New Colorado Fall Foliage Map Shows When, Where to See Changing Leaves

Mountain views add extra flair to leaf peeping, but you'll need to check on location and timing.

August 22, 2024

Visit the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park from around September 15 to September 30 for the best leaf-peeping. Evan Semón

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Fall isn't here yet, but it's already time to start planning leaf-peeping trips as the foliage changes colors around Colorado.

Mountain views add extra flair to leaf peeping, but there's a lot of variance to where and when you should go for the best fall views in Colorado. And with a hot and dry autumn expected this year, those leaves are expected to change color relatively early — if Colorado wildfires don't get in the way.

According to a nationwide foliage map from the Old Farmer's Almanac, in Flat Tops, Rocky Mountain National Park and Steamboat Springs, leaves are expected to change for around two weeks starting September 15.

Trees in Aspen, Grand Mesa, Gunnison, Summit County and Vail should start changing color around September 22, with the show continuing into the first week of October. The San Juan and Sangre de Cristo mountains may hold their leaves for a few extra days, with predictions ranging from September 30 through October 18.

Trees in Denver don't get as much attention as those in the mountains, but you can catch changing leaf colors in the city and all along the Front Range through most of October.

2024 Fall Foliage Color Map
byu/6jarjar6 inMapPorn

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Thomas Mitchell has been the news editor of Westword since February 2024. He's been with the publication since 2017 and was formerly its cannabis editor. He’s earned numerous awards and accolades for his work, including placing second for the Marijuana Enterprise Reporting Award from the Colorado Society of Professional Journalists in 2018; being named a Top Cannabis Journalist by Leafbuyer in 2020; and placing first for the College Sports Writing Award from the Arizona Press Club in 2014. His prior work experience includes Arizona Republic, Inman News and Fox Sports.

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