We’ve all seen these dreamy photographs of Colorado’s golden aspens spreading throughout mountains and valleys as fall descends on the Rockies. They’re a sight to behold, lighting up the mountainsides like fireplace.
As Colorado residents (and lovers of autumn), we’ve spent quite a lot of time roaming round our state looking for the most effective locations to view gorgeous Colorado fall foliage.
On this publish, we’ve put collectively a 4-day Colorado fall street journey itinerary so you may also expertise the autumn colours in Colorado first-hand. From essentially the most scenic mountain move drives to our favourite fall hikes, there’s one thing for each out of doors adventurer.
Necessary Reminder: Because it goes in the entire locations we share, please follow good path etiquette and bear in mind to Depart No Hint. This implies packing out your entire rubbish (together with bathroom paper), being respectful to others, and following the established guidelines.
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Fall in Colorado: An Overview
Rising up in Denver, it at all times appeared like the nice and cozy, lazy days of summer time immediately changed into darkish, snowy dredge of winter. There have been solely a handful of days with cool temps and altering leaves.
If Fall did make an look for greater than a few days, although, it was within the mountains.
Though it‘s often temporary, Fall within the Colorado mountains is the best.
Temperatures have cooled down and the climate is steady sufficient to spend all day exterior with out getting caught in afternoon thunderstorms (make sure you pack your fall climbing layers although!).
Fall can also be a shoulder season for tourism, so the crowds are principally gone and there are nice offers to be discovered. However most of all, the leaves, they’re a-changing!
In Colorado, meaning the aspens flip GOLD. Seeing the aspen colours at their peak in late September/early October is a lifetime must-do.
I’ve a private affinity for street journeys, so under I’ve outlined the final Colorado fall street journey. It covers the whole state, with every leg of the journey hitting the largest and greatest aspen groves.
Relying in your fall street journey time constraints, you are able to do the entire itinerary as one journey or tackle any of the person legs for a day or weekend escape from Denver whereas the leaves are altering. You’ll not be upset!
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4-Day Colorado Fall Highway Journey Itinerary
Every leg of this fall Colorado fall foliage itinerary features a bonus hike as an choice so you may take a look at the fantastic thing about the autumn colours up shut and stretch your legs a bit.
Detailed driving instructions might be discovered by clicking on MAP beneath every driving leg, sending you to a Google map for that particular leg.
The driving is all on highways, so any passenger automotive ought to have the ability to deal with it, no four-wheel-drive obligatory.
So pack your street journey necessities, learn these 25 fall tenting ideas, and let’s get rolling!
Leg 1: Denver to Vail
- Route: Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park and Steamboat Springs – MAP
- Distance: 319 miles
- Drive time: 7.5 hours
We begin off this fall street journey with a bang.
Bonus Hike: Bierstadt Lake in Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park
Benefit from your park entrance price in Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park by stretching your legs on this 2.4-mile roundtrip hike.
Views stretch again into Glacier Gorge towards the Continental Divide and Longs Peak, with aspens altering under. Get extra path data right here.
For different hikes within the Park, take a look at our information on the Finest Day Hikes in Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park.
Leg 2: Vail to Crested Butte
- Route: Aspen and Carbondale – MAP
- Distance: 207 miles
- Drive time: 6 hours
This leg of the street journey is the spotlight. Don’t get me incorrect, all over the place on this itinerary is spectacular, however the mixture of Vail, Independence, McClure, and Kebler Passes may be magnificence overload.
Every move alone could possibly be a weekend (or week-long) journey. However right here they mix to type leg two of our final Colorado fall colours street journey.
The driving distance on this leg is a bit shorter, however you’ll need each second to cease for photographs and soak within the magnificence.
Bonus Hike: Capitol Lake through the Capitol Ditch Path
Lose among the leaf-peeping crowds that flock to Maroon Lake close to Aspen and grow to be surrounded by aspen timber on this stunning 12-mile out and again.
Heads up, the street to this trailhead requires excessive clearance (~7 inches) 4WD for the final mile. Get extra path data right here.
Leg 3: Crested Butte to Pagosa Springs
- Route: Silverton and Durango – MAP
- Distance: 259 miles
- Drive time: 5.5 hours
Leg 3 is one other shorter day drive time-wise, however for good purpose. You’re heading all the way down to the western slope after which past into the San Juans, Colorado’s most dramatic mountain vary which are sometimes amplified by fall aspen leaf magnificence.
Bonus Hike: The Colorado Path from Molas Cross to the Animas River
This hike is somewhat backward, which makes it sort of enjoyable. Begin on the high of Molas Cross and hike down on the Colorado Path to the Animas River and the prepare tracks of the Durango-Silverton Slender Gauge railway.
On the best way, you’ll move into the tree line (and thru aspens after all) with close-up views of the spectacular Vestal Peak.
It’s 4 miles all the way down to the river, dropping 3,000 ft within the course of. Bear in mind, you’ll need to climb all the best way again up in the event you make all of it the best way all the way down to the river!
Bonus Driving Leg: Dallas Divide from Ridgway in the direction of Telluride, CO-62
I needed this street journey to be a real loop with no backtracking. That meant chopping off a few spots that didn’t fairly match.
However Dallas Divide and Telluride are SO BEAUTIFUL within the fall, I’ve to a minimum of point out them.
When you have the time, the views on this space are nicely well worth the effort to show round and head again the best way you got here.
Try among the greatest hikes in Telluride when you’re there.
Leg 4: Pagosa Springs to Denver
- Route: Salida, Fairplay, and Georgetown – MAP
- Distance: 389 miles
- Drive time: 8 hours
Bonus Hike: San Luis Peak between Saguache and Gunnison
If the climate is favorable, San Luis Peak is essentially the most distant fourteener in Colorado.
It’s an superior 13-mile, class 1 path that rewards hikers with some golden aspens on the best way to the highest. Get extra path data right here.
Whew, there you will have it! Twenty-seven hours of among the prettiest fall colours in Colorado driving on this planet, actually.
Fall is essentially the most great time of the 12 months in Colorado for a street journey; now get on the market and revel in!
Should you’re in search of extra Colorado street journey sources, take a look at these weblog posts:
Are you planning a Colorado fall street journey? The place is your favourite place to see Colorado fall foliage? Depart a remark under!
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