My Favorite Colorado Fall Hikes

This page is a collection of some of my favorite Colorado fall hikes, including my top favorite hike at the Maroon Bells. When it comes to autumn color hiking in Colorado, I consider it to be the best fall color hike in the state. So, what is it? Well, it's the hike to Crater Lake.

There are actually several hikes that start from the Maroon Bells parking area, all of which are great for different reasons. But the Colorado fall hike to Crater Lake is a bit longer, allowing you more time to enjoy the scenery all around you. Also, from Crater Lake, you get an up-close look at the Maroon Bells themselves.

So, one more thing to think about before you go, is this: when is the best time to set out on Colorado fall hikes? The answer is that it varies a bit from year to year, but in general, it tends to be around the second two weeks in September. It can sometimes go into early October but it's probably best to aim for the last two weeks in September.

O.K., so if you're ready for some Colorado fall hikes, I'll start you off at the Maroon Bells. Any of the hikes on that page are great fall color hikes but I highly recommend the hike to Crater Lake. Also, the pictures on that page were taken during the summer; so here's an example, (to your right), of how the Maroon Bells look during the fall.

Now that you know my top favorite fall color hike, I'll tell you about other Colorado fall hikes that we've done and that I consider to be good for enjoying autumn colors. This next hike is in the same general area as the Maroon Bells, so if you have the time, you might consider doing one on one day, and the other on another day.

Thomas Lakes
Trailhead: Thomas Lakes
One-way distance: 3.5 miles
Difficulty level: moderate
Approximate one-way hiking time: two hours and 30 minutes;
Dog friendly: yes but dogs must be leashed;
Entrance fee: no
Restroom facilities: yes, at the parking area;
Elevation: 10,260 feet at the lakes;

Directions to Thomas Lakes trailhead: from Carbondale, go south on Hwy. 133 for about 1.4 miles. Then turn left onto Prince Creek CR and travel about 6 miles to a fork in the road. At the fork, turn right onto Road 311 and follow it for about 2 miles. The trailhead is about 1/4 mile before you reach Dinkle Lake, and you'll see the Thomas Lakes trailhead sign on your right.

The parking area for Thomas Lakes is on your left in a fenced area, and is fairly good sized. If you're doing this hike on a weekend, it's best to arrive as early as possible since this is one of those Colorado fall hikes that's very popular.

The trail to Thomas Lakes starts out by joining up with an old jeep road shortly after you start the hike. It leads through a forest and is very rocky, so watch your footing. In a little over one mile, you'll come to some open meadows, and from there, you'll see Mount Sopris standing out prominently in front of you. Aspen trees are all around you, and as you continue up the trail, views of Mt. Sopris get even better.

Follow the signs for Thomas Lakes and Mt. Sopris, then at the two-mile mark, you'll enter the trees again. From there, you'll go in and out of the trees, with views of Mt. Sopris in different places along the way. Eventually, you'll notice a small lake in the trees off to your right. From there, it's only about ten minutes to the first Thomas Lake, which you'll see on your right.

From the first Thomas Lake, go back to the main trail and follow it for a short ways to the second Thomas Lake, which you'll see on your left. One thing to be aware of is that we saw bear droppings several times along the trail, so they live in the area. We saw no bears though, and Colorado fall hikes like this one are a great way to enjoy the autumn colors. Bring your camera!

Piney River Falls
Trailhead: Upper Piney Trail, #1885;
One-way distance: 2.5 miles
Difficulty level: easy to moderate
Approximate one-way hiking time: one hour and 45 minutes;
Dog friendly: yes but dogs must be leashed;
Entrance fee: no
Restroom facilities: no
Beginning elevation: 9,397 feet

Directions to Piney River Falls trailhead: from Hwy. I-70 west near Vail, take the Vail exit #176. Then take the North Frontage Road west. After about one mile, turn right onto Red Sandstone Road. Go for about 2.5 miles to a fork with a dirt road on your left. Turn left there onto Red Sandstone Road #700. Follow the dirt road for about nine miles to the big sign over the road that says Piney River Ranch. The ranch is private property but there is public parking just outside and to the right of the entrance.

