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Now that September is here we have to say goodbye to summer. The kids are back in school, and everybody slips back into a routine of sorts. But fall is one of my favorite times of year, besides the fact that I was born in November, I love all the different colors of the leaves and the cooler weather. Living in Colorado the colors we get are the many different shades of yellows and golds and green, some reds with the ash trees. The aspen trees are most abundant in our mountains and are responsible for the beautiful foliage that we get this time of year.
If you are wondering where the best places are to view these spectacular colors, I have listed the top 3 places where you can go view and appreciate these beautiful fall colors.
ASPEN:
Aspen is a wonderful choice, famous for its brilliant display of, what else – aspens! This mountain town has a fantastic array of what else? Aspens of course! You can engulf yourself in bright shades of aspen golds and yellows. On your way into Aspen, you will drive up Independence Pass, the highest paved pass in North America peaking at more than 12,000 feet above sea level, you may find it a little scary but, you will also find one of the best fall foliage shows on Earth. You may also want to drive or take the shuttle from Aspen to the Maroon Bells, where you can see the stunning autumn colors with the jagged mountain peaks reflecting into Maroon Lake.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK:
Rocky Mountain National Park is magnificent year- round; but is honestly at its best during the fall. To enjoy some breathtaking fall colors and scenery, take a drive on Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous paved road in North America which snakes through the park from Estes Park to the east all the way to Grand Lake in the west. Trail Ridge road has a maximum elevation of 12,183 feet, and the road is at 11,000 feet elevation for more than 8 miles. This is a spectacular way to capture your photographs of all the splendid colors. Photographers come from all over to capture this breathtaking imagery.
Fall is also a great time to be in this park to watch, and listen, to the elk as it coincides with elk rut season, a time when the male elk vie for the hearts of females. Bugling is what many come to hear this time of year, a loud call that the bull uses to attract them.
THE MILLION DOLLAR HIGHWAY:
The million- dollar highway runs through the San Juan Mountains. It runs between Silverton and Ouray on US 550 in southwest Colorado and runs for 25 miles. This drive has been “dubbed” as one of the most “heart-pounding” in the country, but well worth the endless twists and turns as it has the most spectacular array of colors.
Anyone of these drives will be fabulous this fall. My plan is to do at least one of them before the colors are gone. Best time of year is before the end of September, usually the 3rd & 4th weeks of September. If you wait too long then they’re gone. I will report here which one we decide to do.
I’ve only been to Colorado in the winter for skiing but have always wanted to get back during a different time of the year. I’m sure Fall is outstanding!
Great choices! I remember those areas well!!
Beautiful views! I would love to see this in person. Thank you!
Pretty
Wow, I’d love to see them all! Thanks for sharing!
Your photographs are amazing! I’ve always wanted to visit Colorado, but never considered it to be a place to see fall foliage. Now I do! Thanks!
Beautiful Mountain leaves! Colorado is so gorgeous and would be lovely in the fall!
Thank you, hope you get to enjoy fall colors where you are this year.
Beautiful destinations for foliage season. I lived in Vermont for five years so love finding new scenic drives to enjoy the damn colors.
Beautiful destinations for foliage season. I lived in Vermont for five years so love finding new scenic drives to enjoy the fall colors.
Colorado is beautiful, but my goal is to someday go to the east coast for the colors as they have the reds, and oranges that we don’t have.
Living in the Arizona desert we do not get to see the changing of the colors. Now we know where to go in CO to see the change.
Arizona has some beautiful places though. But Colorado is not that far from you and you could go through the 4 corners and see some amazing colors down by Durango.
Can’t wait to see the beautiful fall colors! Colorado has some of the best!
I know, I’m planning my trip now.
Colorado is so beautiful…hard to believe summer is coming to an end.
Summer always goes so fast for me.
Beautiful fall foliage. I would love to travel through Colorado to see it, timing the trip just right to hit peak colors seems tricky.
Hi Sheila,
End of September is really the best time. Hope you are able to make it sometime.
Those look great. I can’t wait to go next time I’m out there. Thanks.
So pretty. I would love to visit Colorado in the fall. As a teacher, I’ll probably have to wait just a little while longer.
Colorado is beautiful year round. Every season has its glory. You just have to know where to go.
Christmas time is really pretty as well as spring and summer.
Wow, your pictures are lovely. Autumn is such a beautiful time. I think that I have only been to Colorado in the winter.
Interesting blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere?
A design like yours with a few simple tweeks would
really make my blog jump out. Please let me know where
you got your theme. Kudos
It’s one of the themes available from blue host.
Thank you, glad you like it.