Front Range Fall Leaf Peeping Trails

Golden Gate Canyon State Park:

Daily Vehicle Pass: $12 or Annual Parks Pass with vehicle registration
Dogs permitted on leash
Bikes allowed on specified trails
Park hours 5 a.m. - 10 p.m.

With 35 miles of trails in over 12,000 acres of dense forest, rocky peaks and aspen-rimmed meadows, Golden Gate offers plenty of options for viewing fall leaves. The park is only 13 miles west of Golden, so it’s easy to access from the Front Range. Parking can be difficult during peak viewing times, so it’s best to either go before 7 a.m. or in the late afternoon. Park at the Ole Barn Knoll trailhead for an easy, non-technical trail, or scramble up to the top of the park from Coyote trailhead. Raccoon Trail has gorgeous stands of aspen. Bonus Colorado experience: Be on the lookout for moose!

Apex Park Trailhead, Golden:

Dogs permitted on leash on the trails
Bikes on even days/hikers on odd days on specified trails

Apex Park provides a popular, accessible foothills experience minutes from downtown Golden. A stream runs alongside a trail in part of the park, and a dense forest provides shady areas on the west end. This park is popular for mountain biking as it offers more technical trails and a steep challenge up Lookout Mountain. Magic Mountain and Enchanted Forest trails offer glimpses of aspens.

Staunton State Park, Pine:

Daily Vehicle Pass: $10 or Annual Parks Pass with vehicle registration
Dogs permitted on leash
Bikes allowed on specified trails
Park hours 5 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Staunton State Park offers 37 miles of trails over 3,800 acres of diverse landscapes, ranging from grassy meadows at 8,100 feet to granite cliffs over 10,000 feet. The difficult Mason Creek Trail has the best leaf viewing opportunities.

Hessie Trailhead in Indian Peaks Wilderness, Nederland:

Dogs permitted on the shuttle and on leash on the trails

Parking is limited at the trailhead and fills up fast. The Hessie Shuttle is a free service that runs between Nederland High School and the Hessie Trailhead. It operates Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays through Oct. 12.

Lost Lake via Hessie Trail: This 4.1-mile loop is a popular choice, especially during fall, due to its beautiful aspen and pine groves. It's considered an easy, family-friendly hike with a moderate elevation gain.
Diamond Lake Trail: A beautiful hike leading to an alpine lake with stunning mountain views.

Caribou Ranch Open Space, Nederland:

No pets allowed.

In the shadow of the Continental Divide, Caribou Ranch offers a variety of landscapes for you to explore including forests, meadows, wetlands and a historical mining complex. There’s even a small waterfall!

Take the easy 1.2-mile DeLonde trail from the trailhead to the easy 1.8-mile Bluebird Loop. The old homestead barn is still in place. Blue azurite, often found in silver ore, gave Caribou Ranch’s Blue Bird Mine its name. In the 1870s, miners flocked to work at the Blue Bird, as well as other mines in the area. In 1905, Blue Bird became a tourist destination on the newly completed Eldora Line of the Switzerland Trail of America.