt forests treats a small group with no props as ordinary forest use, and the Aspen Sopris Ranger District can confirm how it applies at Maroon Lake. Arrive before the 8 a.m. road closure with a parking reservation, or ride the first shuttle, and keep the ceremony short and footprint free. If you want chairs, an arch or anything that reads as an event, book the amphitheater. Our national forest and BLM page covers the general rules.
Best times
Late June through mid July gives you snow on the Bells, wildflowers in the meadow and long light. Mosquitoes too.
Late September is the reason most couples come: the aspens along Maroon Creek Road turn gold in the last two weeks of the month, and the lake is often glass at dawn. It is also the most competitive booking of the year and the Sunday blackout applies. Our Colorado fall elopement guide covers aspen timing and other September sites.
Sunrise is the ceremony time of choice in any month. The Bells face east, the light hits the peaks first, and the shuttle crowds have not arrived. With vehicle passes you can be at the lake before 7 a.m.
Independence Pass (Highway 82 east of Aspen) is normally open from Memorial Day through mid October, weather dependent, according to the Forest Service listing. If guests are driving from Denver outside that window they come through Glenwood Springs, which adds about an hour. Call the CDOT hotline at 877-315-7623 for the current status.
Your marriage license
Pitkin County issues licenses by appointment at 530 E Main Street, Suite 104 in Aspen; apply online first and bring your confirmation number. Eagle County’s El Jebel office is the alternative down valley. Both charge $30 and the license works anywhere in Colorado. Details on our marriage license page.
Vendors who know the Bells
Photographers based in the Roaring Fork Valley know the shuttle schedule and where the light hits first. See the Vail and Aspen region, our Vail and Aspen planning guide, and the planners who handle amphitheater bookings as part of their fee. For questions the Forest Service answers directly, the Aspen Sopris Ranger District is at 970-963-2266 and maroonbells@usda.gov.
Related reading: our Aspen elopement guide.
