Solo Female Hiker Looking for Fall in CO
 

I have an opportunity to take a long weekend around October 25th and was looking for a CO destination that would offer some fall foliage, hopefully not be snowy yet, and no more than 3 hours from a major airport. I'm looking to spend the weekend hiking, so would need to have some good trail options and not be too remote as I'll be travelling solo. Looking for recommendations!

Fall colors are peaking now in Colorado high country, so you will miss the aspen changing this year.
Do you want to rent a car? If not, you could take Amtrak from downtown Denver to Fraser, CO, and visit Grand County.
I highly recommend Devil's Thumb Ranch for lodging, dining, hiking, horseback riding, fishing, PAMPERING and RELAXING, etc.
The Ranch will pick you up at the train station in Fraser.
Or, if you drive, it's less than two hours from the airport to Devil's Thumb Ranch. They should have off-season rates for lodging in October.
You never know about snow. . ..
https://www.devilsthumbranch.com/

But your timing for hiking is a bit off. This was the peak weekend for the Aspens in the mountains. The snow guns have been turned on at the ski resorts as they gear up for the start of ski season. Some of the ski areas will be open by the last week of Oct. And Thursday forecast for Denver is 2 to 4 inches of wet snow with more in the foothills. It just depends on the snow line and how much we get with this first blast. While the snow may not build up on the hiking trails, it can make the trails muddy and more difficult. The last week of Oct will be very iffy with regard to snow or no snow in the mountain areas. However, some of the front range area from the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs to Estes Park might be good options IF we don't have a lot of early snow. Good luck.

Maybe the southwest part of the state would be a better option for you. The Denver metro area is due for snow this Thursday, and color will be gone soon.

Thanks for all the feedback ... sounds like CO might not be the best option. Anyone have other options out west (or southwest ... although I much prefer mountains & lakes to desert) for a hiking getaway?

Vermont

Smokies

Shenandoahs

https://rootsrated.com/stories/5-ama...-foliage-views

Great Smoky Mountains Trails | Hiking trail guide for the Smokies

https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvis...ing-safety.htm

Easy to get to lots of places in Vermont from Hartford, Albany or Burlingon airports.

It would be a bit late for peak fall foliage in Vermont, but that could be a good thing as fewer people. I don't think this is the greatest year for good Fall color, though, due to the prior weather and low rainfall.
Fall Foliage | Virginia Department of Forestry

But Shenandoahs might be a good choice. You could fly into IAD or Richmond, or I suppose

This is a good interactive foliage map
https://smokymountains.com/fall-foliage-map/

Last week of Oct looks like those mountains in Va will be peak.

Maybe Nevada from that map? Fly into LV or Reno, there are lots of mountains there that aren't desert, looks like the Sierras. I guess you could go to Lake Tahoe area even.

It is miserable today. Yesterday was 83 and now in the teens. Almost blizzard conditions outside with lots of wind but fortunately, at the moment, min amount of snow. Although the forecast for the weekend is back into the 70s. Ski areas are loving it. Time to organize the ski gear. Maybe three weeks to first run.

Fly into Albuquerque and go to Tent Rocks, Bandelier NP, Valles Caldera, Sandia Peak, etc.

Well, what did you decide? Hopefully not this weekend in Denver. Have a foot of snow on the ground and daytime temp of 12. This may go down as our coldest and snowiest October on record. This is our third major snow of the season. What happen to fall???