Best scenery in Colorado

February 3, 2018
First time Rocky Mountain

From Denver, take I-70 western to exit 238 (Fall River Rd.). Follow Fall River Rd. north for nine kilometers to the St. Mary's Alice trailhead. But not restricted to 4WD cars, the street is very steep and winding. Total drive is 20 miles away and straight back.

Despite it's title, St. Mary's Alice glacier is more of a perennial snowfield since it doesn't move. You will see, but the changing fall colors of thick willows and Rocky Mountain bristlecone pines. This winding alpine drive is convenient and easy discover, closing utilizing the option of a brief, reasonably hard hike.

Fall drives in Colorado

If you opt to try the 1.5-mile hike into the "glacier" and pond, there was a charge to park. 1.5 miles may well not sound very long, however it is an uphill rise at elevations achieving 11, 000 feet. Your incentive for your time and effort: stellar alpine views as well as the unusual directly to say you have hiked a perennial snowfield.

2. Conifer to South Park over Kenosha Pass

Come from Conifer, 15 kilometers southwest of Denver. Travel along Route 285 traversing Kenosha Pass. End up in Fairplay, the biggest city inside South Park valley.

TV followers know the name Southern Park through the eponymous animated series, but only the many committed fans know that the program is on the basis of the article writers' experiences developing up in Conifer, not South Park. This drive connects these two areas via high-altitude Kenosha Pass, that is large and well maintained, with easily navigated turns. It's one of the better drives in Colorado to look at autumn's leaves โ€” vibrant reds and glowing yellows regarding the aspen woodlands are a striking contrast into ponderosa pines and Douglas firs around Conifer. The pass eventually spills out into the high grassland basin of South Park, where unobstructed views of the Mosquito Range peaks appear in the west.

3. Nederland to your Fourth-of-July Trailhead

To attain the Fourth-of-July Trailhead from Nederland, drive southeast on CO 119 for four kilometers. Just take a small remaining onto Old Stagecoach Trail path. County Road 130 may be from the right. You do not need a 4WD vehicle, but a lot of the trail is unpaved and incredibly rough. Anticipate extremely sluggish rates.

Situated 17 kilometers southwest of Boulder, Nederland is a historic mining city that now embodies an eclectic vibe โ€” for instance, it is the home of the Frozen Dead Guy times, a yearly springtime event celebrating one citizen's amateur attempts at preserving his dead grandfather. After your drive off to the Fourth-of-July Trailhead, stay in at a local brewery for a bite to consume but a craft brew. Simply take this chance to unwind after your drive โ€” it is on a fairly tough and slow-going dirt roadway. You'll be greatly rewarded, though, with a fall scene of densely wooded, fiery aspen trees. The trailhead, known as for its tendency to have snow on the ground until the Fourth-of-July, is a popular starting point for a lot of hikes in your community.

4. Rim Rock Drive Through Colorado National Monument

Colorado's Grand Valley feels as though cowboy country. While you drive along Rim Rock drive-in Colorado National Monument, you are going to want you're trotting along atop your horse, tipping right back your Stetson while you peer down within sunset-colored plateaus, canyons and arches. The drive is a well-maintained 23-mile paved road traversing the memorial. It's also important to escape the vehicle to savor the sharp fall environment and to break some photos of this red-and purple-streaked, water-sculpted cliff wall space, whimsically organized rock formations and sky-high mesas. 2011 marked the memorial's centennial anniversary, so that as one component of the event, a statue of John Otto ended up being unveiled in nearby Fruita. Because the monument's first park ranger, Otto ended up being so dedicated to the region that he had been described in development records while the "Hermit of Monument Canyon."

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