Maroon Bells is probably the most famous location in all of Colorado for fall photography. Around a week before my departure, I found out that this location started using a reservation system, in which the visitor needs to reserve a parking spot or campsite in order to drive up to the viewpoint.

Since this realization was last minute (poor planning on my part), I obviously couldn't find any available tickets and conceded that I would need to walk up the hill myself and park at the entrance if I wanted to shoot at this location.

Once I got to the park entrance, I told the staff about my plan and to my surprise they told me they had a campsite available! I couldn't say yes fast enough to this deal and ended up getting this shot at sunset because of it. I probably would have just missed the best light at sunset if I had walked for a few hours like my original plan.

I also took night shots and sunrise at this location, all with approximately the same viewpoint. Be ready to make some friends at this location, as there are always photographers there to shoot, especially at sunrise. If you'd like a specific spot, I recommend getting there at least 2 hours before sunrise.