Colorado Fall Foliage 2026
Typical peak window
Sep 16 – Sep 24
Centered on Sep 20 at reference elevation.
low confidence in typical timing.
Above 10,000 ft peaks in mid-September; the 8,000-ft valleys follow in early October.
Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated .
Seasonal timing
In Colorado, typical peak color falls around Sep 20, within the Sep 16–24 window. High ground near 10,700 feet peaks around Sep 15, while valleys near 8,900 feet follow around Sep 22, with quaking aspen, cottonwood and Gambel oak.
What turns here
- quaking aspen
- cottonwood
- gambel oak
Yellows show up every year. Reds need sunny days and cool, frost-free nights. A bad year takes those first.
Color progression
Typical peak Sep 20Typical color progression for Colorado. No change from Aug 13 to Aug 30. First color from Aug 30 to Sep 8. Approaching peak from Sep 8 to Sep 16. Peak from Sep 16 to Sep 24. Past peak from Sep 24 to Oct 4. Bare from Oct 4 to Oct 18.
Leaves are typically down on Nov 1, 2026. Color starts around Aug 30.
Colorado by county
28 days from Clear Creek County to Prowers County.
Tap a location marker for coordinates and light times. Where peak usually lands. Boundaries: US Census, 2023. Elevation: USGS 3DEP + SRTM. Method
A county is still an average. Boulder County spans 20 days on its own, ridge to valley.
Every county, as text
| County | Typical peak | Stage on Nov 1, 2026 | Median elev. | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | Sep 29 – Oct 7 | Bare | 5,099 ft | 1 days |
| Alamosa County | Sep 26 – Oct 4 | Bare | 7,555 ft | 1 days |
| Arapahoe County | Sep 28 – Oct 6 | Bare | 5,438 ft | 3 days |
| Archuleta County | Sep 26 – Oct 4 | Bare | 7,815 ft | 12 days |
| Baca County | Oct 8 – Oct 16 | Bare | 4,284 ft | 4 days |
| Bent County | Oct 7 – Oct 15 | Bare | 4,244 ft | 3 days |
| Boulder County | Sep 19 – Sep 27 | Bare | 7,604 ft | 20 days |
| Broomfield County | Sep 27 – Oct 5 | Bare | 5,327 ft | 1 days |
| Chaffee County | Sep 12 – Sep 20 | Bare | 10,597 ft | 13 days |
| Cheyenne County | Oct 4 – Oct 12 | Bare | 4,277 ft | 2 days |
| Clear Creek County | Sep 10 – Sep 18 | Bare | 10,381 ft | 11 days |
| Conejos County | Sep 23 – Oct 1 | Bare | 8,527 ft | 12 days |
| Costilla County | Sep 23 – Oct 1 | Bare | 8,444 ft | 10 days |
| Crowley County | Oct 4 – Oct 12 | Bare | 4,628 ft | 2 days |
| Custer County | Sep 19 – Sep 27 | Bare | 9,058 ft | 10 days |
| Delta County | Sep 28 – Oct 6 | Bare | 6,103 ft | 10 days |
| Denver County | Sep 28 – Oct 6 | Bare | 5,298 ft | 0 days |
| Dolores County | Sep 24 – Oct 2 | Bare | 7,959 ft | 9 days |
| Douglas County | Sep 25 – Oct 3 | Bare | 6,587 ft | 5 days |
| Eagle County | Sep 15 – Sep 23 | Bare | 9,033 ft | 11 days |
| El Paso County | Sep 27 – Oct 5 | Bare | 6,176 ft | 11 days |
| Elbert County | Sep 27 – Oct 5 | Bare | 5,838 ft | 4 days |
| Fremont County | Sep 25 – Oct 3 | Bare | 7,139 ft | 14 days |
| Garfield County | Sep 21 – Sep 29 | Bare | 7,542 ft | 11 days |
| Gilpin County | Sep 14 – Sep 22 | Bare | 9,298 ft | 9 days |
| Grand County | Sep 13 – Sep 21 | Bare | 9,350 ft | 10 days |
| Gunnison County | Sep 17 – Sep 25 | Bare | 9,412 ft | 12 days |
| Hinsdale County | Sep 12 – Sep 20 | Bare | 11,235 ft | 15 days |
| Huerfano County | Sep 26 – Oct 4 | Bare | 7,231 ft | 11 days |
