In celebration of our 30th meeting anniversary, we chose to spend a few days immersed in Colorado’s beautiful fall foliage season. We traveled to Lakewood and Gunnison from September 20-29, 2023.
Several locals were saying this year was late by about a week, but in reality, since both of us had never experienced anything like this before, it all really felt like it was peak season. You can see it for yourself in these few selected photos of the places we visited. You can click on individual photos or just start with the first and go on to a slideshow.
| Roxborough State Park (17 photos) | Gothic Road (30 photos) |
| Bear Creek Trail (9 photos) | Washington Gulch Road (15 photos, 1 video) |
| Collegiate Peaks (3 photos, 1 video) | Ohio Creek Road (20 photos, 1 video) |
| Cottonwood Pass (13 photos) | Three Lakes Trail (30 photos, 2 videos) |
| Crested Butte (4 photos) | Monarch Pass and Sangre de Cristo Mountains (10 photos) |
| Dark Canyon Trail at Oh-Be-Joyful Pass (24 photos) |
Roxborough State Park
Some people refer to this park as a mini Garden of Gods park. All the unusual flatiron rock formations justify the comparison. The park is located about 30 minutes outside Lakewood, Colorado, where we first stayed. We hiked the South Rim trail.
Bear Creek Trail
Here’s another popular trail outside Lakewood, Colorado. It is called Bear Creek Trail and is located in the Lair o’ the Bear Park. This is a popular trail that runs along scenic Bear Creek. Most users tend to hike up to the Castle, a professional multi-facility venue for social functions. We ventured beyond that and faced a little elevation.
Collegiate Peaks
On the day we drove to Gunnison, we made two stops along the way. The first was at the impressive lookout at the Collegiate Peaks in a section of the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains. We’d been seeing those peaks from a distance and simply had to stop. The Collegiate Peaks are home to eight of Colorado’s 58 fourteeners (mountains over 14,000 ft in elevation). They are called Collegiate Peaks because they are named after famous colleges and universities, including Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, etc. I’ve included a short panoramic video and a close-up of Mt. Princeton.
Cottonwood Pass
At an elevation of 12,126 ft (3,696 m), Cottonwood Pass is also located in the Sawatch Range. The road over Cottonwood Pass is the highest paved crossing of the Continental Divide in the U.S. and the fourth-highest paved road in the state after Mount Evans Scenic Byway, Pikes Peak Highway, and Trail Ridge Road. The forests you see here are the San Isabel National Forest to the east and the Gunnison National Forest to the west. There is hiking in the area, but at that altitude, be prepared for heavy breathing. The little lake you see in these photos was named after our friend Geeta. Once when they were there, her husband realized the lake had no name. He called it Geeta’s Lake. After the pass, the road leads to Taylor Reservoir before our approach to Gunnison.
Crested Butte
Although we were based in Gunnison, Crested Butte was often near where we were going or coming from. I’ve snapped a few shots of the roads around the town along with the mountain bearing the town’s name.
Dark Canyon Trail at Oh-Be-Joyful Pass
Our first full hike in the Gunnison area took us deep into the Gunnison Forest. It was a hazy day because of some smoke (I don’t know where it was coming from). Consequently, the drive to the trailhead was picturesque but hazy. Luckily, we went back to another nearby area later in the week and were able to see how glorious the views were at Kebler Pass. These photos are all from the Dark Canyon Trail. We passed a beaver pond but couldn’t see its workers. We also even saw a Mormon Cricket on the trail. I didn’t know Mormons were actively recruiting there. Enjoy the lively fall foliage display from this area.
Gothic Road
The Gothic Road drive was even more impressive than the hike we did the day before. Gothic Road is a dirt road located about 10 miles (16 km) north of Crested Butte. It winds through the Gunnison National Forest, offering stunning views of the Elk Mountains, the Raggeds Wilderness Area, and the East River Valley. Included here is a photo with our hosts and friends, Fred and Mike.
Washington Gulch Road
After driving on Gothic Road, we went to Wahington Gulch Road. The drive was similar and also very scenic. The road started paved just outside Crested Butte, but soon it changed to an unimproved road. There were some steep climbs leading up to breathtaking views. At the beginning of the drive, there were some nice views of Carbon Peak. I also include a short video of Keith driving my Forester up to a lookout point.
Ohio Creek Road
We had previously driven this road on our way to Oh-Be-Joyful Pass earlier in the week. However, at that time, it was very hazy because of some wildfire smoke coming from another state. Some of the features you see here, such as Castle Rock and dykes, had not been clearly seen the first time around. I am glad we went back when it was clear. This area is in the Gunnison National Forest near Crested Butte. Although the road was narrow, cars were pulling over whenever possible to appreciate the scenery and take photos. The road leads to Ohio Pass at an altitude of 10,078 ft (3.072 m). The entire drive is around 23.2 mi (37.33 km), of which only the first 12.3 mi (19.79 km) are paved.
Three Lakes Trail
This was likely the most beautiful hike we did in Colorado. The setting was just perfect. The 3.5-mile (5.5-km) hike was very scenic with beautiful fall foliage display and lake settings. The trail goes around three alpine lakes with mountain ranges around and even a waterfall. Although the elevation gain is about 515 ft (157 m), it is all done gradually. The three lakes we go by are the Lost Lake Slough at the very beginning, followed by Lost Lake, and a side stretch for the Dollar Lake. At that lake, we stopped for a few minutes and were rewarded with tranquil waters reflecting Beckwith Mountain. It was worth waiting for the wind to die down and see those reflections around the lake. We also had some Canada Jays nearby.
Monarch Pass and Sangre de Cristo Mountains
As we planned our drive back to Austin, we decided to go via Monarch Pass. Besides going through this stunning pass and seeing more fall foliage along the road and in the Sawatch Range, we also had a long stretch of road going along the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, a subrange of the Rocky Mountains.
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