Summer may technically still be hanging on, but Colorado’s mountains are already preparing for one of the most anticipated — and shortest — travel seasons of the year.
Every September, Colorado’s mountains begin transforming from green to brilliant shades of yellow and gold as the state’s aspen trees change for the season. But catching them at their peak requires some planning. Depending on elevation, location, and weather, one mountain town may be glowing gold while another is still mostly green — or already past peak.
And if you’re waiting until Instagram fills up with golden-aspen photos to decide where to go, you may already be late.
Hotels and vacation rentals in popular mountain destinations can become more expensive as peak weekends approach, and some properties can sell out entirely. If a fall mountain getaway is on your list, now is the time to decide where you’re going.
For anyone considering Aspen, there’s an especially compelling reason to make the trip next weekend. Aspen Fashion Week and Aspen Restaurant Week are happening alongside the beginning of the area’s fall-color season, creating an opportunity to build an entire weekend around fall foliage, fashion, food and the mountains.
Here’s when to start watching some of Colorado’s most popular destinations for peak fall colors — and why Aspen deserves special consideration this year.
Colorado’s Estimated Fall Color Calendar
Fall colors don’t arrive everywhere in Colorado at the same time. Higher elevations generally begin changing first before color moves into lower elevations later in the season.
Based on patterns from previous years, these are the approximate windows to start watching:
🍂 Mid to Late September: Rocky Mountain National Park, Flat Tops, Silverthorne, Breckenridge and Summit County
🍂 Mid/Late September to Early/Mid October: Vail, Aspen, Crested Butte, Grand Mesa, Steamboat Springs, Twin Lakes and Leadville
🍂 Late September to Early/Mid October: Silverton, Telluride, Ouray, Sangre de Cristo Mountains and West Kebler Pass
🍂 Early to Mid October: Ridgway, Durango and Pagosa Springs
🍂 Mid to Late October: Denver and Colorado Springs
🍂 Late October to Early November: Fruita and Grand Junction
These dates are estimates based on previous years rather than guarantees. Temperatures, rainfall, elevation, wind, early snow and other weather conditions can shift peak color from year to year.
Mid to Late September
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park is often among the first major Colorado destinations to show signs of fall.
As temperatures cool at higher elevations, patches of golden aspens begin appearing throughout the park and around Estes Park. September also coincides with the annual elk rut, giving visitors another distinctly Colorado experience during a fall trip.
Take a scenic drive, explore Moraine Park or spend a morning hiking before heading into Estes Park for lunch.
Address: 1000 US Hwy 36, Estes Park, CO 80517
Instagram: @rockynps
Breckenridge
Breckenridge is one of the easiest mountain towns to turn into a fall weekend getaway from Denver.
Historic Main Street provides the restaurants, bars and shopping, while the surrounding mountains offer miles of golden aspens once the season begins changing.
Boreas Pass is particularly popular during fall, with stretches of road surrounded by aspens and expansive views of the mountains.
Address: 150 W. Adams Ave., Breckenridge, CO 80424
Instagram: @gobreck
Silverthorne and Summit County
Don’t limit a Summit County trip to one town.
Silverthorne, Dillon, Frisco, and Breckenridge can easily be combined into a weekend road trip, with Dillon Reservoir and the surrounding mountains providing a dramatic backdrop for changing leaves.
Spend the morning outside, stop in one of the towns for lunch, and continue driving through the county in search of the best pockets of color.
Address: 602 Center Circle, Silverthorne, CO 80498
Instagram: @silverthornecolorado
Mid/Late September to Early October
Aspen
If Aspen has been sitting on your fall travel list, next weekend, September 24-27, may be the weekend to go.
Late September falls within Aspen’s typical fall-color window, when the town’s namesake trees begin turning the surrounding mountains into shades of gold.
But this year, the leaves aren’t the only reason to make the drive.
Fall Colors + Fashion + Food: Why Head to Aspen Next Weekend
Aspen Fashion Week returns September 24–27, bringing four days of runway shows, pop-ups, parties and fashion experiences to town.
On Friday, the LOCAL runway highlights designers, brands, and creatives with connections to Aspen, while Saturday’s REGIONAL runway broadens the showcase to talent from around the region.
For visitors traveling to Aspen rather than attending for only one day, the Two-Day Pass provides a way to experience both Friday and Saturday runway shows and build Fashion Week into a larger mountain getaway.
And there’s another reason to arrive hungry: Aspen Restaurant Week is also happening next weekend.
That combination makes this particular weekend about much more than attending a runway show.
Start the morning chasing fall colors. Spend the afternoon walking downtown Aspen, shopping or exploring. Experience Aspen Restaurant Week over lunch or dinner. Then get dressed and head to Aspen Fashion Week.
It’s an opportunity to experience three of Aspen’s biggest seasonal draws in a single getaway: the changing leaves, the food scene and fashion.
Come for the Fall Colors. Stay for the Fashion — and Food.
Even travelers who aren’t coming specifically for Fashion Week can build AFW into an already-planned fall trip.
Take the scenic route into town. Spend time outdoors during the day. Make Restaurant Week reservations. Then add a runway show to the evening itinerary.
