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We love chasing fall colors in Colorado and have been to many of Colorado’s beautiful mountain towns. Fall is my absolute favorite season here, and I’ve come up with a list of some of our best stays we’ve had! I’ve listed my top 12 Colorado fall getaways below in order, though all are amazing in their own ways.
Our favorite Colorado Fall Getaways all in one place on Airbnb
If you enjoy our photos and curious how I capture all our family travels, I’ve created a full Photography Guide that covers this in depth!
10. Green Mountain Falls
This little town is just outside Colorado Springs and has such a cute vibe! We stayed here a few years ago and were able to combine a trip to see some of the Colorado Springs highlights while staying away from the business of a large city. There’s tons of golden aspens, great hiking trails and cute coffee shops.
Fall Hike to Try: Take the 2-mile Thomas Trail or climb up to Catamount Falls to weave through golden aspen groves and cascading streams.
Where to stay
We absolutely loved our stay at The Outlook Lodge, a beautiful boutique hotel right in the forest. Check out our full post for things to do in Green Mountain Falls.
9. Summit County
Summit County is just over an hour’s drive from Denver through Eisenhower Tunnel, and is one of the easiest high-country escapes to reach from the Front Range. For prime foliage, take a scenic drive over to nearby Boreas Pass or head north toward Green Mountain Reservoir. Summit county includes mountain towns like Keystone, Silverthorne, Breckenridge and Dillon, all of which are within 10-15min drive of each other and have their own charm.
Fall Hike/Drive to Try: Hike the popular Lily Pad Lake Trail for a mix of pine forests, golden aspen groves, and peaceful alpine ponds, or take a short scenic drive up Ptarmigan Trail for panoramic valley views.
Where to Stay
In Silverthorne, check out this apartment that’s perfect for a family of 4
In Keystone we like staying at this Ski-in-Ski-Out apartment as it’s right by the slopes!
In Breckenridge, try this apartment at BlueSky Breckenridge is great
Things to Do
Visit the Breckenridge troll and try the giant marble run, try out the alpine coaster at Copper Mountain, checkout the awesome bike park and playground in Breckenridge.
8. Estes Park
Early September is such a magical time at Estes Park! Between the leaves changing, Rocky Mountain National Park and the annual Elk rut, there’s so much to see.
Where to stay
Boulder Brook on Fall River is an incredible stay right on the creek in Estes Park, surrounded by forest and wildlife! A perfect Colorado fall getaway for a weekend in September.
Things to do
September is prime time for watching the Elk rut! Visitors come here from all over with their lawn chairs, binoculars or massive telephoto lenses to see this spectacle. It’s truly quite the show. We’ve taken our kids a few times and there are always hundreds of elk putting on a show.
Make sure to check out all the beautiful hiking trails at Rocky Mountain National Park; like Dream Lake, Bierstadt Lake, Cub Lake, Bear Lake Loop, or Sprague Lake. We’ve seen moose consistently at Sprague Lake!
If you’re hoping for something a little different, there’s a beautiful aerial tram, a Jeep safari tour, or the Mustang Mountain Coaster.
7. Marble
6. Snowmass
Snowmass has countless excellent hiking trails and is a bit less crowded and more affordable than Aspen.
Where to stay
We loved staying at Limelight Hotel Snowmass which had plenty of space, a great hot tub, a climbing wall for the kids and was in a perfect location right downtown.
Things to do
Snowmass has lots of really fun activities at the top of the Snowmass Gondola. There’s an adventure course, a rollercoaster, rock climbing wall and of course lots of hiking. Our kids had an absolute blast here!
Drive Independence Pass and stop at the many lookouts along the way. Independence Pass is usually open until the end of September/October and is one of my favorite drives for fall colors! It’s also a great place for the last big of camping of the season!
Check out Capitol Peak for beautiful hikes or just a quick sunrise view. This is a short drive away from Aspen and is absolutely worth the effort. You’ll need a high clearance vehicle to get to some of the trails so plan accordingly!
For an easier stop, check out Ashcroft. This is a small historic village where you can walk inside some of the wooden buildings surrounded by yellow aspens.
