Colorful Leaf Peeping Drives in Colorado

Come September the aspens begin to glow! Fall is one of the best times to tour the Rockies. The leaves usually begin changing in early September and last no longer than mid-October. It all depends on the weather, so be flexible and ready to travel.

The display begins high up in the mountains and works its way down in elevation as the temperature gets colder. Splashes of yellow, orange and red all mingle along rolling alpine roads. Each year the timing of the fall colors changes by a little bit, either sooner or later, based on when the cold temperatures first strike. Learn more about when autumn foliage starts in Colorado.

Best Places to See Colorado’s Fall Colors

Autumn colors on Kebler Pass near Crested Butte.

The best places to go are almost anywhere in the mountains. Some scenic drives are better than others, but even a little fall gold will brighten your day. Make sure you take an annual trip into the mountains to witness unmatched autumn in the Rockies.

The following autumn drives are all excellent, but they are only a handful of fall pilgrimages available. These are ones that offer camping nearby and a chance to see a vast amount of colorful trees.

In Northern Colorado

Aspen grove on Buffalo Pass.

1. Trail Ridge Road

Trail Ridge Road winds high through the alpine countryside in Rocky Mountain National Park. Colors fill the hillsides and valleys nearly the whole way.

While not soaking up the scenery, there are numerous things to do in the park and around Estes Park and Grand Lake. Both towns offer charming historic districts lined with shops and restaurants.

Another perk to the park is the fall elk rut, which generally lasts from mid-September to mid-October. Hundreds of elk gather in one spot, with bull bugling heard from afar.

There’s an entry fee on this one, but on September 24th, 2022 it’s free since that’s National Public Lands Day.

• Trip: Estes Park to Grand Lake, 48 miles, 2WD, car fee good for 7 days.

• Camping: Numerous campgrounds on both sides of the park.

• Nearby Drive: Peak To Peak Byway, from Black Hawk to Estes Park, combines well with this route.

2. Buffalo Pass

Situated in Steamboat’s backyard, Buffalo Pass offers remarkable views of the rolling Routt National Forest. It begins winding through aspen groves almost immediately on its way up to 10,400 feet at Summit Lake.

The road begins as a 2WD dirt road but gets progressively more bumpy as you near the top. If going all the way to Walden, it’s best to have higher clearance and 4WD, but you could probably manage with 2WD if you go slow.

Steamboat Springs is loaded with year-round recreation, including two hot springs, Old Town and Strawberry Park, as well as several state parks located in the county. Fish Creek Falls is only a ten-minute hike, and another chance to experience the season close-up.

• Trip: Steamboat Springs to Walden, 15 miles (~40 miles to Walden), 2WD/4WD

• Camping: Free camping is permitted on Buffalo Pass, just look for preexisting sites. There are also two campgrounds on the pass, one at the bottom and top. Each is first-come, first-serve. They’re open until mid-October.

• Nearby Drive: If you make it all the way to Walden, you can continue east on the Cache La Poudre North Park Byway. It winds 101 miles back to Fort Collins.

3. Flat Tops Trail

Get away from the crowd on the Flat Tops Byway. This long stretch of remote highway passes through two national forests on its way from Yampa to Meeker. During the journey, you’ll pass by lake after lake, and have ample chances to see the leaves.

Trappers Lake is a short detour from the byway and a worthwhile stop, though there won’t be too much color due to past forest fires. Open through October, Trappers Lake Lodge has cabins for rent, horseback riding, and a restaurant/bar.

• Trip: Yampa to Meeker, 82 miles, 2WD

• Camping: You can camp nearly anywhere on the byway. Campgrounds can be found at most of the nearby lakes and dispersed campsites are everywhere.

• Nearby Drive: Take CO 13 south toward Rifle for 38 miles, then left onto CO 325 N. From here you’ll shortly reach three state parks, Rifle Gap, Rifle Falls, and Harvey Gap. The drive between them leads through beautiful landscapes, with a chance to circle back to I-70.

In Central Colorado

Dispersed camping on Kebler Pass.

