Fall Foliage - Sawatch Range

[Pwrfghtr08]

Hi, I live in Denver, and I'm pretty new to hiking 14ers. Last year, I didn't get the chance to hike in fall and see the aspen leaves, but I want to this year. What are, in your opinion, the 14er Routes with the prettiest fall leaves? Distance/Gain/Class don't matter that much to me, but ideally it should be in the Sawatch Range, so I don't have to drive too far. Thanks!

[Rampaging Baloths]

Hi, I live in Denver, and I'm pretty new to hiking 14ers. Last year, I didn't get the chance to hike in fall and see the aspen leaves, but I want to this year. What are, in your opinion, the 14er Routes with the prettiest fall leaves? Distance/Gain/Class don't matter that much to me, but ideally it should be in the Sawatch Range, so I don't have to drive too far. Thanks!

Mt. Hope from the South Side should be dope.

I did it via Willis and got the fiery furnace of the Independence Pass and Twin Lakes Corridor, and it too was dope.

[Ryan987]

Missouri gulch 100% (BelOxMo, Huron, or south la Plata)

[HikesInGeologicTime]

Horn Fork Basin (Harvard/Columbia). I seem to have fonder memories than most of Harvard in part because I got to spend so much time admiring the colors on my way in and out.

[two lunches]

Mt. Hope from the South Side should be dope.

no seriously, hope pass from sheep gulch is one of the most spectacular places during peak colors. don't tell anyone

[Willy the Kid]

Elbert's East Ridge was pretty spectacular last September.

[MidsizeAl]

Elbert's E Ridge is chock full of giant aspens from the trailhead all the way to treeline. It's one of my favorite routes in the Sawatch and is magical beyond words during peak fall color season. For the full experience, go up the E Ridge, down the NE Ridge (standard) and loop back along the Colorado Trail, making a stop at Lily pond to check out the beaver dams/dens. It's longer on mileage, but it's serene, beautiful, and far less crowded than anywhere else on that mountain.

Another favorite of mine is Missouri from Rockdale. Plenty of great fall colors back there, not many people, and the view of the backside of Huron from Clohesy Lake is incredible.

[Marmot72]

Standard route on La Plata takes you through some pretty aspens- and if you do the E ridge of Elbert as previously mentioned, then you can just drive up the road if you don’t have another peakbagging day in you.

[mtree]

That's a good question for me as well. Although I hike quite a bit in the fall, I don't recall a ton of foliage on the hikes. Some have been in the Sangre de Cristos in September. Nothing special. Maybe too early. I've been up Democrat and although driving in had some blazing color, the hike itself was nothing. Same with Tabeguache and Shavano. Otherwise I guess I've stayed close to the front range. Guanella Pass can be gorgeous, but Squaretop and Bierstadt have mostly Willows and scrub Oak. The usual suspects are nothing special with the exception of Quandary. Below treeline can be great. So I'll also be watching this thread for ideas!!!

[MidsizeAl]

That's a good question for me as well. Although I hike quite a bit in the fall, I don't recall a ton of foliage on the hikes. Some have been in the Sangre de Cristos in September. Nothing special. Maybe too early. I've been up Democrat and although driving in had some blazing color, the hike itself was nothing. Same with Tabeguache and Shavano. Otherwise I guess I've stayed close to the front range. Guanella Pass can be gorgeous, but Squaretop and Bierstadt have mostly Willows and scrub Oak. The usual suspects are nothing special with the exception of Quandary. Below treeline can be great. So I'll also be watching this thread for ideas!!!

May not be a surprise to those of you who have lived and hiked around the state, but the aspen population tends to be higher west of the continental divide, so the further you get from Denver, the better your chances tend to be for a good show:

Screenshot 2025-06-12 092908.jpg (301.49 KiB) Viewed 205 times

Also, if you have a pro account on CalTopo, you can use the satellite imagery from prior years to see what pops in the fall. Here is Elbert's E Ridge, for example (9/28/23):

Screenshot 2025-06-12 094123.jpg (96.75 KiB) Viewed 205 times

Here is Hope/Quail:

Screenshot 2025-06-12 094700.jpg (157.15 KiB) Viewed 205 times

[Pwrfghtr08]

Thanks for all the suggestions and information, looks like there's a lot of good options.