Fall is in the air. And crisp Rocky Mountain mornings and evenings mean it’s time for fall colors in Colorado, when aspen trees across the state turn bright yellow and orange.

Some people call the trees “quaking aspens” because the leaves rustle and shimmer in the wind.

September is prime time for aspens, so don’t miss your chance to see slopes painted in gold.

Hiking and cycling are great ways to see fall colors in Colorado. You can also ride a horse through a forest full of white bark and yellow leaves. Or watch aspens from your car window.

Northern Colorado

Drive, hike and cycle: The Cache la Poudre River Canyon

The canyon, about 20 minutes northwest of Fort Collins, is a great place to enjoy Colorado’s fall colors, whether by car or on foot.

To head up the Poudre Canyon (pronounced pooh-der), take Colorado Highway 14 west from U.S. Route 287. Within the first quarter mile, you’ll begin to see the Poudre River, Colorado’s only nationally designated Wild & Scenic river. The highway also is designated as a Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway.

Along with many aspens, the road is also lined with beautiful ponderosa and lodgepole pine trees, sagebrush and mountain mahogany.

Take the two-hour drive, climbing above 10,000 feet, to Cameron Pass and enjoy the colors along the river from your car the entire way. Go about 40 minutes farther for even more color and arrive in Walden, Colorado.

Or stop at one of the many trailheads on this route to see the fall colors on foot or by bike. Along the way, you will notice the remnants of the High Park Fire, which burned more than 87,000 acres in 2012, mostly on the south side of the highway lower in the canyon. The Cameron Peak Fire, the state’s largest wildfire on record, burned in 2020 and damaged areas further up the canyon, along the river and beyond, but the drive is still worth it for fall colors.

Easy hike:  Gateway Natural Area

A short, mile-long hike with the kids, the stroller or a fishing pole takes you to this beautiful area. It follows a creek lined with changing colors and finishes at Seaman Reservoir. Gateway has a picnic area and a natural playground, making it a great spot to spend the day. You must pay a City of Fort Collins use fee at the entrance.

Day hike: Little Beaver Creek

This is a moderate 5-mile hike (one way) through meadows lined with aspen. The trail was in the Cameron Peak Fire, but there are still green areas, according to the Forest Service. It’s located off Pingree Park Road (County Road 63E) about an hour up the canyon on the left (Just past Jacks Gulch Campground). Pingree Park Road is dirt and can get slick when wet.

Off the beaten path hike: The Big South Trail

This is a 6.5-mile (one-way) moderate hike that starts in the Poudre Canyon. The trail enters the Comanche Peak Wilderness about a half mile from the trailhead and there is camping along the next seven miles. It has heavy use, but is lined with amazing fall colors.

Loop drive

Head up Highway 14 just past The Mishawaka, a legendary music venue, restaurant and bar, and take a left onto Stove Prairie Road. At the intersection of Stove Prairie Elementary School, take a left onto Rist Canyon Road. This loop will take you back east to the small towns of Bellvue and Laporte, just outside Fort Collins.

Find more trail details on the Poudre Wilderness Volunteers website.

Central Colorado:

Hike: Bierstadt Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

If you plan ahead and can score a reservation to visit Rocky Mountain National Park’s busy Bear Lake corridor, you can enjoy a beautiful fall hike in Colorado’s most visited national park. (Learn all about the timed entry reservation system in Rocky Mountain National Park, and book your reservations through Recreation.gov.)

Try a relatively easy loop hike by starting at Bear Lake, hiking 1.3 miles to Bierstadt Lake, then hiking 1.5 miles down the side of a moraine, a steep hill carved long ago by glaciers. As you hike down switchbacks, you’ll see sweeping views of yellow aspens across the valley. Take the Bear Lake Shuttle Bus. You’ll start at Bear Lake and will finish at the Bierstadt Lake Trailhead. Get bus information.

Ride a horse:

Rocky Mountain National Park offers trail rides. The YMCA of the Rockies also offers horseback riding at both the Estes Park Center on the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park and near Granby at Snow Mountain Ranch.

