We took our yearly fall trip through our home state of Colorado this year in the third week of September. The aspens were at their best and the weather at that time of year is something to behold.
Our travels took us from our home town of Loveland to Estes Park and then along the Peak to Peak hwy (7 and 72) to Idaho Springs where we joined I70 to Georgetown. At Georgetown we climbed over Guanella Pass to Bailey. We proceeded on Hwy 285 to Fairplay and Hwy 9 to Frisco where we spent the night a Colton Bay Campground on Lake Dillon. The Colton Bay campground has both electric and non electric sites and offers great views of the lake and surrounding mountain ranges.
After a quite cool morning of 30 degrees we joined I70 once again, this time going eastbound to Hwy 40 where we climbed over Berthoud Pass in entered the Grand Valley where we took Hwy 34 to Lake Granby and our destination of Stillwater Campground. Stillwater campground is situated right on the west end of Lake Granby and also offers a beautiful treeless view of the lake and a 360 degree view of all that surrounds you.
We spent two great fall days here and ended each day by watching the great sunsets to the west across the lake. There are many activities to partake in from this location and sightseeing and hiking top the list. It is an easy trip into Grand Lake for dinner or shopping. A trip along the Lake Granby to Arapahoe Bay and Monarch Lake is a great way to spend the day and if you are lucky you may see a moose or two as we did.
Upon leaving this great location we proceeded via hwy 34 over Trail Ridge Road into Estes Park and on to our destination of Loveland.
This year the aspens were as stunning as we have ever seen them in our more than 50 years in Colorado and we will enjoy the memories from this fall trip along with the many others we have taken in our state.
Pictures from our trip:
Click on the picture!