4. Independence Pass

A seasonal shortcut to Aspen, Independence Pass climbs to 12,095 feet, providing stunning vistas around every turn. It’s the second-highest pass with an improved road in Colorado (behind Cottonwood). It generally closes in early November.

Tucked almost halfway between Leadville and Buena Vista, the tiny village of Twin Lakes is home to two giant lakes and an old ghost town. There’s not much commercialization, just a general store, restaurant, and some lodging.

Aspen, on the other hand, is teeming with activity, especially around this time. Maroon Bells is a must-stop in the fall, as well as a great place to camp. On the Aspen side of the pass, the ghost town of Independence is a perfect place to stretch your legs.

• Trip: Twin Lakes to Aspen, 36 miles, 2WD

• Camping: There are campgrounds near Twin Lakes and on the Aspen side. Dispersed camping is easy to find in the San Isabel National Forest by Twin Lakes.

• Nearby Drive: The pass is on the Top Of The Rockies Byway, which heads north past Leadville, over Tennessee Pass, and onto Minturn, by I-70.

5. Kebler Pass

Secluded in the center of the Rockies, Kebler Pass features lush hillsides of color. You’ll find the most fall foliage on the Paonia side of the pass, although Crested Butte is a town known for its natural beauty. The pass is part of the West Elk Loop, a 205-mile journey through the heart of Colorado.

Considered “Colorado’s last great ski town”, Crested Butte is an impeccable place to spend a few nights. The town is surrounded by some of the most stunning peaks in the state and offers a plethora of dining, shopping, and lodging.

On the western end of Kebler Pass lies Paonia State Park. It’s a quiet park, with access to a 337-acre reservoir open to motor boats. The picturesque town of Paonia is hidden about fifteen miles south of the park, a mile off CO 133.

• Trip: Crested Butte to Paonia, 33 miles, 2WD

• Camping: Lost Lake CG (non-reservable) and Lake Irwin CG (reservable and open through September) are located on forest roads just off Kebler Pass Road. Free dispersed camping is available throughout.

• Nearby Drive: Either before or after Kebler, take Cottonwood Pass, which features wonderful color and both dispersed camping and designated campgrounds. It connects Buena Vista with Almont, just south of Crested Butte.

• Nearby Drive: From Paonia, you can head north on CO 133 over McClure Pass to Carbondale and back to I-70. Also part of the West Elk Loop, this alpine road winds through a canyon forged by the Crystal River. A good detour before Carbondale is the town of Marble, a mining village stashed a few miles off the highway. There’s a solid BBQ joint in town, and a winding road through the aspens up to the marble quarry.

Sea of golden leaves on Independence Pass. Photo by: Gene

6. Grand Mesa Byway

The largest flat-topped mountain in the world looks great in the fall. One of the best drives on the Western Slope, Grand Mesa Byway rises quickly to around 11,000 feet above sea level, where it then meanders past lakes and forests. A detour west to Land’s End Overlook, (take Forest Road 100 to 105 for 10 miles/40 minutes) offers expansive views of the colorful valley floor.

Cedaredge has a few nice places to eat and stay and it’s also not too far from Delta, one of the region’s bigger towns. Mesa, to the north, is a sleepy mountain town with another few places to dine and slumber. From Mesa, you can reach Vega State Park in twenty miles.

• Trip: Mesa to Cedaredge, 63 miles, 2WD

• Camping: Free and paid campsites can be found on the byway.

• Nearby Drive: If you have another night to spend on the road, take the West Elk Loop, south of Cedaredge. Highway 92 passes Crawford (maybe detour at the North Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison) and snakes through the Curecanti National Recreation Area, home of Blue Mesa Reservoir. This will lead you to Gunnison where you can continue east.

In Southern Colorado

Fall color along Last Dollar Road.

7. Highway Of Legends

Highways Of Legends rolls through the southern foothills of Colorado. It’s an often overlooked destination for those up north, but it’s one of the most scenic and welcoming parts of the state. At its peak on the Cuchara Pass, it reaches 9,938 feet, offering fantastic views of the Sangre de Cristos and Spanish Peaks.

Make a point to stroll through all the historic towns on the way. Situated by I-25, Walsenburg is considered a gateway to the Southwest. In La Veta, you can catch a ride aboard the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad, which has stops in Alamosa, Fort Garland, and La Veta. Catch fall colors by train that you’d not see from your car.

Cuchara is a delightful mountain village, with a picturesque center of town. You’ll find a couple of good restaurants, a coffee shop, a general store, an inn, and mini golf. At the tale end of the drive, Trinidad’s hillside streets are waiting to be explored.

• Trip: Walsenburg to Trinidad, 82 miles, 2WD

• Camping: There are plenty of campgrounds on the drive, starting in Walsenburg at Lathrop State Park. Heading south on the byway, you’ll pass Bear Lake and Blue Lake campgrounds, Monument Lake, a private resort with cabins and campsites for rent, a couple of state wildlife areas with campgrounds, and lastly Trinidad Lake.

• Nearby Drive: For those looking to complete the whole byway, you can take a detour over the Cordova Pass (peak 11,243 feet). It breaks off east from the Cuchara Pass on its way to I-25 and the town of Aguilar. There’s a campground near the beginning of this rocky, dirt road. Afterward, take I-25 south to Trinidad and take the byway back up to Walsenburg (to get the full tour).

• Nearby Drive: Frontier Pathways Byway goes west from Pueblo and runs beside the Wet Mountains, before looping back southeast to Colorado City. It lies only a little bit north of Walsenburg, so it’s a good drive to tack on before or after the Highway of Legends.

Beautiful fall colors surround a small waterfall on the Alpine Loop. Photo by: Larry Lamsa

8. Alpine Loop 4×4

The rugged Alpine Loop climbs over two 12,000-foot passes, Engineer and Cinnamon, as well as by numerous ghost towns and mining camps, including Capitol City and Animas Forks. The one-of-a-kind route was originally used by 19th-century miners working in the remote San Juans.

It’s the only drive on the list that’s designated for high-clearance 4x4s. You can begin in either Lake City, Silverton, or Ouray, and you can also rent a Jeep in any of those places. The whole trip takes between four and six hours.

All three towns make a great base camp, each with numerous restaurants, hotels, and attractions. Ouray is known for its giant hot springs swimming pool. The Durango & Silverton Railroad departs Silverton daily through late October. And Lake City is home to one of the largest historic districts in the state.

• Trip: Lake City to Ouray to Silverton to Lake City, 63 miles, high clearance 4WD

• Camping: Ample camping opportunities exist around all three towns.

• Nearby Drive: If beginning in Lake City, you’ll have the pleasure of driving the Silver Thread Byway, which passes by Slumgullion Pass (11,361 feet) and Spring Creek Pass on the way to Creede.

9. Last Dollar Road

A remote backroad from Ridgway to Telluride, Last Dollar Road is the perfect choice for the adventure seeker. It peaks at 10,600 feet on a bumpy, narrow, dirt route through the majestic San Juan Mountains.

The drive takes between two and three hours and can be impassable when wet (so avoid it if rain is forecasted). A 2WD drive vehicle with high clearance would be okay if it’s dry. It’s also open to unlicensed vehicles, so bring an ATV or dirt bike if you got one.

While in Ridgway, be sure to relax at Orvis Hot Springs, or trek ten miles south to Ouray and soak there. After reaching Telluride, you can ride a free gondola high above the valley floor for incredible aerial views of Telluride’s box canyon.

• Trip: Ridgway to Telluride, 21 miles, high clearance 2WD

• Camping: Free primitive campsites can be found at various points on the drive. Campgrounds can be found in Ridgway, at Ridgway State Park, or around Telluride.

• Nearby Drive: The standard route from Ridgway to Telluride is on the San Juan Skyway, a 236-mile excursion around the Southwest. The main route is to take Highway 62 from Ridgway to Highway 145, and then onto Telluride. On Highway 62 you’ll pass over Dallas Divide, a phenomenal pass for seeing color and if you keep going south on Highway 145 past Telluride, you’ll climb over Lizard Head Pass, and eventually onto Dolores and Cortez. Drive back east to Durango and you can venture north on US 550, a stretch known as the Million Dollar Highway.

