Fall is in the air with the astronomical first day in just one week! The air is cooler, rainy days are common, and the trees are just starting to change their color. As nature’s science fades the green leaves into rich oranges, reds, and yellows, it's a beautiful time to explore the area.
Places to See Fall Colors in Durango
While you can enjoy many of the local intown foliage from your window or on your daily commute, below are a few of our favorite places to visit for an immersive fall foliage experience.
Durango is lucky to have so many miles of trails readily accessible and offer sweeping views of the city and surrounding mountains. For fall colors, our favorites are the Rim Trail and Animas Mountain.
The Rim Trail goes along the Fort Lewis College Mesa and overlooks downtown giving a bird’s eye view of the quaint, tree-lined streets, Animas River, and iconic buildings. This trail can be accessed from multiple points including car pullouts requiring little to no hiking.
Animas Mountain is a six mile lollipop loop beginning in town and reaching just over 8,000 feet at the summit for expansive views of the Animas Valley to the north. The fall leaves with Missionary Ridge’s red cliffs in the background create the perfect autumnscape.
A historic district in Durango just two blocks off of main, East 3rd Avenue is lined with mature elm, maple, and other deciduous trees mixed in with evergreens for a full array of fall colors. The grassy median, historic homes, wood picket and wrought iron fences all culminate a cozy, small town feeling.
The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad offers an unparalleled view of the colors between Durango and Silverton as the train winds through the canyon. Daily excursions all include the views, weather permitting, with the bright fall colors blending and contrasting with the train car’s colors perfectly.
Places to See Fall Colors in Southwest Colorado
Beyond Durango, the trees and landscapes continue to flourish with jaw-dropping scenery ranging from lush valleys to high peaks.
One of the best ways to experience it all is taking a drive on the San Juan Scenic Byway, commonly known as The Loop. Taking you over 200 miles, you’ll summit four major passes, explore six small mountain towns, and have countless opportunities to stop and take pictures. The elevation changes over 4,000 feet on this journey meaning that the trees (and weather!) may be in different color changing stages along the way, just make sure to plan accordingly.
Mesa Verde National Park, situated between Mancos and Cortez, is a beautiful piece of history where nature also abounds. Home to four major plant groups as elevation and landscape changes, some deciduous species found here truly capture the autumn color scheme. Open all year round, you can visit the museum, take a guided tour, and enjoy the cooler fall weather here.
Head east to the Pine River Valley around Bayfield and Vallecito Reservoir. The colorful hillsides with the lake in the foreground are simple yet stunning. Continue to Pagosa Springs where the San Juan River flows through and alongside the hot springs where you can relax and take in the views. Wolf Creek Pass is just to the north offering more high-elevation mountain viewpoints.
Although the colors are projected to peak the last week of September into the first week of October, make sure you keep updated on local leaf-o-meters so you don’t miss out on this exceptional time of year.
The Durango area is filled with scenic viewpoints including many back decks, common roadways, and intown trails. Beyond leaf peeping, there are plenty of fun things to do this fall. Contact our team for more activities, local insight, and calling Southwest Colorado home.
