Coloradofall foliage

No reports yet this season. Next up: San Juan Skyway, typically Sep 11–Oct 20.

When is peak fall color in Colorado?

Late September into early October for the aspens, higher first. The Forest Service says the Maroon Bells' aspen groves turn brilliant gold in late September, and in the San Juan Mountains color tends to start in mid-September near Silverton and finish in early to mid-October around Pagosa Springs, Purgatory and Dolores.

Checked Sep 28. Sources: US Forest Service, Fall Colors ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Forest Service, San Juan National Forest fall colors report ↗ (opens in a new tab)

This week in Colorado · Updated Sep 28

We haven't logged an official report for Colorado yet this fall; the first places here usually turn around Sep 1. The forecast looks best on Thu–Sun, with frost likely at Guanella Pass and San Juan Skyway.

When each place peaks, and the week ahead

Best days to go: Thu–Sun

No strong wind in the forecast. Frost likely: 29°F at Guanella Pass.

Today Dry and calm Rain likely (60%+) Wind 20 mph+ Frost (32°F)

All the numbers

Place	Usual peak	This week	Rain likely	Coldest night	Elevation
Guanella Pass	Colorado timing: Sep 1–30	No report	Today, Tue, Wed	29°F	11,643 ft
Rocky Mountain	National Park Service says fall color shows in September and October	No report	Today	39°F	7,530 ft
San Juan Skyway	Sep 11–Oct 20	No report	Today, Tue, Wed	30°F	10,904 ft
Maroon Bells	Sep 21–30	No report	Today, Tue, Wed	33°F	9,578 ft
Great Sand Dunes	Sep 21–Oct 10	No report	Today, Tue, Wed	36°F	7,984 ft
Black Canyon	Statewide: well under way by ~Oct 11	No report	Today, Tue, Wed	43°F	8,118 ft

Solid bars: each place's usual window from its official sources; dashed: a regional or statewide timing, not the place's own. Stages from the latest official report. Weather: National Weather Service forecast for each place, issued Sep 28. A best day is dry and calm at most of these places.

Colorado's byways and fall favorites

Scenic drives from official sources

San Juan Skyway· 232 mi
Durango · Silverton · Ouray · Telluride · Dolores · Cortez

A 232-mile paved loop, open year-round except when snow closes the passes for a while. Pins mark its six towns (coordinates from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0); the road runs between them.

Sources (7)

Planning a Colorado fall foliage trip

Colorado's show is mostly gold: aspens up high, cottonwoods lower down. At Great Sand Dunes, the Park Service says aspens peak gold in late September and early October above the dunes, and the cottonwoods around the dunes reach their deepest gold by mid-October. In Rocky Mountain National Park the color runs through September and October.

For a drive, the San Juan National Forest's San Juan Skyway is a 232-mile National Scenic Byway loop, and the Million Dollar Highway between Ouray and Silverton, with golden aspens on steep slopes and deep canyons, is one of the country's most scenic fall drives. The forest posts a fall colors report with stretch-by-stretch estimates along the Skyway.

Mind the calendar on the high roads: Trail Ridge Road, 48 miles across Rocky Mountain National Park and up to 12,183 feet, is closed to through travel from mid-October to late May. The White River National Forest, home of the Maroon Bells, peaks early, so a late-September trip is the safer bet there.

Sources (7)

Official reports

Dated and linked

Sep 28Park ServiceThe San Juan Skyway: a 232-mile paved loop, open year-round except when snow closes passesSource (opens US Forest Service, San Juan National Forest scenic drives in a new tab)
Sep 27Park ServiceColorado's aspens turn gold by September, high country first, then lower elevations (regional, Rocky Mountain Region botanist)Source (opens US Forest Service, Fall Colors Usher in Autumn in the Rocky Mountains in a new tab)
Sep 27Park ServiceGuanella Pass traffic measures from September 12 as peak leaf-peeping season approaches (this fall)Source (opens US Forest Service, Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests current conditions in a new tab)