Close To Denver

Yellow aspen grove on Guanella Pass.

10. Mestaa’Ėhehe Pass

Previously called Squaw Pass, Mestaa’Ėhehe is ideal for those Denverites short on time. You can begin in either Idaho Springs or Evergreen, via CO 103 and Mestaa’Ėhehe (Squaw Pass) Road, respectively. The road is likely still called Squaw Pass Rd.

The drive passes by Echo Lake and Mount Evans Byway (which usually closes in October). Evergreen and Idaho Springs both have nice downtowns with plenty of places to relax and eat during your trip.

• Trip: Evergreen to Idaho Springs, 30 miles, 2WD

• Camping: Echo Lake Campground closes in early September, but West Chicago Creek Campground stays open through late September. Dispersed camping can be found on both W. Chicago Creek Rd and ​Hefferman Gulch Rd, north of Echo Lake on CO 103 near Idaho Springs.

• Nearby Drive: The Lariat Loop connects Golden, Evergreen, and Morrison. From Evergreen take CO 74 either north to Golden or east to Morrison. If you end in Idaho Springs and still want more, you can head up to Georgetown for Guanella Pass, or over to Black Hawk for the Peak To Peak Byway.

11. Guanella Pass

Guanella Pass is full of autumn color on its hour-long journey from I-70 to US 285. It peaks at 11,670 feet, where Mount Evans and Mount Bierstadt hover in the distance.

Historic Georgetown has numerous restaurants and is home to the Georgetown Loop Railroad, a memorable way to see the sights. In Grant, there’s usually a BBQ stand open at the start of the pass and a seasonal cafe to grab a bite at.

• Trip: Georgetown to Grant, 22 miles, 2WD

• Camping: Campgrounds and dispersed campsites exist on both sides of the pass.

• Nearby Drive: At Grant take a right on US 285 for a fifteen-minute trip up Kenosha Pass. It offers a tremendous view of the valley. Continue west down the pass and you’ll quickly reach Como, a tiny dot on the map. It’s connected to Breckenridge via Boreas Pass (23 miles), another incredible fall trip.

Thanks for checking out our list of favorite spots to see the fall foliage! Remember you can’t go wrong if you drive west into the Rockies at the right time of year. You’re bound to see extraordinary fall colors that’ll make you pause and savor autumn.

How close in Casa Bonita to the Cliff..

“I made it a goal that before I’m done being mayor, I want to cannonball from the waterfall,” says Lakewood Mayor Adam Paul about Casa Bonita, the city’s most beloved landmark, which has been closed since the start of the pandemic in Colorado. “So that’s another motivation that they stay open, so I can get that done.”

For Coloradans, the mere mention of Casa Bonita is likely to conjure joyous memories of the strangely beautiful thirty-foot indoor waterfall; of the claustrophobic Black Bart’s Cave; of an actor in a gorilla costume barreling wildly through the 52,000-square-foot facility; or of endless platters of sopaipillas, the best dish available from the kitchen.

The restaurant’s current reality, though, is a far cry from its past, and a telling reflection of this past year, when nothing has been certain. Casa Bonita owner Robert Wheaton has been notoriously elusive — and then evasive — regarding Casa Bonita’s current status.

Ranch Near Kremmling with Private ski slope sold!

The buyers of a 6,343-acre ranch minutes away from Kremmling won’t have to worry about getting an Epic or Ikon pass for the ski season.

Elk Island Ranch, which sold for $30 million on Dec. 31, features its own private ski slopes, as well as a massive sledding hill. The listing dubbed the land  “a four-season recreational playground of the highest order.”

The buyer was Capstone Property Group LLC, records show.

Seller Charlie Gallagher purchased the ranch for $24.3 million in 1999, according to records.

Gallagher founded Denver-based Gallagher Industries private equity firm in 1986, according to its website. He developed the private ranch concept over the years for his family, according to 5280.