| Jackson County | Sep 13 – Sep 21 | Bare | 9,033 ft | 7 days |
| Jefferson County | Sep 22 – Sep 30 | Bare | 7,289 ft | 8 days |
| Kiowa County | Oct 5 – Oct 13 | Bare | 4,166 ft | 1 days |
| Kit Carson County | Oct 2 – Oct 10 | Bare | 4,424 ft | 3 days |
| La Plata County | Sep 27 – Oct 5 | Bare | 7,302 ft | 11 days |
| Lake County | Sep 10 – Sep 18 | Bare | 10,899 ft | 5 days |
| Larimer County | Sep 16 – Sep 24 | Bare | 8,106 ft | 17 days |
| Las Animas County | Oct 3 – Oct 11 | Bare | 5,632 ft | 9 days |
| Lincoln County | Oct 1 – Oct 9 | Bare | 5,138 ft | 3 days |
| Logan County | Sep 30 – Oct 8 | Bare | 4,198 ft | 2 days |
| Mesa County | Sep 28 – Oct 6 | Bare | 5,780 ft | 11 days |
| Mineral County | Sep 14 – Sep 22 | Bare | 10,907 ft | 10 days |
| Moffat County | Sep 21 – Sep 29 | Bare | 6,783 ft | 4 days |
| Montezuma County | Sep 30 – Oct 8 | Bare | 6,362 ft | 8 days |
| Montrose County | Sep 29 – Oct 7 | Bare | 6,119 ft | 10 days |
| Morgan County | Sep 30 – Oct 8 | Bare | 4,472 ft | 2 days |
| Otero County | Oct 5 – Oct 13 | Bare | 4,563 ft | 3 days |
| Ouray County | Sep 20 – Sep 28 | Bare | 8,668 ft | 15 days |
| Park County | Sep 15 – Sep 23 | Bare | 9,462 ft | 11 days |
| Phillips County | Oct 1 – Oct 9 | Bare | 3,801 ft | 1 days |
| Pitkin County | Sep 12 – Sep 20 | Bare | 10,183 ft | 13 days |
| Prowers County | Oct 8 – Oct 16 | Bare | 3,826 ft | 3 days |
| Pueblo County | Oct 3 – Oct 11 | Bare | 5,080 ft | 4 days |
| Rio Blanco County | Sep 22 – Sep 30 | Bare | 6,988 ft | 10 days |
| Rio Grande County | Sep 22 – Sep 30 | Bare | 8,514 ft | 13 days |
| Routt County | Sep 17 – Sep 25 | Bare | 7,836 ft | 7 days |
| Saguache County | Sep 17 – Sep 25 | Bare | 9,715 ft | 13 days |
| San Juan County | Sep 14 – Sep 22 | Bare | 10,661 ft | 10 days |
| San Miguel County | Sep 21 – Sep 29 | Bare | 8,450 ft | 13 days |
| Sedgwick County | Oct 1 – Oct 9 | Bare | 3,781 ft | 1 days |
| Summit County | Sep 11 – Sep 19 | Bare | 10,254 ft | 10 days |
| Teller County | Sep 18 – Sep 26 | Bare | 8,862 ft | 6 days |
| Washington County | Sep 30 – Oct 8 | Bare | 4,543 ft | 2 days |
| Weld County | Sep 27 – Oct 5 | Bare | 4,935 ft | 2 days |
| Yuma County | Oct 2 – Oct 10 | Bare | 3,974 ft | 2 days |
Peak by elevation
7 days between the ridges and the valleys below them. The county map above averages that away.
| Elevation band | Approx. elevation | Typical peak | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| High ridges & passes | 10,700 ft | Sep 15 | Bare |
| Mid elevation | 9,500 ft | Sep 20 | Bare |
| Valleys & lowlands | 8,900 ft | Sep 22 | Bare |
Foliage stages
- No change 0–10%
- First color 10–25%
- Approaching peak 25–60%
- Peak 60–90%
- Past peak 40–70%, dropping
- Bare <20%
Plan the light
Colorado on September 20, 2026, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:28 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 88° | 6:55 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 35 min of low, warm light | 7:30 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:03 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 35 min before sunset | 6:35 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 272° | 7:10 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:37 PM |
Times in America/Denver · day length 12h 15m · computed from NOAA solar equations.
