Posted by Joyce Harman on September 20, 2011 at 12:20 AM
Hi all
i will be heading out to CO for a workday on Oct 6 in CO springs, but then have Fri, Sat and Sun am to shoot. have not been there for fall colors before, not sure if i should stay near CO Springs or head north. I will have a rental car, no 4 wheel, happy to hike in to someplace good, either camp in a tent or stay someplace nearby.
many thanks for any ideas, you all have been great in the past with suggestions. Have not been out your way for a long time.
Joyce
Posted by Bill Pelzmann on September 20, 2011 at 4:34 AM
I'd head west to the Crested Butte / Kebler pass area.
Posted by Don Grall on September 20, 2011 at 5:49 PM
Fall colors in Col Spgs happens later in October, so head up towards Crested Butte as Bill suggested as that area will be at or just a bit past peak colors by that weekend. CB is about a 4 hour drive from CS. Once there head west to Kebler Pass. Kebler Pass is paved part way but is mostly gravel, so that may be a problem in a rental car, since rental agencies usually have a "no gravel roads" restriction in their contract. There are plenty of paved roads around Gunnison though .
Posted by Todd Caudle on September 21, 2011 at 7:20 PM
CB is about a 4 hour drive from CS.
Apparently I've been doing it wrong. If you want a scenic alternative, from the Springs go to Buena Vista (90 miles), hang a west at the stop light in the center of town and you'll be on the Cottonwood Pass road (paved to the pass, excellent gravel beyond), take that to its other end some 35 miles from BV, hang a left and head down beyond Taylor Reservoir and through Taylor Canyon (all paved) for 20 miles to Hwy-133, where you'll make a right and be in CB in 20 miles. (There's a nifty little shortcut off the Taylor Canyon road called the Jack's Cabin cut-off that slices off part of this section and saves around 12 miles, but I don't want to complicate things too much.) You should be able to do this route in 3.5 hours or less. If you're me, you do it in 3.
Posted by Mel Ladewig on September 21, 2011 at 7:59 PM
Early October is fine for Colorado Springs along stagecoach road. You can certainly drive the 3-4 hours over to Crested Butte, but you don't have to in order to see good fall color. It may be a bit early for color in the canyons, but a drive through North Cheyenne Canyon would be worth the time. More variety of color in here with oak, maples, chokecherries, cottonwoods and others, but I'd save it for the later dates in your stay.
Posted by Bob Falcone on September 22, 2011 at 10:25 PM
Mel, do you mean Old Stage Road? (Stagecoach Road is out in Black Forest). In any case, things are starting to turn at the west end of Gold Camp Road near Victor/Cripple Creek, and along Hwy 67 between Divide and Cripple Creek. You can be there in less than an hour by way of US 24 to CO 67. There are some nice views of the west side of Pikes Peak with nice foliage as a foreground on the road that cuts off of CO 67 toward Victor just north of Cripple Creek. That road will also take you to Gold Camp Road.
Gold Camp Rd becomes Old Stage Road about 10 miles outside of Colorado Springs, and can be a bit bumpy in a car (but you are using a rental! ). The west end of Gold Camp Road in Teller County tends to be in better shape than coming up from Colorado Springs.
Posted by Joyce Harman on September 23, 2011 at 7:51 PM
Thanks all for your suggestions :) javascript:%20x()
I will check it all out. not too worried about the rental car, and i may have a friend stopping by with a bigger vehicle that we may be able to get into more difficult territory. You all are great, the SE forum is pretty boring compared to yours :0
Discussion
6 repliesi will be heading out to CO for a workday on Oct 6 in CO springs, but then have Fri, Sat and Sun am to shoot. have not been there for fall colors before, not sure if i should stay near CO Springs or head north. I will have a rental car, no 4 wheel, happy to hike in to someplace good, either camp in a tent or stay someplace nearby.
many thanks for any ideas, you all have been great in the past with suggestions. Have not been out your way for a long time.
Joyce
Apparently I've been doing it wrong. If you want a scenic alternative, from the Springs go to Buena Vista (90 miles), hang a west at the stop light in the center of town and you'll be on the Cottonwood Pass road (paved to the pass, excellent gravel beyond), take that to its other end some 35 miles from BV, hang a left and head down beyond Taylor Reservoir and through Taylor Canyon (all paved) for 20 miles to Hwy-133, where you'll make a right and be in CB in 20 miles. (There's a nifty little shortcut off the Taylor Canyon road called the Jack's Cabin cut-off that slices off part of this section and saves around 12 miles, but I don't want to complicate things too much.) You should be able to do this route in 3.5 hours or less. If you're me, you do it in 3.
Gold Camp Rd becomes Old Stage Road about 10 miles outside of Colorado Springs, and can be a bit bumpy in a car (but you are using a rental!
I will check it all out. not too worried about the rental car, and i may have a friend stopping by with a bigger vehicle that we may be able to get into more difficult territory. You all are great, the SE forum is pretty boring compared to yours :0
thanks again
Joyce