People across the country travel to Colorado in the fall to see the annual transformation in the high country. For you, the show is just a short drive away. Here are six iconic destinations where “Colorful Colorado” lives up to its name.
1. Castle Creek Road
From downtown Aspen to the ghost town of Ashcroft, Castle Creek Road runs for 12 miles through a patchwork of mountain meadows under cobalt-blue skies. Snowcapped fourteeners, creeks, and groves of aspen and evergreens provide frame-worthy shots in every direction.
2. Maroon Bells
This may be the most-photographed range in Colorado. Maroon Lake provides the foreground for a classic Colorado landscape, and the crisp fall air and sharp sunlight make it a photographer’s dream.
3. Capitol Creek
At the end of a sometimes narrow and rugged dirt road lies a view of Capitol Peak that is impressive any time of year, but is breathtaking at the peak of fall colors.
4. Peak to Peak Scenic Byway
In our own back yard, the Peak to Peak highway provides outstanding views of the Continental Divide from Estes Park to Blackhawk.
5. Mt. Sneffels and Dallas Divide
These are two of the most popular locations in southwestern Colorado to see fall colors. The peaks often have a dusting of snow to complement the hillsides carpeted in gold and green.
6. Kebler Pass
Home to one of the largest aspen groves in the world, Kebler Pass provides easy access to incredible views via Gunnison County Road 12.