Illustration

State guide

When to catch Coloradothrough the year

The peaks we can name in Colorado each belong to a place, not the whole state. Wildflowers at Rocky Mountain: July; Elk rut at Rocky Mountain: mid-September to mid-October.

When are you going?

Fall in Colorado

USUAL PEAK · FALL FOLIAGESan Juan Skyway, Great Sand Dunes, Guanella Pass +2In season at 5 Colorado placesColorado
“near the end of September to early October” · US Forest Service ↗
STATEWIDE · FALL FOLIAGEBlack CanyonUsually well under way by mid-OctoberColorado
Oct 8–14 · USA National Phenology Network ↗

Places in Colorado

Pick a part of the state; the map follows

Fall

Places on this map, as a list

Map: approximate positions; state lines US Census.

Southwest and the San Juans

San Luis Valley

Great Sand DunesFall foliage · Sep–Oct

Front Range

Central Rockies

Maroon BellsFall foliage · late September

Planning a Colorado trip

Everything here from each place's own sources

Park guides

Rocky Mountain →Wildflowers: best viewing July · Elk rut: usual peak mid-September to mid-October

Towns to stay in

Denver, COGuanella Pass · 46 mi
Fort Collins, CORocky Mountain · 27 mi
Pueblo, COGreat Sand Dunes · 62 mi
Grand Junction, COArches · 58 mi

Nearest place we follow, straight-line miles.

Fees, passes and reservations

Rocky Mountain: passes ↗

Current park alerts (NPS)

Great Sand Dunes: Flood Watch in Effect for Great Sand Dunes & San Luis Valley Through 10/1 ↗
Great Sand Dunes: Speed Limits are Much Lower Inside Park than Surrounding Highways ↗

Browse by season and event

Wildflowers · 2 places hereWildflowers, everywhere →
Fall foliage · 6 places hereFall foliage in Colorado →Fall foliage, everywhere →

Questions people ask

Can I bring my dog on the flower trails at Black Canyon?

Not on the Uplands Trail: pets aren't allowed there.Source: National Park Service, Hike Uplands Trail - South Rim ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Is there drinking water in the park in spring at Black Canyon?

Not early in the season: from late fall through mid-spring, the park has no drinking water, so bring your own.Source: National Park Service, Black Canyon hiking trails ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Do I need a reservation at Black Canyon?

No reservations are needed to enter. Plan the rim you want: driving from one rim to the other takes 2 hours or more on roads outside the park.Source: National Park Service, Black Canyon basic information ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Is there water on the South Rim in fall at Black Canyon?

No: the Park Service says water isn't available on the South Rim in spring, fall or winter.Source: National Park Service, South Rim (Black Canyon) ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Is it hunting season in the fall at Great Sand Dunes?

It may be: the Park Service reminds fall visitors that hunting may be in season and suggests wearing brighter colors.Source: National Park Service, Great Sand Dunes conditions to expect by month ↗ (opens in a new tab)

How long is Medano Pass Road open at Great Sand Dunes?

Weather permitting, until the end of hunting season, typically just after Thanksgiving weekend.Source: National Park Service, Great Sand Dunes conditions to expect by month ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Plan a Colorado trip for your dates →Alerts for Colorado

Nearby state guides: New Mexico · Utah · South Dakota · Wyoming

Colorado in pictures

Illustrative photos, not current conditions

Red paintbrush flowers beside low pink phlox blossoms — Desert paintbrush and pink phlox in bloom, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, May 20, 2013. Photo: NPS Photo · public domain · resized

A broad green meadow with low shrubs between two mountain slopes, snowy peaks far off under white clouds — Open alpine meadow at Guanella Pass, Colorado, July 9, 2016 (context, not fall color). Photo: Thomson M · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0 · resized

Cub Lake with reflections, yellow and brown grasses along its edge — Cub Lake in fall, Rocky Mountain National Park (year not given). Photo: NPS/J.Marino · public domain · resized

How we know

Every timing on this page, from these pages; checked Sep 30

Sep 26Park ServiceBlooms April through SeptemberSource (opens National Park Service, Black Canyon wildflowers in a new tab)
Sep 30SightingsVolunteer observations of deciduous trees and shrubs: share with half or more of their leaves colored, per stateSource (opens USA National Phenology Network, colored leaves observations 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 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 27ReferenceFall color destinations by Forest Service region, with the colors each tree species turnsSource (opens US Forest Service, Fall Colors in a new tab)
National Park Service sources: no claim to original U.S. Government works.

Show all 9

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 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 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)
National Park Service sources: no claim to original U.S. Government works.