Picture the scene: Friends from out of town are visiting the Roaring Fork Valley for the first time and you’ve offered to show them around. The first place that comes to mind is Maroon Bells. It’s an obvious choice. They are, after all, among the most beautiful and most photographed landscapes in the Rocky Mountains.
You’ll need two cars for your family of four and your friends’ family of three. To park all day at the Aspen Highlands parking garage costs $40 on weekdays and $50 on weekends. Half-day parking costs $35 and $45, respectively. Shuttle passes to Maroon Bells are $16 for each adult and $10 for each child under 12. After a little math, a visit to the Maroon Bells for your group of seven comes to $184 — just for parking and shuttle passes. Suddenly, this fun family outing is starting to look like an investment.
But did you know you can visit the Maroon Bells for free? All it takes is a trip to the library …
At the Glenwood Springs, Basalt and Pitkin County libraries, patrons can check out a free Maroon Bells shuttle pass. Each pass covers both the shuttle fare and parking at the Aspen Highlands garage. The program is made possible through a partnership between the U.S. Forest Service, the Garfield County Public Library District, Pitkin County Library, Basalt Library, the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). It was inspired by a similar pass program in Summit County for Quandary Peak and McCullough Gulch, according to David Boyd of the Forest Service.
Like many of Colorado’s most scenic destinations, the Maroon Bells have experienced heavy traffic congestion, making reservations and shuttle access necessary to help protect the area. However, as the example above illustrates, those requirements can also create a financial barrier for many families.
The Forest Service launched the library pass program to help reduce those barriers that may prevent the people who live in this valley from enjoying all it has to offer.
“We’ve seen in our community surveys that financial pressures are a big concern for a lot of our service area,” Caroline McIntyre of the Garfield County Public Library District said. “The Maroon Bells are one of the jewels of Western Colorado, so giving people who actually live here the opportunity to enjoy one of the things that makes our state so great is an awesome opportunity.”
The partnership came together when CDOT and the Forest Service approached the local libraries about distributing the passes, something they are familiar with, having been offering Colorado State Park passes for years.
“We have a long experience with checking out park passes, and we know how well it can work to get people access to areas that they wouldn’t otherwise take advantage of, or maybe even be able to access,” said Amy Shipley of Basalt Library. “When they reached out about the bus passes for the Maroon Bells, we just thought it was such a natural fit with what we’re already doing.”
Each library has seven passes available. A one-day pass may be checked out for up to seven days from the Basalt and Glenwood libraries, or three days from Pitkin County Library, giving borrowers time to use and return it. Because passes are available on a first-come, first-served basis, calling ahead or checking the library’s website before making the trip is recommended.
The program launched on June 12, and has been a success, according to Boyd, with 21 passes checked out covering 51 people.
“The feedback we’ve had has been great,” said Bradley Peate of Pitkin County Library. “We’re very excited to be able to offer this resource, and it’s got us thinking on what other opportunities we might be able to offer to the community.”
“We are always happy to explore these types of mutually beneficial community partnerships,” McIntyre added.
Now, all that’s left to do is visit the library.
For more information, visit basaltlibrary.org, gcpld.org or pitcolib.org