Early Morning Wildlife Adventure at Aspen’s Maroon Bells 🌄🦊🐻

We booked an all-day pass (midnight to midnight) but ended up waking up super early due to jet lag—arrived at the parking lot by 5:30 AM 😆… and it was totally worth it! ⚠️ Surprise reward for early birds: We spotted a young brown bear 🐻, a fox carrying what looked like a marmot in its mouth 🦊, live marmots 🦫, and deer 🦌! Many professional photographers were there capturing the stunning sunrise over the mirror-like Maroon Lake — absolutely breathtaking 😍. ⛰️ About the trails: Scenic Loop 🤩 A highlight—winds through aspen groves, small hills, streams, and even a little waterfall. Some rocky sections, but overall an easy and gorgeous 0.7-mile walk. We had the whole trail to ourselves! Crater Lake Trail We turned back after 20 mins once we realized we hadn’t made much progress on the map 🗺️. This trail is steep and rocky—likely takes 1.5+ hours out and back. No regrets though, because the Scenic Loop was more than satisfying! 🎫 Reservation tips: Book in advance on aspenchamber.org. If day passes are sold out, try the all-day pass. Both require entry before 8 AM. If neither is available, you can take the shuttle from Aspen. #HikingAdventure #Colorado #Aspen #MaroonBells #DenverTravel #RoadTripUSA #NatureLovers 🥾🍂📸