RMNP offers vast opportunities for leaf peeping

As autumn approaches, leaves discard their summer colors for a full palette of bronze to gold — and Coloradans are sure to want to see the changes.

Of course, there are trees in the city, but there is nothing like a mountain drive to get close-up and long-range views of individual and masses of leaves in all the fall hues. 

One such drive is along Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous paved road in North America. The 48-mile stretch travels through Rocky Mountain National Park from Estes Park in the east to Grand Lake in the west and crosses the Continental Divide. 

Another drive is along the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway (Colorado Highway 72), which starts in Nederland and ends at Colorado Highway 7 in Allenspark, looking west into the mountains. From there, Highway 7 heads north into Estes Park.

“As you look west from Peak to Peak Byway, you’re looking into Rocky Mountain National Park. You’re seeing different colors up close along the road, and you’re also looking at some of the colors changing at higher elevations,” said Kyle Patterson, public affairs officer for Rocky Mountain National Park. “That’s a neat thing about some of the mountain roads; there’s different changes of fall colors based on the elevation and where you are.”

Trail Ridge Road presents different fall colors depending on the month and the elevation, as well as the type of vegetation, Patterson said. The colors typically peak mid- to late September, contingent on the weather, usually changing at the higher elevations first, since it’s cooler there, she said.

Nine miles of Trail Ridge Road is above the tree line at 11,500 feet, topping at 12,183 feet. There is alpine tundra and tundra vegetation like grasses, which also show a range of autumn tints. 

“The tundra is really pretty in the fall, some of the autumn hues you’d think of like some bronze, depending on how the light is hitting the tundra, or an orangey-brown,” Patterson said.

The vegetation there typically starts turning colors in late August, followed by changes lower in elevation as the autumn season continues. 

A couple of places to view the turning colors is along the Colorado River Trailhead on the west side of Trail Ridge Road and Hidden Valley, a former ski area on the east side of the road with hiking trails, picnic pavilions and recreation activities.

There also is Old Fall River Road, a westbound historic dirt road that’s narrow and winding. Located off U.S. 34 upon entering the park, the road travels from the Endo Valley picnic area to above the tree line at Fall River Pass and has aspen and a variety of tundra. The road leads up to the Alpine Visitor Center at 11,796 feet and from there connects to Trail Ridge Road, which will need to be accessed to exit the park. Old Fall River Road closes for the season Oct. 4.

Along Trail Ridge Road, drivers will see a combination of mainly aspen and, as they get lower in elevation, birch and cottonwood. They will get glimpses of yellows, oranges and golds, colors that appear in all three types of trees. At the lowest elevations, there also will be willows, which are a deep orange or amber.

The tree colors can be affected by temperature and moisture, so that a drier year will result in more vibrant colors.

“We’ve been really, really fortunate to have a wet year this year. We’ve gotten a lot of good moisture,” Patterson said. “Time will tell if we’ll get vibrant colors.”

Typically mid-September to mid-October are a great time to visit the park to see those colors, Patterson said. If drivers come in October, they’ll likely miss the varying hues at the higher elevations but will still be able to see them at the lower levels, she said.

Drivers also will be able to see color wherever they go along Trail Ridge Road. Some areas of the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park retain visible scars from the East Troublesome Fire, but there are enough trees remaining to keep showing color.

“We have seen a lot of regeneration, but it will take some time for that to happen,” Patterson said. “The fire burned aspen on both sides of the park, but that doesn’t mean those fall colors are gone from the west side of the park. … There are still a lot of aspen that survived the fire that will have beautiful colors.”

This year the park has a timed entry permit system through Oct. 11 — visitors will need a reservation permit if they visit the park from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (The Bear Lake Road Corridor requires permits 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

Early in the morning or late in the afternoon are the best times to see the fall colors, as well as the wildlife that like to come out at dawn and dusk, Patterson said. All driving areas remain open, though some trails are closed.

“Weekends in September are the busiest visiting days during the year,” Patterson said. “Because the weather is still usually glorious and the fall colors and the elk rut all come together in September, a big key is planning ahead, being aware of the time of day and where to visit.”

The Peak to Peak Scenic and Historic Byway is another place to visit for colorful leaf viewing. The byway, established in 1918, extends 73 miles from Idaho Springs to Estes Park and encompasses Highways 72, 119 and 7.

“Some of the most scenic parts of Peak to Peak are just north of Nederland about three to four miles,” said Sharon Ferguson, visitors center manager of the Nederland Visitor Center. “You can’t really miss it because the views are huge. The highway goes along toward Ward and Estes Park. On the right, it’s sort of a forested area, and on the left, it’s large views of the peaks to the west.”

The trees along the byway primarily consist of aspen and lodge pole pine, with a few spruce mixed in. The colors generally are yellow and green from the aspen, with occasional reds and oranges, depending on moisture levels. Changes typically occur from mid-September to mid-October.

“Compared to a lot of places in Colorado it’s a little more lush,” Ferguson said. “We get moose in the area. They really like drainage and marshy areas.”

The canyons along the byway also present lots of yellow, such as Golden Gate Canyon State Park, 20 miles south of Nederland off Colorado Highway 46. Other stop-off points include Coal Creek, Boulder and Left Hand canyons. 

“They’re steep. You get beautiful views of the hillsides,” Ferguson said. “A lot of the canyons have water rushing through them, so you’re driving through a pretty creek as well.”

The byway also gives access to Rocky Mountain National Park, the Arapaho and Roosevelt national forests, and Indian Peaks Wilderness, a state park in Boulder County.

“It’s just the beauty of the natural landscape in which we live,” said Miranda Fischer, town administrator for Nederland. “It still is beautiful and reminds us what it means to live in the mountains. It’s nice to share that with other people.”

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