The golden glow of Colorado's aspens beckons you. The air is brisk and everything feels alive. The heat of the summer is behind us and the allure of the Champagne powder ahead of us. Fall is a beautiful time to be in Colorado when Rockies are swathed in layers of yellow, orange and red.
We love taking leisurely drives where we can pull over and enjoy the colors. Here are some of our favorite scenic drives for leaf peeping in and around Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
You can start this drive just a few miles outside of downtown Steamboat Springs. Heading toward Summit Lake, this drive is prime for beautiful fall color viewing. You will find Aspen groves bursting with color just a few miles up the dirt road.
To make it all the way to the summit, high-clearance vehicles are recommended.
The pass explodes with color in the fall and it’s one of the more iconic spots for leaf peeping near Steamboat Springs. The pass was named by the earliest trappers because of a rock formation that looks like rabbit ears. It’s always been a historic marker for Steamboat's Yampa Valley. If you want to stretch your legs you can hike up to them to take a closer look.
Head out of Steamboat Springs on Elk River Road / Highway 129 and toward Clark. Shortly past the Clark Store, take a right and drive up Seedhouse Road for a beautiful display of foliage. Or keep heading straight up the road toward Steamboat Lake and Hahn's Peak for more colors for your eyes to feast on.
More Aspens! South of Steamboat Springs, you'll take this stunning, winding road through the ranch towns of Oak Creek, Phippsburg, and Yampa on your way toward the Flat Tops Wilderness area.
Then park your car at one of our luxury vacation rental homes and continue to enjoy the scenery and the fall colors from the deck!
