Everyone runs to New England in the fall - is Colorado a good area for fall colors? And, if so, what city (or cities) are the best. Hubby and I are NOT interested in celebrity sightings or over-priced hotels. Any suggestions? Thanks!

No,not really. In my opinion, Colorado doesn't really even have a fall. There is a short period of time when the Aspen change colors (not quite sure when that is). But CO is not a "green" state.

Sam is right. Fall is quick here. Hard to plan a trip to hit the "colors" which is really just the Aspens turning. It is beautiful, but probably not what your looking for. Oct would be late in any case. We start to get our snows then. Hopefully anyway.

Thanks, Sam and kima; appreciate the help. So, we can forget the "fall color" search. What would CO. be like in September? Hubby & I like to plan vacations when all the kids are back in school.

Well Pat what are you interested in doing? Hard to predict what September will be like. Could be awesome! Could be cold though. We love the Mtns in the fall. NO crowds, typically beautiful weather for hiking and biking. Many of the resort areas offer deep discounts as it is the OFF season. Many of the resturants will offer 2-1 dinners.

We used to always plan a quick trip to the Cascade Resort in Vail at that time. Its great, they usally have a special that includes some of the spa treatments. They have a nice spa, outdoor pool and tennis courts. Right on the bike path. The rooms by the river are very nice. Not sure how far in advance they promote the specials though. You might keep an eye on the web page http://www.vailcascade.com

or look at Vail resort page http://www.snow.com

Another good site is www.summitnet.com for activites in Summit County.

Hope you make it out. Colorado is a special place.

kima: thank you VERY much for your help - we LOVE nature - want to hike, bike, anything to be outside. I draw the line at camping, however - did it in my 20's & 30's - want a hotel bed, now.

Your welcome Pat!

For anything outdoors Colorado is the place. We split our time between Denver and Summit County. We get to Vail at least 2-3 times a month as well so if you have any specifc ?s be glad to help.

I have to say if it was me planning this trip I would plan on Vail. I know it has a rep for being rather highbrow but it is not. Certainly not during the off season. Most folks are going to be from Colorado enjoying the low prices at places we might not otherwise get to go to.

Good hiking, biking both road and Mtn, good food. The reason I recomend the Cascade if that if you have a poor weather day the gym is very nice. We do not often get bad weather, typically only for a day then the sun is back. FYI Colorado gest more sunny days per year than San Diego something like 330 days a year!

I looked at the Cascade web site, We have never spent more than 199.00 per couple per night. Including room and 2 massages. I think the rooms without the spa treatments included are usally about 99.00 a night at that time. You may do better with a phone call.

Another thing, unless you like to have things planned out you could wait till later in the season for better rates. trust me you will have no problem finding a room.

Again hope you make it out.

kima: Have you ever been to Estes Park? Someone in my office suggested it to me, just now, saying that I would love the National Park there. Any input? Thanks again.

I am not the one to ask. Not a big fan of the town. Rocky Mountain National Park is beautiful and would go for for a day or two. There are lots of post on this forum about it.

September is usually great in Rocky Mountain N.P. The aspens are turning and the elk are in rut. People come from all over to listen to the bulls bugle and watch them mate!! Honest!

Estes Park is a very nice small town.

September in Colorado is one of the best times of year. The weather is still good (though it can be cool), and if you're hiking, there's less concern about afternoon thunderstorms.

Estes Park - Rocky Mountain National Park is, of course, beautiful, but the town of Estes Park is one big T-shirt store. Not much variety of restaurants, mostly the hamburgers & steak type. There are many cabin kinds of lodging that can be very cozy, though.

I wouldn't call the Aspen changing colors much of a show - in fact, to me, it looks like of like a fungus on the mountainsides. There are a lot of overgreens in the Rockies, so most of the trees don't change color at all.

Vail is a very good choice, though Breckenridge is a good idea as well. Vail & Breckenridge in September are both more quiet, but with quite a bit still going on.

Both Vail & Breckenridge have an Octoberfest celebration, usually sometime in late September. The Vail one has more of a corporate feel, whereas the Breck fest is more of a small-town locals event (they close down Main St. for it).

Thanks, everyone for the ideas. Sounds like we may stay around Vail & do a one or two day trip to the National Park in Estes Park. Can't wait - have never been to Colorado. (I'm from the flat lands of Illinois.)

Pat - as a fellow (former) Illinois flatlander...I can assure you, you will LOVE Colorado! We did a September (after school opened) trip to RMNP years ago with our kids and it was one of our best vacations ever. (We did camp (in a camper), and having a campground almost entirely to ourselves was wonderful... and at dusk, walking down to a nearby lakeshore....I was gifted with a vista that proved that "purple mountains' majesty" is not just a lyric..) Denver is nice for a little "city" fix; Colorado Springs area has lots to offer; Durango - across the divide and further south - interesting as well.

No one mentioned that fall comes in stages in Colorado. One day, it might be "fall colors" at a higher altitude, or a cooler gully. A few days later, the "colors" are in a different altitude. It would be rare to see a whole mountain change color at once. And again, unlike the the East where a hillside might be covered in hard wood trees, in Colorado, you have a patch of aspen, then a patch of evergreen, then a patch of dirt and rock. Still, if you happen to hit the one great sunny day while hiking on a pretty trail, you'll know how aspen gold got its name.
I'd choose the the 4th week of Sept. or the first week of Oct. for the best chance at gold. Personally, I'd like to spend a few days at the Glenwood Hot Springs, and travel up to Marble, or Aspen (named for the trees, not the celebrities) If the weather is nice, take a day horse back ride.

This is the first I've heard of Colorado not having Fall colors. The display varies from year to year based on rain, etc, and they may not last long, but the colors around Durango, Silverton, and Dolores are usually magnificent. The aspen turn yellow and gold, of course, but I've also seen patches that were so red-orange that it looked like the hillsides were on fire.

My parents like the display here more than in the Smokies and New England. (Okay, I think they're a little odd in that regard.) A drive along the Million Dollar Highway or a ride on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway the last week or so in September should be very pretty.

September is my favorite month in Durango because the skies are so clear, it's still warm in the daytime, and the colors are so striking.