Local terrain can hide the sun; allow extra time to reach your viewpoint.
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises E, sets W.
Aim within 45° of the sun for translucent leaves. Turn your back to it for flat, accurate color.
Where to shoot in Colorado
6 researched locations, earliest peak first. Filter these locations
- Kenosha Pass Bare
Front Range · 9,984 ft · peaks Sep 17
The Colorado Trail crosses the highway here and runs straight into a dense aspen stand, with South Park opening below to the southwest. Backlit trunks in the first half mile of trail are why Denver photographers arrive before six.
- Kebler Pass Bare
West Elk Mountains · 10,007 ft · peaks Sep 18
The road runs 30 miles through one of the largest aspen stands in North America, with white trunks packed against the Ruby Range and Marcellina Mountain. Flat overcast light saturates the leaves and removes the contrast that ruins midday frames in this forest.
- Last Dollar Road Bare
San Juan Mountains · 10,676 ft · peaks Sep 18
The dirt road climbs out of the Telluride valley through aspen groves to a 10,676-foot saddle with the Sneffels Range on one side and Wilson Peak on the other. Split-rail fence, ranch gates, and narrow bands of trees supply the foreground the paved overlooks lack.
- Maroon Lake Bare
Elk Mountains · 9,580 ft · peaks Sep 19
Two 14,000-foot peaks sit directly above the outlet of a shallow glacial lake, with aspen ringing the shoreline and the inlet meadow. Still water before eight in the morning holds the full reflection, and a 24-35mm frame from the northeast shore keeps both peaks and the aspen.
- Owl Creek Pass Bare
Uncompahgre National Forest · 10,114 ft · peaks Sep 19
The spire of Chimney Rock and the cliff wall of Courthouse Mountain rise straight out of an aspen basin at the top of the pass. Turnouts a mile below the summit stack the aspen in front and the rock behind without needing a hike.
- Dallas Divide Bare
San Juan Mountains · 8,983 ft · peaks Sep 23
The Sneffels Range stands above rolling ranch benches and the weathered fence lines along the highway, with aspen stringers running up every draw. A long lens from the turnouts compresses fence, gold hillside, and peaks into one plane.
Recent reports from Colorado
Report what you sawCommon questions
- When do the leaves change in Colorado?
- Colorado typically peaks Sep 16 – Sep 24, centered on Sep 20. Above 10,000 ft peaks in mid-September; the 8,000-ft valleys follow in early October. These are typical dates from a latitude and elevation model; current conditions may differ.
- Does elevation change when fall color peaks in Colorado?
- Yes, by about 7 days. High ground around 10,700 ft peaks near Sep 15, while valleys near 8,900 ft wait until Sep 22. Peak moves roughly 3.5 days earlier for every 1,000 feet you climb. Try lower valleys after high ground has passed peak, or higher ground while valleys are still green.
- Where are the best places to see fall color in Colorado?
- The guide includes 6 researched locations in Colorado, including Kenosha Pass, Kebler Pass, Last Dollar Road. Kenosha Pass turns first, around Sep 17, and Dallas Divide is last, around Sep 23. Each includes coordinates, elevation and sunrise light times.
- What trees turn color in Colorado?
- Mainly quaking aspen, cottonwood, gambel oak. Yellows and oranges come from carotenoids that are already in the leaf, so they show up every year. Reds are made fresh each autumn and need warm sunny days with cool, frost-free nights, which is why a dry summer or a warm September produces a duller year.