The rush of summer has tapered off and the blanket of snow has not yet arrived: it’s prime time in Colorado. The luster of golden Aspen groves surround you and there’s no better time to be outdoors. Enjoy the fruits of fall (both literally and figuratively) with great biking, hiking, fishing, and even some apple picking. Here are the best outdoor fall activities in the state!
The state’s only native deciduous trees, the Aspen, turn into a mass of shimmering colors once summer is over. The forests in the San Juan Mountains morph into a yellow, orange, and red panoply of breathtaking hues that can be seen for miles driving along the San Juan Skyway. It begins in Durango and loops for 236 miles right back to where it started. See these scintillating colors from a different perspective. Fly through and past them hanging from a zip line with Soaring Tree Top Adventures, the longest and safest zip line course of its kind.
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See the Mile High city from a saddle—no, not on horse, on a bike. As one of the most bike-friendly cities in the country, Denver is not only welcoming, it’s easy to navigate too—especially with a guide. The folks at Mile High Bike Tours will take you around the city pointing out public art, gorgeous parks, remarkable architecture, and the unique features that define this vibrant city. This time of year is all about beer, so after the ride grab a pint at the nearby Blake Street Tavern.
Be a-maized at Jack Lantern’s Corn Maze just east of Fort Collins. It’s 90 acres of fear, fun and fright...at least that’s what they promise. Nighttime activities come with a haunted maze and hay ride, but during the day there’s fun for the whole family that includes a bounce house, petting zoo and scavenger hunt. Grab a pumpkin at the patch for jack-o-lanterns. It’s unlikely you’re going to eat any of it, so to satisfy that pumpkin craving don’t miss the pumpkin chocolate chip loaf at Great Harvest Bread Company in Fort Collins.
Catch, and then release, a fish in the Eagle River in the White River National Forest. Fall brings with it fewer people on the river, more robust fish in pre-spawning mode and nature’s most glorious celebration of color. Put on your waders and head out by yourself, or if you’re angling for some company, book a guided fly-fishing tour with 5280 Angler, which has access to a wide-range of public and private waters. While in town, check out Charlie’s Fly Box for classes and gear.
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This is the season for dreamin’ of Mom’s apple pie. It’s apple-pickin’ time. You’ll find a great selection at Fruit Basket Orchards near Grand Junction. Fill your bucket with 18 varieties of delicious, crisp apples. Just a few miles down the road is Talbott’s Mountain Gold, which in addition to growing delicious apples makes award-winning apple cider. Take a tour of the mill and see the cider press in action.
Raise a stein and say prost, a shout-out to the annual Oktoberfest celebration. Revel in all things beer at the Colorado Oktoberfest in Littleton. The party takes place at the Breckenridge Brewery which makes the third oldest craft beer in the state. Just north in Golden, Colorado, is the home of the largest single brewing facility in the world, operated by the Coors Brewing Company. Take a tour 30-minute tour that highlights malting, brewing and packaging.
Take your camera out for a hike at Rocky Mountain National Park located in the northwestern part of the state near Estes Park. Hook up with Yellow Wood Guiding for a photo safari. The fall tour is a day of traipsing through the Park looking through a viewfinder at golden aspens, cascading waterfalls and hoping for a photo of an elusive moose. If you miss the shot, no worries, there’s plenty of moose memorabilia at The Mad Moose, a local store that sells rustic home furnishings.
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Ride the Monarch Crest Trail in Gunnison National Forest near Salida, on a bike or a horse. This high alpine trail that descends from Monarch Pass traverses wide-open slopes, beautiful meadows and forests that look like amber waves this time of year. First-timers to the trail can hook up with a guide from Absolute Bikes in town to get the lay of the land. There are a number of outfitters for riders who prefer a four-legged steed who will take you up and down the mountain. Head out with High Country Trails for a full-on Rocky Mountain adventure.
Get high. The state is known for its 14ers, mountain peaks at 14,000 feet and higher. This time of year is a good time to try and summit any one of the 53—before the snow hits. Give Mt. Elbert, the highest peak in the state, a try. It rises out of the San Isabel National Forest as part of the Sawatch Range. Aspen Expeditions can put together a full or half-day trek up this mountain, considered one of the easier, by comparison summit climbs. A stop at Leadville Outdoors and Mountain Market in nearby Leadville for some 14er gear is worth a look.
Sing along to the music of one of the state’s most iconic residents, John Denver, at the John Denver Celebration held in Aspen. You’ll feel the rocky mountain high that Denver wrote and sang about at this celebratory tribute to him. Aspen is a spectacular place to be in fall. Catch a ride on the Silver Queen Gondola to the top of Aspen Mountain for a bird’s eye view of the glowing forest of aspen trees that turn the state gold this time of year.
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