The peak in the northern mountains typically comes during the last two weeks of September, with it coming in the central mountains the last week of September and into early October. In the southern mountains, the peak usually occurs in late September or October. The same thing happened last year. Once all the yellows, oranges, and reds are spent, the only thing left are the tannins, which turn the leaves brown. Then comes the white of winter. But if you are looking for a quick guide, here are a few of my recommendations.
The road winds up to the top of Guanella Pass, where hikers can get out and go for a light stroll, or make the demanding climb up the 14er, Mt. Bierstadt prepare accordingly. The road continues over the pass and terminates at highway in Grant, Colorado. Taking a right going West onto leads to Kenosha Pass about 7. Kenosha Pass is arguably the best place to view the changing aspens within 90 minutes of Denver.
Trail Ridge Road is further from Denver, but worth the drive. It will also require drivers to purchase a Rocky Mountain National Park pass. I find it most affordable to buy a yearly pass because I make multiple trips into the park each year. September is a great time to visit the park because the Elk are in rut and bugling. Be sure to take time to read it because there is limited parking, an access fee, and you may need to take the shuttle to access the trailhead.
Photo Credits Thanks goes out to Pacheco for the photos of the orange and red aspens; to Matt Santomarco for his photo of the changing aspens at Mt.
In some cases, this can spread to the leaves of the tree — one reason why leaves may appear brown or with black spots. This tends to be most seen when a wet spring follows a dry summer. When this does occur, it tends to impact a specific area where moisture has been present. Read more about that here. Plan for peak leaf-peeping to hit between mid-September and early October, seen in higher elevation areas and drier parts of the state first.
It's still a little soon to determine exactly when leaves will start changing, but be on the lookout for news about that in upcoming weeks. In his spare time, Spencer loves to hike, rock climb, and trail run.
He's on a mission to summit all 58 of Colorado's fourteeners and has already climbed more than half. Edit Close. Toggle navigation Menu. Lower, more southerly locations will follow. But color changes also depend on tree health, local weather, environmental factors like drought or increased moisture, elevation and latitude. So many factors can make a leaf-peeping adventure tough to schedule.
Your favorite spot one year can turn out to be a disappointment the next. Be flexible, adventurous and stick to the easier-to-predict leaf factors — such as elevation, latitude and stand health — when planning an outing.
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