Falls Colors

southernsky wrote:
Looking to go in a different direction to see the fall colors. When is the best time to see the colors in Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado.

Have found that the 21st of September is a good target and it can last from Pass to Pass till October 7th or so.

Some years a little earlier and some Later - but the target is around the 21st - Aspen

Once you see them you will continue to try to get back - again and again. Biggest issue is they come on fast and Leave even Faster.

Best of Luck,

Many varying factors here - moisture, elevation, location etc - figure mid Sept +/- week or two. God knows for each location but He never tells us.

(Lived in CO for 8 years and back many Falls to many locations in CO since moving in 2003.)

We were at Golden Gate SP last year the last week of September. Color was just gorgeous.

The best fall color I have seen in 54 years of living in Colorado was the first weekend of October 2016 on Cumbres and La Manga Passes on CO 17. For a photo and more details, see the US 285 post on my new blog HERE.

We (the Denver MG Car Club) were in Chama that weekend to ride Galloping Goose #5 over Cumbres Pass on the C&TSRR. You can watch a 14-minute video of our trip HERE, if you want to see some of that color on our way up the pass.

Interestingly, there were 25 1912-1922 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts in Chama the same day because they were riding the train through the fall aspens that weekend too. If you want to see a video of me driving a 1913 Silver Ghost, take a look HERE. I am the one on the right side of the car behind the steering wheel (it is an English car of course!).

We have been lucky to catch the Fall Colors while in Santa Fe. We missed the display for several years--usually happened in late Sept to early Oct. We finally waited it out for about 3 weeks. When it hit, everyone was up on the mountain and it was well worth it. So it is either patience or luck! Hope you catch the color somewhere.

This was taken in Aspen on Sept. 21, 2015. The color in the Ouray area peaked a week later:


Click For Full-Size Image.