September in Colorado is the beginning of the fall leaves. The changing of aspens from green to yellow, orange, and red are great photography opportunities.
Many of these great leaf viewing areas are along Colorado’s scenic drives which makes access to these spots easy.
https://www.codot.gov/travel/colorado-byways
Fall color changing dates differ around the state due to the various elevations and latitude. The northern areas (like Steamboat) change colors first and the southern areas (like Durango) change later.
Here is a good local 9 News article with a map showing the date ranges: https://www.9news.com/article/weather/fall-colors/colorado-fall-colors-dates-by-region-peak-times-to-visit/73-d5c28b8b-3021-4e79-b81d-7626fd204ce6
Some of my favorite areas for seeing fall leaves:
Highway 285:
Guanella Pass and Kenosha Pass. Take Highway 285 south from Denver. Guanella Pass is a scenic byway off of Highway 285 about an hour away from downtown Denver. Keep going another 15 min up the road and you hit Kenosha Pass.
I-70
Silverthorne. Highway 9 north, out of Silverthorne has good views of mountains on either side with plenty of opportunities for scenic shots.
Highway 82
Aspen – The Maroon Bells is probably the most famous place for fall leaves pictures in Colorado. It’s also the most crowded! One nearby option that is off the beaten path is Ashcroft ghost town. Take county road 15 out of Aspen about 10 miles south of town.
Taking a scenic drive to see the fall leaves in Colorado is a great way to spend an afternoon or make a full day trip. Maybe you’ll get some great pictures too. This is one of my favorites from Kenosha Pass that I took from Kenosha Pass:
