It’s Spooky Season!
September in the mountains means Fall has arrived! It makes me so happy to be living here at 9,200’ instead of “back home” in Virginia where we would regularly have temps in the 80’s and 90’s well into October. Here in the high country we’re already experiencing a dip in daytime temps into the 70’s and 60’s with nights in the 40’s—a.k.a. perfection! While some view Fall as just a shoulder season, I’m here to tell you it’s still a wonderful time to explore the mountains. Much lodging is at a reduced rate too which can make a little getaway even better.
Summit and Eagle counties are meccas for leaf peepers all over Colorado and beyond. Generally, our only deciduous trees are aspens and the occasional cottonwoods so we predominantly see our peaks and valleys overtaken in a cloak of golden hues. It’s such a different look to it than other areas of the country where you get reds and plums and oranges. There are a ton of ways you can enjoy the Fall here:
Take a hike. Trails at higher elevation (above 10,000 feet) will likely have patchy snow but much of our trail systems are still in great shape and blissfully less busy than Summer so you can enjoy the solitude even more.
Rent an ATV. Many local outfitters are still operating in September and October. Renting ATVs can be a fun way to get out into the back country during this beautiful time.
Book a photo session. Lisa’s main job is a professional photographer and would love to do a couple’s, family, or senior session with the gorgeous colors while you’re here for your stay. (The same goes for a winter wonderland session!)
Ride up the gondola. The Gondola at Vail is open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through October 2 from 9:30am to 4pm. You can ride up for epic views of the Gore Range. There are activities and food up top as well as hiking trails up top. You can gondola back down or hike down on the slopes or one of the trails down into the neighboring town of Minturn for more exploring.
Visit Oktoberfest. Vail offers Oktoberfest on Sat/Sun/Mon September 9-18. Breckenridge Oktober fest is September 23-25 and is only about a 30 minute drive away.
See a concert. The Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek and the Gerald R Ford Amphitheater often offer great musical acts and shows.
Take a scenic drive. You can take a day and do an amazing loop from Vail to Copper through Fremont Pass to Leadville, through Twin Lakes, over Independence Pass into Aspen, then back through Glenwood Springs (stop at Iron Mountain Hot Springs!) and then back to Vail. It’s an epic loop we love doing. Just remember to check with CoDOT to see if Independence Pass is open. As the season gets later, they do close it due to snow and ice. You can make the loop smaller by coming back from Leadville past Ski Cooper and down into Red Cliff and Minturn. There’s also beautiful loops to go through Wolcott up to Steamboat Springs and back down to Kremmling and Silverthorne before heading back to Vail. There’s also the extremely popular 4x4 dirt road trips on Kenosha Pass and Boreas Pass roads (you’ll want a vehicle with good ground clearance!) to drive through some beautiful back country. Weston Pass is also a wonderful back country drive to see some leaves though you’ll want a very high clearance vehicle and some experience navigating 4x4 roads for that one.
Paddle Board. Many Fall days are still mild enough to pop a SUP onto a lake. Hike out to Lost Lake or take the easy route and paddle on Nottingham Lake in Avon.
Take in a nice meal. Many restaurants aren’t as busy during this time of year so you can have an intimate dining experience if you’re not a fan of big crowds.
Visit a Colorado Ghost Town. There’s all kinds of ghost towns that serve as memory markers of the past all over Colorado and many are located in insanely scenic spots.
Take a ghost tour. There’s lots of spooky spots all over Colorado. Search for ghost tours and you’re bound to find some. We did one in Leadville that was a ton of fun!
Take a day trip to hotter climates. Places like Moab, UT or Colorado National Monument are only a few hours away by car. While their locales are often blazing hot in the Summer, Fall means they’re much more comfortable times to visit.
Mountain Bike. Just down the road in Avon and Eagle there are a ton of mountain biking trails. Since those towns are lower in elevation, they get the slightly warmer and slightly drier side of Fall weather for a little longer than Vail and Summit County. You can easily hop in the car and spend the day rolling through mountains and forests comfortably.
As with any time of year in Colorado, you want to pack your layers! Fall can be especially tricky as you can very easily get all seasons in one day. Always on the ready for me in Fall are cozy sweaters, a rain slicker, hat, fingerless gloves, and sturdy hiking shoes.
