The mountain ranges surrounding the Gunnison-Crested Butte Valley will remind you of an artist’s autumn palette, with brushstrokes of gold, orange and crimson evident at every turn in September and early October. Known for the largest, most spectacular aspen grove in the United States, the area offers eye-popping vistas. According to one forest ranger, this part of the West Elk Historic and Scenic Byway is “the closest you can come to a wilderness experience in a passenger car.”
Or get surrounded by fall foliage on foot by hiking one of the great trails off Kebler Pass Road, mountain biking Trail 401 or one of the area’s other classic routes, and going on a trail ride through the forests with Fantasy Ranch Horseback Adventures or Tenderfoot Outfitters. Crested Butte Mountain Guides and Colorado Backcountry can help you hit the trail on bike or foot.
