Fall colors in Colorado is a magical time of year. Colorado is well known for its beautiful aspen trees, with quaking leaves that change from green to vibrant , translucent yellow between mid-September and mid-October – the exact time of the change varies each year based on summer rainfall.
Timing peak aspen colors each fall is an imperfect science, and the ideal time and place one year can turn out to be a disappointment the next. The reason aspen leaves change, like the leaves of any deciduous tree, is because of a decrease in photosynthetic activity as the days get shorter in the fall.
The gold and yellow colors we see in autumn are always there; in the fall, they simply are revealed when the green hues from chlorophyll production fade. Recent local weather conditions, available moisture and stand health all influence those expansive golden vistas.
According to the United States National Arboretum, a wetter growing season followed by a dry, sunny autumn with cool but frost-free nights results in the brightest fall colors.
Aspen Facts
- Make up 20 percent of Colorado’s forests
- Elevation 6,500 – 11,500 feet
- Grow in clones of genetically identical stems
- Healthy, mature root systems put out up to 1 million shoots/acre
- Stands thin themselves as they mature
- Grow up to 10 feet tall in five years; fast-growing compared to native evergreen trees
- Commonly known as “quaking aspen”
- Flat rather than round stems allow leaves to flutter
- Stems give leaves strength, allowing them to twist in the wind
- Bark contains salicin (similar to the active ingredient in aspirin); pioneers and Native Americans used as a fever remedy
Maroon Bells
The Maroon Bells are two of the most photographed mountains in all of North America — and for good reason. Rising more than 14,000 feet above sea level just south of Aspen, the twin peaks are striped with snow all summer long. Aspen trees drape the hillsides, while Maroon Lake provides a handy mirror that grounds the whole scene in a postcard-perfect reflection.
Kebler Pass
Fall colors at their finest. See the largest grove of aspens on earth.
Kebler Pass, or Gunnison County Road (GCR) 12, is an excellent place to see fall colors in Colorado. You won’t get nearly as much congestion as on Independence Pass in Aspen, but you get just as many yellow and amber leaves. The road is dirt but passable by any vehicle–although because it’s at over 10,000 feet–it’s closed in winter and can get extremely muddy if it snows or rains. The mud is slick. You’ll want a 4WD vehicle, and boots for all weather if you’re going to be stopping along the way to take photos.
Your jaw will start dropping as you take McClure Pass, just after the small town of Redstone. Follow 133 all the way over and just past Paonia State Park. You’ll take a left on GCR 12 for 30 miles of incredible views, winding up right in downtown Crested Butte.
The Castles
Without a doubt, one of the Gunnison Country’s most beautiful areas – or Colorado for that matter- is the Mill Castle trail leading up to The Castles. The Castles are a physical feature (pillar) in Gunnison County off of Ohio Pass.
Crystal Mill
The picturesque Crystal Mill is one of the most photographed sites in Colorado. Its precarious perch on an outcropping of rock just above the Crystal River, framed by beautiful aspens and a backdrop of stunning mountains, gives it an undeniable visual appeal.
The mill, constructed in 1893, harnessed the river adjacent to the mill to power the air compressor housed inside.
The mill closed its operations in 1917. Continuing efforts to preserve it have been aided by Gunnison and Aspen Historical Societies, residents of Crystal and Marble, and interested individuals caught by the spectacle of the old Mill.
The Crystal Mill is located 6 miles east of Marble, just before the ghost town of Crystal. It is reachable only in the summer and fall months by a rough, one-lane, 4-wheel-drive road.
Looking to put together a fall photography workshop in this area of Colorado. Probably around the end of September. Photographing Fall Colors in Colorado, an awesome experience!
Photos by Blair Ball Photography
Call or email me to assist in telling your story. Our list of services.
Be sure to check out our upcoming workshops.
bballphoto@comcast.net | 901-378-7450
