Leaf peepers rejoice! Fall has arrived in Colorado’s High Country.
CDOT recommends starting your tour on one 26 scenic and historic byways, found in every corner of the state. Not only do you get beautiful fall colors – you get a taste of Colorado history. Some of these routes are more than a century old.
Summit County does not have any official scenic highways, but several routes are a short drive away. (If you want to keep it close drive Boreas Pass from Breckenridge to Como. It’s a classic, and it can be busy, but it does not disappoint.)
Guanella Pass, Georgetown | 22 miles (round trip)
One of the oldest and shortest scenic byways, Guanella Pass is a well-maintained asphalt-and-dirt road flanked by two 14ers, Mount Bierstadt and Mount Blue Sky (formerly Evans). You start below treeline in historic Georgetown and quickly gain elevation through aspens, spruce, fir and pines. It tops out above treeline, where high alpine grasses can be just as stunning as aspen leaves. You won’t even know I-70 is just a mile or two behind you.
Bonus points: Make it a day with the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway. Reservations are required and the summit route is CLOSED until 2026, from Echo Lake to the top at 14,130 feet. The lower route to Bergan Park via Mestaa’Ehehe Pass is open.
Peak to Peak, Idaho Springs to Nederland | 55 miles
This curvy route is all pavement, all the way as it meanders on the eastern flank of the Continental Divide. You can do it in two hours, but that means you miss all the leaves and roadside attractions, like the slots in Blackhawk and Central City, the ghost towns of Hesse and Apex, and detours into Golden Gate Canyon State Park or Eldora Mountain just above Nederland. Established in 1918, this is the oldest of Colorado’s scenic byways.
Collegiate Peaks, Twin Lakes to Salida | 57 miles (one way)
This one is hiding in plain sight on U.S. 24 just south of Leadville. From the highway alone you can (almost) spot all nine 14ers in the Collegiate Peaks, plus another three on your way in from Leadville. Peaks to your west, the Arkansas River headwaters to your left, and dozens of stops along the way at Twin Lakes, Buena Vista and Salida.
Bonus points: Don’t sleep on the joys of Highway 91 from Copper to Leadville. There are numerous pullouts and hikes, including the always popular Mayflower Gulch route to the old Boston Mine site.