Maroon Bells question

Is is feasible/legal to sleep in my car at the Maroon Lake parking lot? I won't be arriving until after midnight and I figure finding a camping spot won't be easy. A coworker told me they put up a locked gate that doesn't open until after sunrise. That doesn't sound right to me. Thanks for any advice.
Paul

Hi Paul,
Some of the locals can tell you more than I can, but I've driven in at 4am on several occasions and there was no locked gate. The pay station is closed and I drive right in (I already have a pass).
I plan on doing the same thing a few times this summer.
Best Regards,
Rob

Car camping is allowed in the overflow lot, which is right next to the main parking lot. I just camped there last fall and it is a short walk to the lake.

I also had no issue camping in the overflow lot last fall, in fact there were quite a few people sleeping over.

I believe the gate closes during the summer at either 8 or 9 AM, (or whenever the parking lot fills??). Buses will then take latecomers to the end of the road. You'll want to get there early in any case...

Ken

Thanks very much guys.

I'll emphasize obtaining the proper permit or displaying your annual one on the dash. The rangers really will ticket you for lack of permit. I forgot to display my annual one where it could be seen and received a ticket. Fortunately, the guy was still in the area and after showing him my permit, tore up the ticket. He was making rounds about 0900...

Ken

Thanks for emphasizing that, Ken. I appreciate the warning.

What is this permit everyone is talking about. Is it the free use permit to be in the wilderness area or something else?

Craig,

There's a day use permit that you have to obtain to drive within the area of Maroon Bells past the gates. A National Lands pass will get you in, or you can pay at the gate. During the summer, you can't get in with a car after ~8am unless you're handicapped - you have to take the shuttle. The area gets a lot of visitation and accumulates car exhaust; these measures are done to limit both and to collect fees for maintaining this fragile area.

Thanks Les. What if you arrive well into the night (say 11pm the night before), what permit is necessary then? I was under the impression that if the gate is unmanned you can just continue into the area. I wasn't aware any permits were necessary; glad I didn't get ticketed last fall.