Colorado welcomes fall in all its golden splendor

After a hot, dry summer and a midweek cold snap that left snow atop Pikes Peak, the colors of autumn are arriving a wee bit early in some areas across Colorado.

Foresters predict the next two weekends will be prime time for leaf peeping.

“The leaves are starting to turn, so it’s colorful, but with this snow and the cold snap I don’t know how long they’re going to be,” said Jack Glavan, manager of the Pikes Peak Highway, a popular local leaf-viewing destination.

See fall color photos taken Sept. 10-14! (Add your photos to the gallery by emailing them to news@outtherecolorado.com.)

Crews plowed eight inches of snow from the upper stretches of the highway Thursday morning.

“The aspens are nothing spectacular yet, but they are getting better every day,” said Neal Taylor, a caretaker at Barr Camp, the wilderness stopover halfway up the trail to the Pikes Peak summit.

With terrain ranging from 3,300 feet above sea level to more than 14,000 feet, predicting when specific areas will reach peak fall color displays can be as difficult as predicting our erratic weather. Generally, the leaves at higher elevations and those on north-facing slopes change from green to gold — and orange and red — first, but there are wide variations, and one heavy rain or windstorm or early snow can turn leaves black or cause them to suddenly drop off.

So, where should you go this weekend?

The U.S. Forest Service reports that Weston and Hoosier passes near South Park are near their peak, and Kenosha and Boreas passes and the forest around Lake Dillon aren’t far behind. The forest around Lake City may reach its Crested Butte is nearly awash in a sea of gold, but Anne Janik, spokeswoman for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, says peak color there likely is a week away.

“We’re anticipating the weekend of the 22nd to be our peak,” Janik said, “although I saw some pretty cool colors on a drive yesterday (Wednesday). There are patches where about 15 percent of the trees have turned and others where about 50 percent have changed.”

The aspens have just begun to turn at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, so the color display should be at its peak next weekend and through the end of September, said park ranger Jeff Wolin.

In the Sangre de Cristos, forest rangers expect the peak to hit late next week, though some valleys already have brilliant color. In the Spanish Peaks region, just 10 to 15 percent of trees have changed. And you have plenty of time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park, as well. You won’t be disappointed by driving the popular Peak to Peak Highway or Trail Ridge Road this week, but you should find more color if you visit a bit later in the month.

“There are still a few more good weekends to enjoy the colors further south!” wrote a San Isabel National Forest ranger in an email.

While about a quarter of the trees in the Victor area had changed by Thursday and the Crags trail on the west side of Pikes Peak was in full color, there was little gold in Mueller State Park.

There’s plenty of time to catch the color close to Colorado Springs. The leaves of North Cheyenne Cañon and the large aspensin Jones Park above the Seven Bridges Trail have begun to change, said Cathy Railton, who manages two visitor centers.

POPULAR DRIVES
• Colorado Springs to Breckenridge. One of the best regional day trips for seeing fall color. Don’t miss the view of Buffalo Peaks from Highways 9 and 285. Once you’re in Breckenridge, you can return via Boreas Pass. It’s largely a dirt road, but fine in a passenger car, with fantastic views of the Continental Divide. From Como, take U.S. 285 south to Fairplay or north over Kenosha Pass to Denver’s western suburbs and C-470.

• Rocky Mountain National Park, Trail Ridge Road from Estes Park to Grand Lake and back. More than 60 peaks higher than 12,000 feet form the backdrop for spectacular fall scenery. (Park entry is $20/vehicle, good for seven days. Entry is free Sept. 29 to mark Public Lands Day.)

• Teller County Road 1 from Florissant to Cripple Creek. This road twists and turns with memmorable views of Dome Rock and the glittering aspens. Take the loop from Cripple Creek through Victor and back to U.S. 24 via Colorado 67 (Mueller State Park is worth a stop for a hike, bike ride or picnic).

• Cucharas Pass. Take I-25 south to Trinidad and follow Colorado Highway 12 west through the San Isabel National Forest over Cucharas Pass (9,941 feet) back to Walsenburg and I-25. Extend your drive through Colorado City, taking Colorado Highway 165 into the Wet Mountains. Pop over to Westcliffe on Colorado Highway 96 for lunch or head east to I-25 and home.

• Peak to Peak Highway, from Estes Park to Central City, along Colorado Highways 7, 72 and 119. Wonderful views of aspen groves and dramatic views of Longs Peak.

• The San Juan Skyway. From Ridgway, take Colorado Highway 62 west past Mount Sneffels to Colorado Highway 145, which follows the San Miguel River, then the Dolores River, through Dolores and eventually to Cortez. At Cortez, pick up U.S. Highway 160 east, back through Mancos to Durango. In Durango, head north on U.S. 550 over Molas Pass and the spectacular Red Mountain Pass, through picturesque Ouray, and back to Ridgway.

• Kebler Pass, from Crested Butte to Paonia. Drive County Road 12 to Colorado 133 through a massive stand of aspens.