Mid-October is peak foliage season in the Rockies, and Denver is one of the best places to be for it. The state holds the largest number of quaking aspen trees in the country, and the color season here is one of the longest in the U.S., running from mid-September through mid-November. The trick to timing it is elevation: the color starts high and works its way down, so where you look depends on when you go.
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At the highest elevations, the show has mostly passed. Guanella Pass, about 40 miles from Denver and climbing to 11,670 feet, and Kenosha Pass, around 10,000 feet and 60 miles out via U.S. Highway 285, both do their best work in late September. Rocky Mountain National Park, about 1.5 hours away, keeps the party going longer with tall aspen groves around Bear Lake and along the Peak to Peak Byway, which runs from Black Hawk to Estes Park. The park is huge, with 355 miles of hiking trails, 147 lakes, and 77 mountains over 12,000 feet.
Right now, the mid-elevation spots are the ones to hit. Idaho Springs, only 33 miles from Denver, opened the Mighty Argo Cable Car this year, which carries you from the base of the Argo Mill & Tunnel up to 8,800 feet at Miners Point for hiking, mountain biking, and views of the Continental Divide. Georgetown and Silver Plume, about 40 miles out, are reachable via the Georgetown Loop Railroad and its vintage steam locomotive. And over at Dillon Reservoir, Frisco, and Silverthorne, 69 miles from the city, an 18-mile paved bike trail circles the lake through plenty of aspens.
If you want to stay closer to home, Golden Gate Canyon State Park is about 20 miles west of Denver, a 40- to 45-minute drive, with aspen groves at lower elevations and one of the best panoramic views of the Rockies. The park covers more than 12,000 acres, from around 7,600 feet up past 10,000, with more than 35 miles of trails, scenic drives, and campsites. A daily pass is $10 per vehicle, or you can get the Keep Colorado Wild Pass for $29 with your vehicle registration for unlimited access to state parks all year. Near Evergreen, you can hike around Maxwell Falls or through Alderfer/Three Sisters Park, or take the Lariat Loop Scenic Byway from Evergreen via Highway 74 to Bergen Park and back through Golden.
As the month winds down, the color settles into the plains. The High Line Canal Trail stretches over 70 miles through Denver, almost entirely bordered by cottonwoods that turn bright yellow, and it's open for biking, hiking, and horseback riding. The Cherry Creek Bike Trail, more than 40 miles long, runs from Confluence Park downtown all the way to Cherry Creek State Park, and the South Platte River Bike Trail, about 45 miles, follows the river from downtown to Chatfield State Park and Waterton Canyon, where it joins the Colorado Trail. Both are paved and wheelchair accessible.
One last tip: the season ends almost overnight once the first wave of Colorado cold or snow hits, so don't wait too long to pick a weekend.
Published Date
14 October 2026
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