Rocky Mountain Region

The Rocky Mountain Region manages 17 national forests (NF) and 7 national grasslands (NG) throughout Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and most of South Dakota and Wyoming.

Throughout the Rocky Mountain Region, fall colors are changing FAST! What started out as hardly any fall color at all is going to finish with the peak viewing window lasting only another week or so. With favorable weather conditions at higher elevations, colors that didn’t peak last weekend will peak this weekend, October 11th and 12th.  With luck from Mother Nature, there should be good declining color into the third week of October.  Our regional forests estimate the percentage of changed color ranges from 90 to 100%.

Aspen forests in some areas of Colorado are experiencing widespread, severe, rapid dieback and mortality. This phenomenon, termed “sudden aspen decline,” or SAD, affected 139,000 acres of Colorado aspen in 2006. In 2007 substantial new areas of mortality were seen and the affected area statewide more than doubled, reaching over 358,000 acres and affecting about 13% of the aspen acreage. more >>

This page will be updated weekly with reports from each of the national forests and grasslands in the Rocky Mountain Region. Get more information about each forest or grassland by clicking on the forest or grassland name below to be taken to their report page. You can visit the National Fall Color Report Web site to see fall color reports from other Forest Service regions around the country. To listen to audio reports of fall color conditions from other Forest Service regions, check out the National Fall Color Hotline Report.

Remember to bring a camera and early morning starts are important for good light. Be prepared for variable driving conditions and remember to be careful when entering and exiting pullout and parking areas along the roads. Carry some water with you, include a blanket and bring extra clothing, such as a jacket or rain-snow gear, as temperatures can vary between 30 - 60 degrees depending on time of day and elevation.

HUNTING SEASON HAS BEGUN IN MOST AREAS!
CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL RANGER DISTRICT OFFICE
FOR MORE INFORMATION!
BE AWARE AND BE VISIBLE WHILE VISITING
THE BACKCOUNTY!

Select a forest or grassland below to view its report:

COLORADO

Arapaho & Roosevelt NFs and Pawnee NG: Located in north-central Colorado.

Arapaho National Forest

• Sulphur Ranger District - the following areas are at peak color
  • CO Hwy 34 along the Arapaho National Recreation Area
  • Cottonwood Pass (CR 55)
  • Green Ridge Road (CR 66)
  • Arapaho Bay Road along Lake Granby
  • U.S. Hwy 40 from Empire to Hot Sulphur Springs

Pawnee National Grassland

• No reports available - call 970-346-5000 for information

Roosevelt National Forest

• Canyon Lakes Ranger District
  • CO Hwy 14 west of Fort Collins (Poudre Canyon) to Cameron Pass
  • Laramie River Road (County Road 103) from Highway 14 to Wyoming border
  • Pingree Park Road (County Road 63E) from Highway 14 and returning to Fort Collins via Buckhorn Canyon Road (County Road 44H)
  • Red Feather Lakes area – Mt. Margaret Trail
  • Colors are spectacular up Stove Prairie and Buckhorn Canyon
  • Good color at Drake, Estes Park and Glen Haven

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre & Gunnison NFs (GMUG): Located in the central and southern Rockies along the Western Slope of Colorado.

Grand Mesa National Forest

• No reports available - call 970-874-6600 for information

Uncompahgre National Forest

• No reports available - call 970-874-6600 for information

Gunnison National Forest

• Paonia Ranger District
  • Stevens Gulch Forest Service Road:  Beautiful groves of bright, yellow aspen.  Underbrush are glowing soft reds, oranges and yellows
  • CO Hwy 92 / Black Mesa area (Between the towns of Crawford and Gunnison): Mountain shrubs and underbrush is crisp and colorful
  • McClure Pass (County Road 12):  Aspens are a beautiful, crisp yellow, colorful patches of red and orange abound in underbrush

Pike & San Isabel NFs and Comanche NG: Located in central to southern Colorado.

Pike National Forest

• Pikes Peak Ranger District
  • Gold Camp Road (County Road 8) and Rampart Range Road (FSR 300)
  • CO Hwy 67 north from Woodland Park to Deckers and then County Road 126 north to U.S. Hwy 285
• South Park Ranger District
  • U.S. Hwy 24 from Wilkerson Pass east to the Lake George area
  • Weston Pass area - take County Road 22 west from U.S. Hwy 285
  • Boreas Pass Road (FSR 10) from Como to Breckenridge
• South Platte Ranger District
  • U.S. Hwy 285 from Kenosha Pass south to Denver
  • Guanella Pass Road (County Road 62) north from Grant to the summit of Guanella Pass