Drive: Peak to Peak Highway

This stunning 55-mile drive is Colorado’s oldest Scenic and Historic Byway and showcases beautiful aspen trees. The byway includes Colorado Highway 7 on the north and connects with Colorado Highways 72 and 119.

Drive: Guanella Pass

The 22-mile drive leads from the Victorian towns of Georgetown and Silver Plume up to timberline on the flanks of famous 14ers Mount Bierstadt and Mt. Evans. This drive is also another one of the Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways.

Southern Colorado:

Hike, cycle or ride a horse: Rampart Reservoir, Rainbow Gulch Trail

Easy. Great views of aspens with Pikes Peak in the background. This trail is a 2.6-mile round-trip hike with just 284 feet of elevation gain. Dogs are allowed on leash. To get there, take U.S. Highway 24 west from Colorado Springs 17 miles to Woodland Park. Turn right onto Baldwin Street. Go three miles to Loy Creek Road. Turn right and go 1.5 miles to Rampart Road. Turn right. Go 2.3 miles, and you’ll see the parking lot on your left.

Hike: The Crags

Moderate. Great for families. The trail leads to pinnacle rock formations known as the Crags. From Colorado Springs, take U.S. Highway 24 west through Woodland Park to Divide. Turn south on Colorado Highway 67. Drive 4 miles. Turn left on Forest Service Road #383. The trailhead is nearly 3 miles up the road, approximately 1/8 mile before the Crags Campground. Foot, horse, and cross-country ski trail. One-way distance: 2.1 miles. Elevation gain: 800 feet.

Hike: Mueller State Park – Cheesman Ranch Loop

Moderate. This 5.4-mile loop weaves through aspen groves and meadows on the north side of the park. Mueller State Park also has cabins and campsites, and evening walks in the fall let you hear elk bugling. From Colorado Springs, take U.S. Highway 24 west to Divide. Turn left on Colorado Highway 67 and go south 3.5 miles.

Drive: Gold Belt Tour

On this drive, you’ll get a double dose of gold: beautiful aspens and a glimpse of historic mining towns that sprang up during Colorado gold rush days back in the 1890s. This 131-mile, 5-hour drive is another one of Colorado’s Historic and Scenic Byways. Start in Florissant and head south into the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. From there, you’ll head to the old mining towns of Cripple Creek and Victor. Look for beautiful views of aspens on the flanks of Pikes Peak near Victor. South of Victor, the roads get rougher and won’t accommodate trailers or RVs. But, with four-wheel drive, a section known as the Shelf Road is an exciting stretch, cut into a canyon, 200 feet above the stream bed below.

Drive: Cripple Creek

For a shorter drive, head west on U.S. Highway 24 from Colorado Springs, then take Colorado Highway 67 through Divide to Cripple Creek. You’ll find spectacular views at the Pikes Peak Heritage Center in Cripple Creek.

Northwestern Colorado (Steamboat Springs and Craig):

Stroll: Yampa River Core Trail

The 7.5-mile Core Trail runs along the Yampa River through the heart of Steamboat Springs. It’s a great place to walk your dog, run, bike and even rollerblade if you’re in a retro mood.

Mountain bike: Emerald Mountain

You can choose the distance you want to ride and log over 20 miles on this mountain in downtown Steamboat Springs.

Hike: The Devil’s Causeway in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area

(Please note: not for beginners). You can do a 10.5-mile round-trip hike starting at 10,280 and climbing to 11,820 vertical feet. The hike offers great views and includes a section that’s only three feet wide, with steep drop-offs on both sides. This section is the actual “causeway” or a land bridge. If you’re nervous about heights, you can skip this section and head back the way you came.

Bike, hike and picnic: Elkhead Reservoir State Park near Craig

Along with boating, the park offers more than 10 miles of trails.

Drive: Rabbit Ears Pass

You’ll see spectacular aspens along Rabbit Ears, especially near Dumont Lake, 22 miles southeast of Steamboat Springs along U.S. Highway 40.