12 Colorado Drives You’ll Love When the Leaves Change

It's time to hit the road in search of Colorado's amazing fall colors.

By mid-September, Mesa County and the western slope will be well on their way to full fall color. Scroll on to learn about a few incredible day trips along some of Colorado's best-known routes for viewing fall colors.

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When Do Fall Colors Change in Colorado?

Now is the time to enjoy the fall color change on Colorado's Grand Mesa.

Read More: Amazing Photos Showing Colorado's Brilliant Fall Colors

The color change moves from west to east, and from the north down to the southeastern corner of the state as we move through September and October. Fall Color Weekend on the Grand Mesa takes place September 26 and 27, 2026.  Southeastern Colorado sees the last of the fall colors by the end of October.

Head Out Before October 1st

Keep in mind that several of the byways and routes featuring fall colors are also roadways in higher elevations that could close by October 1st.

12 Amazing Day Trips for Fall Colors

Photos of Colorado fall colors near Mesa Lakes

Read More: Is This Colorado Mountain Pass Really the Best for Fall Colors?

The following routes are some of the best day trips for seeing the fall colors in Grand Junction and across Colorado:

• Grand Mesa Scenic Byway is in Mesa and Delta counties and goes on for 63 miles.
• Bear Lake Road in Larimer County is 9 miles long.
• Colorado's Alpine Loop Trail is a 4X4 road with incredible fall colors and Colorado ghost towns.
• Last Dollar Road is an unpaved scenic 22-mile road between Ridgway and Telluride.
• Highway of Legends: See the color change in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains from Walsenburg to Trinidad.
• The Guanella Pass is a 22-mile stretch from Georgetown to Grant with great fall colors.
• The Peak to Peak Highway is a 55-mile route that shows off fall colors in Larimer and Gilpin counties.
• The 30-mile Mestaa’Ėhehe Pass (formerly Squaw Pass) shows off fall colors in Evergreen, Echo Lake Park, and Idaho Springs.
• The 75-mile Top of the Rockies Byway offers fall colors for almost two and a half hours end to end.
• The 48-mile Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park is nearing the end of the season.
• Travel from Mount Sopris to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison on the West Elk Loop.

Scroll on for a closer look at each route in the photo gallery below, and be sure to let us know your favorite routes for fall colors with the chat button on our station app.