5. Steamboat Springs
Steamboat Springs tends to be a little less busy during leaf peeping season and the leaves here turn much earlier than the rest of the state as it’s quite up North. With its laid-back Western vibe and stunning valley views, Steamboat Springs is an ideal multi-day fall escape. Between scenic waterfall hikes and natural thermal springs, it offers the ultimate balance of mountain adventure and pure relaxation.
Where to stay
This stay on Airbnb is a Guest Favorite and has excellent views of the valley along with a large pool and modern interior.
The Steamboat Grand is a great option right in the heart of town.
Fall Hike to Try: Fish Creek Falls Trail. Take the easy 1/4-mile paved path to view the roaring 280-foot waterfall framed by golden foliage, or push on along the 5-mile round-trip trail to Upper Fish Creek Falls for deeper leaf-peeping.
4. Ridgeway
Ridgeway is the gateway to some of the best mountain adventures and has spectacular views all around.
Where to stay
We stayed at this beautiful home right in Ridgeway and had incredible views from the deck.
This is another luxury spacious home with unbeatable views of the mountains!
Things to do
Check out the hikes at Mt Sneffels Wilderness! Mt Sneffels Viewpoint is a great place to check out some of the fall colors and is fairly accessible if you’re not up for a hike. Photographers love this spot so it fills up pretty quick!
Owl Creek Pass is another great place to check out the fall colors or do a scenic drive.
Note: there was a recent fire here (summer 2026) so follow local restrictions when trying to access this area.
3. Telluride
It was hard to pick how to order my top three destinations, but I just want you to know that these are all very close top choices. Telluride feels like you’re living in a postcard, at every season, in every direction.
Where to stay
Mountain Lodge Telluride is a great option. This is just a short walk from the Mountain Village Gondola which takes you straight to downtown Telluride. I prefer staying here as you have beautiful mountain views and easy, free, pedestrian access to Telluride without having to worry about parking!
Staying right in Telluride is also an option, though a bit more on the pricier side. We really liked this 2 bedroom apartment that’s walking distance to everything!
Things to do
Telluride is tucked deep inside a dramatic box canyon in the San Juan Mountains and feels like a scene straight out of a movie set. When mid-September hits, the canyon walls are covered in a blanket of fiery orange and yellow. You can hop on the free, dog-friendly gondola for a scenic ride over the canopy to Mountain Village, or check out Bridal Veil Falls for a quick but rewarding hike right from town.
Make sure to take a scenic ride on Last Dollar Road, check out the nearby town of Ophir, and make it to Lizard Head Peak Vista Overlook.
2. Ouray
This one beat out Telluride for me by a slight margin just because it’s a little bit smaller, a little bit cozier and just a touch more magical than Telluride. If that’s even possible. I mean look at this view! Ouray is nicknamed the “Switzerland of America” and is an absolute must for fall peeping in Colorado.
Where to stay
We loved this apartment that’s right in the middle of town. It’s a walk away from the hot springs and and close to grocery stores and restaurants.
Fall Hike to Try: Take the Ouray Perimeter Trail (a 5.6-mile loop winding past waterfalls and gorges right above town) or trek up to Cascade Falls.
Things to do
Driving the million dollar highway should be on everyone’s bucketlist at least once. You’ll see aspen covered mountains with snow-capped peaks, at least 5 moose, so many lakes, abandoned structures and just the best fall vibes. Trade your hiking boots for a swimsuit and wind down with a relaxing soak at the natural Ouray Hot Springs right in town.
1. Crested Butte
Crested Butte has exploded in popularity in the past few years and for good reason. It has so much to explore and do in every season! Crested Butte is a vibrant, colorful mountain town that explodes into gold every autumn. The entire Gunnison Valley turns into a leaf-peeper’s paradise.
Where to stay
We love staying anywhere in Mt Crested Butte, as it’s super close to trails, has incredible views and just a short 5min drive into town. This apartment in particular is really great for families!
Check out Gothic Valley for sweeping valley views, Kebler Pass for beautiful fall drives and lookouts, Horse Ranch Park for some of the best hiking during peak season, Beaver Pond Trails for thick aspen groves, Ohio Pass for beautiful mountain ridges and Peanut Lake for smaller local hikes.