The founder hired Montana-based Kibo Group Architecture to design and Englewood-based Diamond Homes to build the 16,000-square-foot lodge on the property with five bedrooms and 12 bathrooms.

Elk Island Ranch also features a 10,500-square-foot party barn called the Nevada House Saloon with a built-in bar, catering kitchen, stage, dancefloor, upstairs bunkroom and a showroom for “historic ranch vehicles and collection of trophy game mounts,” according to the listing.

The Nevada House Saloon.

With nearly 10 square miles of land, the property houses an Outpost Chalet with two bedrooms for warming up after traversing the private slopes or for discussing the next big game during hunting season.

There’s also a 14,400-square-foot heated storage facility for all the gear and equipment, which was sold with the property, including a plow truck, snowcats, tractor, ATVs, and snowmobiles.

Elk Island Ranch, despite its private setting, is located less than 10 minutes from McElroy Airfield in Kremmling, which services large private jets. It was also once part of the 19,000-acre Grand River Ranch, which was donated to the University of Denver, and gives the owners access to Grand River’s equestrian center, fishing reservoir, dining venues and more.

Winter Park now requiring reservations.

Winter Park Resort announced Tuesday that it will start requiring reservations for pass holders on Dec. 19 to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and manage the volume of visitation.

Pass holders may start reserving days beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020.

For individual lift ticket holders, their ticket is dated and serves as their reservation, so they do not need to access the system and make a reservation, according to the Tuesday announcement from Winter Park resort. Ikon Pass and Winter Park Pass holders can access the system and make reservations through their pass account.

“Winter Park has long been a place to escape and recharge, and this year is no different. The health and well-being of our employees, guests and community remain paramount, and we must manage the number of people in the resort in order to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” said Sky Foulkes, Winter Park Resort President and COO. “We’re asking for everyone’s patience and cooperation this winter as we navigate ever-changing restrictions, while still offering an excellent guest experience. We have planned for many contingencies, and we’re ready to do whatever it takes to help stay safe and stay open.”

Pass holders can book up to 10 days at a time and can make additional reservations as they use their bank of 10 reserved days. Pass holders should logon to their account and visit this page to learn more.

10 New Resturants Coming to Denver (2020)

Mark Antonation | January 7, 2020

We get it: Everyone (well, almost everyone) is jonesing for In-N-Out Burger! The California-based fast-food chain is poised to launch in Aurora, Fort Collins, Lone Tree and Colorado Springs in the coming year, and anyone with a pulse has an opinion about whether to love or hate the new arrival. But there's more to Denver than burger joints with secret menus; here are ten highly anticipated restaurants expected to open in the coming months.

Avanti Food & Beverage Boulder

1401 Pearl Street, Boulder

Avanti's success since the original LoHi food-hall-slash-restaurant-incubator opened four years ago made creating a multi-vendor destination look easy; since then, numerous other players have jumped in the game. In fact, Rosetta Hall entered the market in October in Boulder, just three blocks from where Avanti F & B plans to debut its sophomore effort. But the Pearl Street Mall has always been able to sustain a wide variety of restaurants and food kiosks, and Avanti's prime corner location in a former Cheesecake Factory should equate to instant foot traffic. The food hall's website indicates a spring opening, though specific vendors have not been announced.

Brasserie Brixton

3701 Williams Street

This neighborhood French eatery from partners Justin Morse and Matt Daniels has been in the works for the better part of 2019, but renovations on the circa-1884 building are now complete, and interior framing and drywall are well under way. The Cole neighborhood could have a new place to dine within the next two months if progress on Brasserie Brixton continues at the current pace.

Campus Lounge

701 South University Boulevard

The corner of South University Boulevard and East Exposition Avenue proved unlucky for two ownership groups who tried to make a go of it after Jim Wiste sold his decades-old Campus Lounge in 2016, but a new team hopes the third time will be a charm. The founders of Recess Beer Garden in LoHi are behind the latest effort, and they plan to return some of the neighborhood ambience and sports-bar vibe to the space. The new ownership group will keep the Campus Lounge name. Recess co-owner Owen Olson says he grew up in the neighborhood and remembers going to the Campus Lounge with his parents, so honoring its history is a priority. Olson says the bar will reopen to the public on January 29.