Of the Colorado fall hikes that we've done so far, this one reminds me of the Maroon Bells, near Aspen. It's kind of like Vail's version of the Maroon Bells because the mountains are big and right there in front of you, (like the Maroon Bells), and the hiking trail goes straight towards them, through lots of aspen trees. So of course it makes for a great fall color hike :-).

Anyway, the trail starts on the other side of the road from where you parked your car. As you head out, you'll soon come to Piney Lake, as well as the wide-open view of the Gore Range. Before long, you'll come to a fork in the trail and a sign; take the right fork to follow the directions towards Upper Piney Lake. The view in front of you at this point will also feature all those wonderful aspen trees.

Continue along the easy path and eventually, you'll enter the aspen forest. Shortly after that, the trail starts to climb moderately, and you'll also be crossing several streams on log bridges. Continue on through the aspen forest and at one point, the trail will actually start going down. From there, it's not too much further to the falls.

The falls are actually more of a cascade than a waterfall, which is why the hike is on this page rather than my Colorado waterfalls page. If I had to rate this hike, I'd say it was my second favorite, (after Maroon Bells), of the Colorado fall hikes that we've done so far.

Cub Lake
Trailhead: Cub Lake
One-way distance: 2.3 miles
Difficulty level: moderate
Approximate one-way hiking time: one hour and 15 minutes;
Dog friendly: no
Entrance fee: yes
Restroom facilities: yes
Elevation: 8,620 feet at the lake

Cub Lake is in Rocky Mountain National Park, and it's one of the few Colorado fall hikes that you will find there. The above link will take you to a page with more information about Cub Lake; it's the first hike on that page. Have fun and be on the look-out for elk, since the bottom portion of this trail is a place where they are often seen, especially during the fall.

Dark Canyon Trail
One-way distance: 2.0 miles to the overlook;
Difficulty level: easy to moderate
Approximate one-way hiking time: 1 hour and 5 minutes;
Restroom facilities: yes
Elevation: 8,890 feet at trailhead
Dog friendly: yes but must be leashed or under voice control;
Entrance fee: no

Directions to Dark Canyon Trail trailhead: from Hwy. 135 in Crested Butte, go west on Whiterock Ave. which becomes Kebler Pass road, (and County Road 12.) Drive about 12 miles then turn right at the sign for Horse Ranch Park, which is the trailhead for this hike.

Of all the Colorado fall hikes we’ve ever done, this one has more aspen trees along the way than I can remember seeing anywhere else. In fact, you’ll be hiking through aspens for most of this hike.

Anyway, when you’re ready, the trail starts uphill along the old jeep road that you’ll see in front of you when you enter the parking area. After a short time, you’ll come to a sign saying “Dark Canyon Trail”. You want to head straight and downhill on this trail. Soon after that, you’ll see some beaver ponds on your left, along with a large beaver lodge.

Next, you’ll be going up again through the aspens. At one point along this Colorado fall hike, you’ll cross a rock slide but it’s pretty easy to get across. From that point, keep working your way up and eventually, you’ll see a side trail going off to your left. This will lead you to the overlook which is your turn-around point for this hike. Enjoy :-).

Booth Falls
The hike to Booth Falls is another good Colorado fall hike. The waterfall at the end isn’t as nice at this time of year, but the golden aspens definitely make it worth the hike. Anyway, the above link to Booth Falls will take you to my Colorado waterfalls page, and my description of it is the 6th one down, starting with Continental Falls. It’ll give you directions there, and a description of the trail.

I'm planning on adding more Colorado fall hikes to this page next fall, (of 2010.) In the meantime, enjoy the ones you see here. Also, if you know any fall color hikes that you think should be on this page, do let me know about them :-).

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