Show all 32

Sep 27Park ServiceNo parking along Guanella Pass Road; snow-free late June or early JulySource (opens US Forest Service, Guanella Pass Trailhead in a new tab)
Sep 27Park ServiceGeorgetown to Grant over the 11,700-foot pass through aspen forestsSource (opens US Forest Service, Guanella Pass Scenic Byway in a new tab)
Sep 27Park ServiceTimed-entry reservation to park; seasonal gate open mid-June to mid-OctoberSource (opens US Forest Service, Brainard Lake Recreation Area in a new tab)
Sep 27Park ServiceThe highest paved road in North America; road now open only to Summit LakeSource (opens US Forest Service, Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area & Scenic Byway in a new tab)
Sep 27Park ServiceRaptor nesting closures February 1 to about July 31Source (opens US Forest Service, Boulder Canyon in a new tab)
Sep 27Park ServiceAlpine wildflowers best mid-June through the end of JulySource (opens US Forest Service, Celebrating Wildflowers: Mt. Goliath - Mt. Evans Viewing Area (Arapaho National Forest) in a new tab)
Sep 27Park ServiceBest wildflowers late June to early AugustSource (opens US Forest Service, Celebrating Wildflowers: Berthoud Pass Trailhead (Arapaho National Forest) in a new tab)
Sep 27Park ServiceTundra wildflowers bloom late May through early August; six Tundra Closure AreasSource (opens National Park Service, Rocky Mountain alpine tundra ecosystem in a new tab)
Sep 27Official reportColors usually start mid-September near Silverton and finish early to mid-October around Pagosa Springs, Purgatory and Dolores; weekly estimates along the San Juan SkywaySource (opens US Forest Service, San Juan National Forest fall colors report in a new tab)
Sep 27Park ServiceFall colors report weekly from September 1 through October; road status and winter gatesSource (opens US Forest Service, San Juan National Forest current conditions in a new tab)
Sep 27Park ServiceMolas Trail: about 3.7 miles from Molas Pass down to the Animas RiverSource (opens US Forest Service, Colorado Trail - Molas Trail in a new tab)
Sep 27Park ServiceOpen May 15 to October 15Source (opens US Forest Service, Chimney Rock National Monument in a new tab)
Sep 27Park ServiceWildflower meadows on Lizard Head Pass, best mid-July to early AugustSource (opens US Forest Service, Lizard Head Pass and San Juan Skyway wildflowers in a new tab)
Sep 26Park ServiceNo entry reservations; rim to rim by car takes 2+ hoursSource (opens National Park Service, Black Canyon basic information in a new tab)
Sep 26Park Service12 overlooks by car; no water in spring, fall or winterSource (opens National Park Service, South Rim (Black Canyon) in a new tab)
Sep 26Park ServicePainted Wall 2,250 ft; Oak Flat Loop 2 miles; Rim Rock Trail 1 mileSource (opens National Park Service, Black Canyon park brochure in a new tab)
Sep 26Park ServiceBlooms April through SeptemberSource (opens National Park Service, Black Canyon wildflowers in a new tab)
Sep 26Park ServiceSouth Rim Road open late April to mid-November; North Rim Road closes mid-November, reopens in MaySource (opens National Park Service, Black Canyon hours and seasons in a new tab)
Sep 26Park ServiceGuided snowshoeing January to mid-MarchSource (opens National Park Service, Black Canyon winter activities in a new tab)
Sep 26Park ServiceLower aspens peak late September to early October; cottonwoods mid-October; cranes, Medano Creek, sunflowers, first snowSource (opens National Park Service, Great Sand Dunes conditions to expect by month in a new tab)
Sep 26Park ServiceA rough 22-mile road to Medano Pass (10,040 ft); peak color late September and early OctoberSource (opens National Park Service, Medano Pass Primitive Road in a new tab)
Sep 26Park ServiceMosca Pass Trail 3.5 miles one way through aspen and evergreen forestSource (opens National Park Service, Hiking at Great Sand Dunes in a new tab)
Sep 26Park ServiceFall colors in September and October; aspens and cottonwoods at lower elevationsSource (opens National Park Service, Learn about fall colors (Rocky Mountain) in a new tab)
Sep 26Park Service2026: timed entry 9 a.m.–2 p.m. through Oct 12; Bear Lake Road 5 a.m.–6 p.m. through Oct 18Source (opens National Park Service, Rocky Mountain timed entry 2026 in a new tab)
Sep 26Park ServiceBear Lake Road 9.2 miles, 8,200 to 9,475 ft; Bierstadt Lake; Bear Lake parking often full by 9 a.m.; snow on the Bear Lake Trail late October to early JuneSource (opens National Park Service, Exploring the Bear Lake Road corridor in a new tab)
Sep 26Park ServiceAspens in the Moraine Park, Hollowell Park and Glacier Gorge areasSource (opens National Park Service, View fall colors on Bear Lake Road in a new tab)
Sep 26Park ServiceTrail Ridge Road: 48 miles, up to 12,183 ft; Old Fall River Road open early July to early OctoberSource (opens National Park Service, Rocky Mountain road status in a new tab)
Sep 26Park ServiceFall colors from Harbison Meadows in the Kawuneeche Valley up to the tundraSource (opens National Park Service, View fall colors on the west side of Rocky in a new tab)
Sep 26Park ServiceTrail Ridge Road closed to through travel mid-October to late May; busiest late May through OctoberSource (opens National Park Service, Rocky Mountain hours and seasons in a new tab)

Questions people ask

When is peak fall foliage in Colorado in 2026?

It depends on the place. In a typical year: San Juan Skyway, Sep 11–Oct 20, Great Sand Dunes, Sep 21–Oct 10 and Maroon Bells, Sep 21–30. Each place page has its own dates.

Where can I see fall foliage in Colorado?

We track 6 places: San Juan Skyway (usually Sep 11–Oct 20), Great Sand Dunes (usually Sep 21–Oct 10), Maroon Bells (usually Sep 21–30), Black Canyon, Guanella Pass and Rocky Mountain.

How long does the fall foliage season last in Colorado?

Across the places we track, from about Sep 11 (San Juan Skyway) to Oct 20 (San Juan Skyway). Each place's own window is shorter.

Why does color come earlier in some places?

Higher ground turns first. In the Great Smoky Mountains, color can start as early as mid-September at the highest elevations, develops above 4,000 feet from early to mid-October, and reaches the lower and middle slopes between mid-October and early November.Source: National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains fall color ↗ (opens in a new tab)

How do you track fall foliage?

Each place moves through 6 stages: Still green, First color, Moderate, High color, Peak and Past peak. Every stage we show comes from a dated report with its source, and every forecast lists its sources.