Fox Run Cafe

3550 East Colfax Avenue

Budding restaurateur Lucien Reichert took over the former home of the Humble Pie Store last spring and has been slowly transforming the space into an all-day cafe that will bake its own sourdough bread and serve a range of modern and homey eats, from toasts topped with housemade ingredients to hearty breakfast burritos. Reichert, who previously worked at the Plimoth, is targeting late January for an opening.

Northside Eatery & Market

1691 Central Street

This isn't the first time we've named Northside in a list of anticipated openings; the initial nod was back in April 2019. But the latest news coming from the LoHi space previously occupied by Candela offers the estimated opening of "early 2020." Expect a counter-service restaurant on one side with a "corner store" on the other, selling coffee, pastries, grab-and-go eats and various other sundries.

Mason's Dumpling Shop

9655 East Montview Boulevard

Transforming an old dive bar in Aurora into a modern Chinese dumpling house took some doing, and owner Ker Zhu says he almost gave up on more than one occasion. But the results are nearly ready to unveil, and Mason's, an offshoot of L.A.'s famous Luscious Dumplings, is currently hiring. Poised on the edge of Denver's Stapleton neighborhood and a quickly revitalizing section of Aurora, Mason's will surely make a big splash when it opens in the next month or so.

Meta Burger

5505 West 20th Avenue, Edgewater

Vegan cuisine was one of the biggest trends of 2019, and plant-based eaters will continue to seek out new options in 2020. Meta Burger has attracted a steady following of fans looking for comfort food free of animal products at its original home at 7950 East Mississippi Avenue, and a second location at the Edgewater Public Market should make the eatery's vegan fast food more accessible to westside residents. Co-owner Matthew Coates is looking to open the new Meta Burger in May or June.

Olivia

290 South Downing Street

Last fall, Bistro Georgette co-owners Heather Morrison, Ty Leon and Austin Carson purchased Cafe Marmotte, which they continued to run as a French restaurant until December 31, slowly introducing pasta dishes from Leon's repertoire of Italian cuisine. Cafe Marmotte served its last French fare on the last day of 2019, and now the team is busy converting the space into a fully Italian restaurant called Olivia, after Morrison's daughter. You should be able to nab a table come mid-January.

The Ponti

100 West 14th Avenue

Along with the complete overhaul of the Denver Art Museum comes a new wing where Palettes once stood. The Anna and John J. Sie Welcome Center will be home to The Ponti, a new project from James Beard Award-winning chef/restaurateur Jennifer Jasinski. The chef says that the focus will be on vegetables, ancient grains, heirloom legumes and other local and seasonal items. If all goes according to plan, the Ponti will open in June 2020.

The Post Brewing Co. at the Stanley Hotel

333 East Wonderview Avenue, Estes Park

Dave Query, founder of the Big Red F restaurant group, is expanding the Post Brewing Co. with a fifth location, which will take up the main floor of a former carriage house on the grounds of the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. The Post started out as a brewery and fried-chicken joint in Lafayette in 2014 and has since expanded to Longmont, Denver and Boulder. Query says he hopes that Estes Park residents and visitors will be enjoying the great views, beer and fried chicken by July 4.

What else is coming soon? The owners of Abejas will soon open Nosu Ramen at 700 Twelfth Street in Golden; Close Quarters, a coffee and cocktail bar, is taking over the former home of the White Whale Room at 415 South Cherokee Street; the Molecule Effect is adding a second outpost next door to Fire on the Mountain at 300 South Logan Street; and Third Culture Bakery is getting close to opening its mochi muffin and doughnut bakery at 9935 East Colfax Avenue in Aurora. And Bartaco, a cantina chain operated by the same folks that run Barcelona Wine Bar, will move in at 2001 West 32nd Avenue alongside Lady Jane and Method Roasters.