San Isabel National Forest

• Leadville Ranger District
  • CO Hwy 82 from Twin Lakes up to the summit of Independence Pass
  • U.S. Hwy 24 north from Leadville to Tennessee Pass and on toward Minturn
• Salida Ranger District
  • U.S. Hwy 50 from Salida to Monarch Pass has fantastic color
  • Marshall Pass area on County Road/FSR 200, west of U.S. Hwy 285
  • County Road 306 west from Buena Vista to the summit of Cottonwood Pass
  • County Road 162 west from Nathrop to Chalk Creek and the St. Elmo area
• San Carlos Ranger District
  • CO Hwy 165 South of McKenzie Junction has spectacular color
  • The Westcliffe area has oak brush and aspen at 60 - 75% and should be just past peak

Comanche National Grassland

• No reports available - call 719-523-6591 for information

Rio Grande NF: Located in southwestern Colorado.

• No reports available - call 719-852-5941 for information

Routt NF: Located in north-central Colorado.

• No reports available - call 307-745-2300 for information

San Juan NF: Located in the southwestern corner of Colorado.

Pagosa Ranger District:

• A good loop drive from Pagosa Springs is to take Piedra Road (FSR 631) to McManus Road (FSR 633) to Plumtaw Road (FSR 634) back to Pagosa Springs
• A drive up Piedra Road to Williams Creek Reservoir is especially scenic this time of year
• Take Buckles Lake Road (FSR 663) to the end of the road. Hike to Buckles and Harris Lakes through large groves of aspen

Dolores Public Lands Office

• Last Dollar Road – Entire trip (Approximately 20 miles)
  • Start at the Telluride side so your trip culminates at the actual Last Dollar Ranch
• The Dolores River Valley on CO Highway 145 is very nice right now and could very well be at peak this weekend, and probably very good through next week

Columbine Ranger District

• Although Silverton is approximately 100%, this weekend should still be very good. Colors are slightly lagging in change below Silverton towards Durango so this weekend should offer some nice transitional color changes, with Silverton as the grand finale
• Heading west on CO Hwy 160 from Durango, Hesperus has stunning pockets of color in the aspen stands

White River NF: Located in central Colorado.

Aspen Ranger District

• The Maroon Bells area was at peak last weekend but should have good color until mid-next week

KANSAS

Cimarron NG: Located in southwestern Kansas.

• No reports available - call 620-697-4621 for information

NEBRASKA

Nebraska NF, Samuel R. McKelvie NF and Oglala NG: Located in central and western Nebraska.

Nebraska National Forest

• No reports available - call 308-432-0300 for information

Oglala National Grassland

• No reports available - call 308-432-4475 for information

Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest

• No reports available - call 308-533-2257 for information

SOUTH DAKOTA

Black Hills NF: Located in southwestern South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming.

• No reports available - Call 605-673-9200 for information

Buffalo Gap NG: Located in central and western South Dakota.

• No reports available - Call 605-279-2125 for information

Fort Pierre NG: Located in central South Dakota.

• No reports available - Call 605-224-5517 for information

WYOMING

Bighorn NF: Located in north-central Wyoming along the Montana border.

• 100+% color change in the northern half and southern half of forest, leaves are falling all over the mountain
• Meadows and riparian areas in the north half of the forest are all golden and the aspen are beautiful yellow, other shrubs are in reds and oranges
• WY Hwys 14 and 14A probably peaked last weekend but the color is still fantastic 
• WY Hwy 16 on the south end of the Bighorn is all in fall gold.  Lower elevations above Buffalo have some nice reds and yellows.  Beyond that, most of the aspen is in varying stages of yellowing, or is almost done
• Nearly any Forest Service Road (FSR) will provide views of great fall color that is starting to decline

Medicine Bow NF: Located in south-central Wyoming.

• No reports available - Call 307-745-2300 for information

Shoshone NF: Located in western Wyoming.

Washakie Ranger District - Lander area

• Limestone Road – Best color drive on District
• South Pass (great color all along WY Hwy 28)
• Loop Road (great areas of color especially around Louis Lake)
• Sinks Canyon (color 85%, colorful around Bruce’s Parking area)

Wind River Ranger District - Dubois area

• Brent Creek Road (Lower Horse Creek) – Best color drive on District
• Wind River from Crowheart to Togwotee Pass (85% color in lower elevations to 100% color in upper elevations)
• Union Pass (good color, aspen lower, aspen meadows upper)
• Warm Springs Loop (good color all along)
• Double Cabins/Wiggins Fork (good color all along)

Thunder Basin NG: Located in central Wyoming.

• No reports available - Call 307-358-4690 for information

Previous 2008 Reports

• October 03, 2008
• September 26, 2008
• September 19, 2008

U.S. Forest Service
Rocky Mountain Region
740 Simms St
Golden, CO 80401
303-275-5350

Telephone for the
Hearing Impaired
303-275-5367