From Kebler Pass to Peak to Peak: The Best Autumn Foliage Drives Across Colorado
Aspens don't check your calendar. One week the hills above town are green, the next they've gone full gold, and if you blink, you spend October staring at brown sticks.
So here's your heads-up with six of the best fall color drives in Colorado, ranked loosely by how far you're driving from Grand Junction.
Kebler Pass: The Aspen Drive Between Paonia and Crested Butte
If you make one of these, make this one. Kebler runs Paonia to Crested Butte through one of the biggest aspen stands in North America.
Here's the nerdy part: a grove is usually one organism sharing a single root system, so that whole gold hillside is basically one living thing changing at once.
The catch is an "improved" dirt road that's fine until it snows. Closest to home, too.
San Juan Skyway: White Knuckles and Gold From Ridgway to Durango
The big one. This loop runs Ridgway to Durango to Silverton, roughly 220 miles and five to seven hours.
Twenty-five of those miles are the Million Dollar Highway, famous for its views and its total lack of guardrails.
You'll roll past Telluride, a stack of 14ers, and Mesa Verde's cliff dwellings.
Independence Pass: Colorado's Highest Paved Drive on Highway 82
Independence Pass tops out at 12,095 feet on Highway 82, the highest paved crossing of the Continental Divide in the state.
You get Mount Elbert and golden aspens without ever leaving your car.
Get there while you can, because it closes from November until the Thursday before Memorial Day.
Read More: An Easy Guide to All 26 of Colorado's Scenic and Historic Byways
Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway: 14ers From Minturn to Aspen
This 90-mile byway runs from Minturn to Aspen, right beneath the state's two tallest peaks, Mount Elbert and Mount Massive.
Bonus scenery: Mount of the Holy Cross, the historic Red Cliff Arch Bridge, and Turquoise Lake.
The drive for people who like knowing exactly how big those mountains are.
Buffalo Pass: The Rugged Fall Drive Above Steamboat Springs
Buffalo Pass near Steamboat is the locals' pick. It's only 11 miles to the top, but you'll want four-wheel drive to make it, and it's a four-hour haul from Grand Junction.
Pro move: make it an overnighter and loop home the long way down Highway 133 for even more color.
Peak to Peak Highway: Colorado's Oldest Scenic Byway to Estes Park
The road-trip pick. Established in 1918, it's the oldest scenic byway in Colorado, running 40 miles from Central City to Estes Park past ghost towns, old mines, and the fairy-tale Chapel on the Rock.
Save this one for a full day.
Peak color usually hits late September into early October, earlier up high. Check conditions, pack a jacket, and don't wait. The aspens are already counting down.
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