Natural History Wanderings

Afield Trails has a fall color report for Rocky Mt. National Park for September 15

If you have been waiting for the right time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park to check out the fall foliage, I have good news for you: the time has come. Many of the aspen groves on the west side of the Park are bursting with color, and those that have not fully transitioned are well on their way.

The Grand Lake entrance may currently be the most stunning place in the whole park. Large groves glow like golden sentinels along the road, welcoming visitors with impressive flair. A little farther into the Park (moving to the east), the Colorado River and Timber Lake trailheads boast jaw-dropping views of red and gold trees. In fact, any high point on the west side — the Farview Curve viewpoint, for instance — offers great vistas of hillsides spotted with color. Looking to the west, fall color seems to drip like wet paint from the stark line of the Grand Ditch.