Peep peep 🍁

It’s (almost) fall, y’all! And although leaf peeping season has just barely started in Colorado I wanted to share some of my favorite fall hikes and tips on how to “dial in” to what’s going down with our fall foliage before the season officially....popped 😂.

SO. First things first. When and what the hell is leaf peeping season? Well, in Colorado, it’s a magically wonderful time when our aspen tree’s leaves turn from green to gold. Then they turn brown, fall off and die, which isn’t quite as pretty and magical and means you’ve likely missed the peak peeps. But that won’t be you this year, because you’re here reading this informative blog. The season typically begins mid-September through early October and can be impacted by a variety of things including the amount of rainfall and severe weather shifts we have.

This sounds really cool, Kristin. Okay, I’m in.....now how do I find those prime time peeps? Well, I’m so glad you’ve asked. Here’s a run down of how I stalk that sweet golden good-good.

I am an avid all season hiker, so I make it a point to write down hikes I think will be peep-worthy when I’m out in the summer/spring/winter. What does that mean? Well, if the hike has an aspen grove, LISTED. You’ll find many of your popular summer hikes have aspens, so if you see ‘em, make a list for yourself for fall! Although you may not know exactly when they’ll change, various news sources typically distribute maps like this 👇🏼 to help predict when peak peeping will occur throughout our state. Unfortunately, like the weather, these often times aren’t super reliable.

That said, there are still so very many hikes I have yet to do in Colorado. And this isn’t really helpful for you this year if you haven’t been keeping tabs already. Because of that, I also rely heavily on the experiences of others to help me determine what trails I’m going to do next. I’ve found there are many FREE, excellent resources when it comes to seeing the status of my precious peeps

My first go to is always AllTrails as I’m on it anyways and it often has recent reviews of hikes and photos which is HUGE for seeing what trails look like in real, or nearly real, time as posted by other hikers. I think people do a good job of giving you other important information, like snow and trail conditions, so something to consider if you don’t already have it.

If I can’t find what I’m looking for there, I’ll look up hashtags like #aspentrees or #coloradofall on Instagram. I am a one of those people who’s weirdly drawn to algorithms and hashtags and this is fun for me. But if that isn’t you, it can take some searching, but you can usually find what you need through this method.

I don’t personally find major influencer accounts to be terribly helpful as 1. they typically recycle their content and 2. I’ve found most larger IG hiking accounts are really more promotional/content driven...so it may be a pretty photo op, but not so much an actual hike. If you’re going to do product placement or a shoot, though, it’s a solid route to go.

In your hashtag hunt, even if the photos aren’t recent, they can give you a great idea of what the trail could look like during peak popping time...and because it’s older there’s a chance it may not be as popular of a hike as compared to what you found through your AllTrails hunt 🤷🏼‍♀️.

Because I care THIS much about my peeps (and really all my hikes), I also keep tabs on local Facebook groups and blogs. For trail conditions year round, I like the Women Who Hike Colorado group and Hiking Colorado. There are also awesome groups specific to leaf peeping that I recently discovered (I’m in Colorado Fall Color Reports- OUTSIDERS) that I highly recommend, but be prepared to share your spots, too! These communities rely on the group’s engagement, so if sharing isn’t your thing, this may not be for you.

And if you STILL aren’t satisfied, there are about 5777 posts from various Colorado-based news sources over the years, all at your fingertips thanks to google. Here is a collection of 2020 articles I’ve compiled in one convenient location that may help:

https://www.colorado.com/articles/10-places-see-colorados-fall-color

https://theknow.denverpost.com/2020/09/02/fall-colors-colorado-leaf-peeping-2020/244646/

https://www.5280.com/2020/09/when-and-where-to-peep-colorados-leaves-this-season/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/colorados-aspens-are-turning-gold-early-this-year-here-are-the-best-places-to-see-the-fall-foliage%3f_amp=true

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.koaa.com/news/covering-colorado/your-ultimate-guide-for-colorados-fall-colors%3f_amp=true

Does that seem like a lot? Am I crazy?Maybe. But my hope is in compiling and sharing all this information here it will help you guys spend a little less time on your hunt.

And here’s a nice, little not-so-secret: if you drive around Colorado mid-September through early October, you WILL find areas that are popping and if your goal is simply to peep or get a shot, you’ll have no problem finding groves. If car rides aren’t your thing, there are also numerous train rides across the state (I’ve done Georgetown and Cripple Creek’s which are both stunning in fall) that allow you to get that golden without lifting a finger...foot?

So clearly the when and where is always a bit variable, but if you’re not a planner, you can pretty much just get in your car and they WILL find you. Most of the major passes have absolutely beautiful aspen groves, so if hiking isn’t really your thing, you still have plenty of opportunity to happily leaf peep from the comfort of your vehicle.

But if hiking IS your thing...and it likely is if you’re on here, here’s my list of fall must-peeps. Kid friendly, not so kid friendly (keep in mind, my little guy is 6, so kiddo levels may vary), and my peep peep wish list :). Also- I no longer provide less popular hiking locations on Instagram for many reasons, but do share on my blog, which is obviously open to the public. If you choose to do these hikes, or really any hikes, please (pretty please) respect our lands and practice LNT while being a kind, courteous hiker. That said, here’s some of my peeps, enjoy 🍁:

______________________________________

Don’t bring the kids 😋...

1. Abyss/Helms Lake (11.7-16 miles)

2. Ice/Island Lake (9.5 miles, not tons of aspens, but beautiful fall colors)

3. Booth Falls (4.2 miles, plus the additional mileage if you scramble to the falls)

4. Chicago Lakes (11.3 miles)

Bring the kids...

1. Lily Pad Lake (3.3 miles)

2. Pretty much anything at Golden Gate Canyon State Park!

3. Kenosha Pass (7 plus miles, but aspens are visible immediately)

4. Devils Head Fire Tower (closed :()

5. Crater Lake at Maroon Bells (3.8 miles)

Future Peeps

1. Crystal Mill (9 miles)

2. Ptarmigan Trail (4.6 miles)

3. Upper Piney River Falls (5.9 miles)

4. Eccles Pass (9.8 miles)

5. Aspen Alley (2.6 miles)

6. Old Dillon Resevoir (1.7 miles)

7. American Lake Trail (6 miles)

This trail list is by no means all inclusive and I’m sure you’ll find many, many more peeping spots on your hunt! My hope is that this has been helpful and you’ll have a bit of an easier time on your search this year- happy hiking and peeping, everyone 🍁!