Maroon Lake, elevation 2,920 m (9,580 ft), occupies a basin that was sculpted by Ice Age glaciers and later dammed by a landslide and rockfall debris from the steep slopes of Sievers Mountain above the valley floor.

[10] Due to the large volume of visitors, a bus service runs every day from 8am-5pm from mid-June through the first weekend in October.

During these times, and with just a few exceptions, personal vehicle access is limited to those with handicap placards or disability license plates.

Solutions include the required use of bear canisters for backcountry campers, management of day and overnight use, leashed dog education and ticketing, reduction of heavy horse use in high use areas, and prohibiting overnight camping and excessive day use at particular sites.

The permit system was created to allow visitors to stay overnight while mitigating environmental damage and preserving the highly visited area.

A permit is required year-round, and limits campers to stay in the Conundrum Creek Valley area from Silver Dollar Pond to Triangle Pass.

[16] Specific environmental impacts can occur due to the high number of visitors the Maroon Bells experiences each year.

When precipitation forms over peaks like the Maroon Bells, these pollutants fall back to the Earth's surface and can travel into the river and lakes, harming fish, insects, and plants, particularly because of high levels of nitrogen.