Transplants from the East and Midwest are fond of attempting to one-up Colorado natives each autumn by proclaiming that their hometown fall foliage is far superior to the aspen color show, no matter how brilliant.
And admittedly, the landscape in the high country here can be pretty monochromatic when the aspen go from green to gold all at once. But in the foothills, where gambel oak glow orange against the green of the junipers and assorted other plants range from red to purple, the colors can be as vivid and varied as in any hardwood forest in New England.
Perhaps that’s why Colorado edged out New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Tennessee last week on Yahoo’s list of the Top Ten most-searched spots to catch the annual autumnal extravaganza.
One of the best bets for leaf-peeping in the foothills is Deer Creek Canyon Park, one of Jefferson County’s 22 open-space preserves, all acquired with revenues from a 0.5 percent sales tax approved in 1972.
The hikers-only Meadowlark trail, a family-friendly, 1.6-mile path that climbs gradually west from Deer Creek’s parking lot, offers particularly grand views, most notably of a dazzling ridge to the west that, if you include the clear blue of the sky, boasts every color in the rainbow.
Other sources for scenic splendor in the Jeffco system: Apex, Lair O’ the Bear, Matthews-Winters, Mount Galbraith and Reynolds parks. For directions and maps, go online to co.jefferson.co.us/openspace.