Or make fashion the centerpiece of the trip and use the rest of the weekend to experience everything happening around it.
Either way, there’s a strong argument for staying longer than a single night.
Chase the Colors at Maroon Bells
Few Colorado fall scenes are more recognizable than Maroon Bells surrounded by golden aspens.
Late September is a popular time to visit, so travelers shouldn’t assume they can just show up. Access and transportation may require reservations depending on the time and method of entry.
If you can secure access, make Maroon Bells your morning activity before returning to Aspen for the afternoon and evening.
Make the Drive Part of the Getaway
For travelers heading to Aspen from the Front Range, the journey can be part of the experience.
Weather and road conditions permitting, Independence Pass provides dramatic mountain scenery on the way into Aspen, with opportunities to see changing aspens throughout the drive.
Instead of racing to check into the hotel, leave early, build extra time into the route, and make the road trip part of your fall weekend.
Vail
Late September into early October can transform the mountains surrounding Vail into a mix of gold and evergreen.
The town works particularly well for travelers who want outdoor activities during the day without giving up restaurants, shopping and nightlife after the sun goes down.
Walk Vail Village, explore the surrounding trails and give yourself time to simply enjoy the cooler mountain weather.
Instagram: @visitvailvalley
Crested Butte and Kebler Pass
Crested Butte may be famous for wildflowers in summer, but its fall transformation is just as impressive.
Nearby Kebler Pass is particularly famous for its enormous aspen groves, creating stretches of brilliant yellow when conditions align.
Because peak conditions can change quickly, check foliage reports and road conditions immediately before traveling.
Instagram: @visitcrestedbutte
Steamboat Springs
Steamboat combines fall scenery with enough activities to easily fill an entire weekend.
Explore Fish Creek Falls, drive Rabbit Ears Pass, walk downtown and finish the day soaking in the area’s hot springs.
Instagram: @visitsteamboat
Late September to Early/Mid October
Telluride
Telluride’s location in the San Juan Mountains makes it one of Colorado’s most dramatic fall destinations.
Golden and orange foliage contrasts against rugged mountain peaks, while Telluride’s free gondola provides another way to take in the scenery from above.
Pair the town with a drive toward Dallas Divide for an even bigger fall road trip.
Instagram: @visittelluride
Ouray
Known as the “Switzerland of America,” Ouray becomes even more dramatic when fall colors arrive.
The surrounding San Juan Mountains, historic downtown, and access to the Million Dollar Highway make it easy to combine Ouray with Silverton, Ridgway, or Telluride.
Instagram: @visitouray
Silverton
Silverton’s historic streets and surrounding mountains make the drive itself part of the experience.
Visitors can continue along the San Juan Scenic Byway or experience the landscape aboard the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.
Instagram: @visitsilverton
Early to Mid October
Durango
As fall moves south and into lower elevations, Durango enters its own color window.
Combine downtown Durango with the Animas River, the San Juan Mountains or a ride aboard the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad for a longer fall getaway.
Instagram: @visitdurango
Pagosa Springs
Pagosa Springs provides another way to combine fall scenery with a destination experience.
Spend the day exploring the surrounding San Juan Mountains and finish with a soak in the town’s famous hot springs.
Instagram: @visitpagosasprings
Mid to Late October
Denver and Colorado Springs
If you miss the mountain peak, don’t assume Colorado’s fall-color season is over.
As colors fade at higher elevations, lower-elevation destinations begin reaching their own fall window.
Denver’s Washington Park, Cheesman Park, and tree-lined neighborhoods provide plenty of color without a mountain drive, while Colorado Springs combines changing leaves with destinations like Garden of the Gods and North Cheyenne Cañon.
Late October to Early November
Fruita and Grand Junction
Western Colorado can extend the fall road-trip season even further.
Fruita, Grand Junction, and nearby Palisade offer a completely different landscape from Colorado’s high country, combining changing foliage with vineyards, orchards, the Colorado River, and high-desert scenery.
Pair the trip with Colorado National Monument for one last fall getaway before winter takes over.
So, Where Should You Go This Fall?
The answer depends largely on when you can travel.
If you’re ready to head out next weekend, Aspen deserves particular attention. The timing puts you within its traditional late-September fall-color window while Aspen Fashion Week and Aspen Restaurant Week are happening at the same time.
That’s a lot to fit into one weekend — in the best possible way.
You don’t have to be a fashion devotee to enjoy the trip, and you don’t have to plan an entire vacation around leaf peeping.
Go for the changing aspens. Make a Restaurant Week reservation. Explore downtown. Take a scenic drive. Attend a runway show. Stay for brunch.
Aspen Fashion Week gives you another reason to make the trip. Aspen Restaurant Week gives you another reason to stay. And fall in the mountains provides the backdrop for all of it.
Just don’t wait until every tree on your Instagram feed is gold to start making plans.
By then, everyone else may have had the same idea.
** Peak fall-color dates are estimates based on previous years. Weather, elevation, temperatures and precipitation can change the timing each season. Check current foliage, weather and road conditions before traveling.