For Front Rangers seeking a fall drive sprinkled with trembling aspens against a backdrop of the Continental Divide, the , between Central City/Blackhawk and Estes Park, has long been a go-to choice.
But Dave Steinke, of the U.S. Forest Service, has seen quite a few of our forested roadways in Colorado and beyond in his decades of working for the USFS. He suggested some alternate driving routes for those looking to make more of a trip out of their leaf-peeping.
Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway: “I love that drive between Yampa and Meeker,” Steinke said. “You can be to Trappers (Lake) from (Denver) in about four hours.”
The features a mix of aspen, oak brush and other trees that change color in the fall, he said, plus, “It’s far enough away that you don’t see a lot of people, and the road is really good — they’ve done a lot of work on that road.”
West Elk Loop Scenic Byway: One of Steinke’s favorite forested routes is the drive north out of Gunnison toward Crested Butte and Kebler Pass.
“It’s got to be the best one to photograph, I think,” he said.
Driving all of the , which also skirts the edge of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Blue Mesa Reservoir, makes for a nice day trip out of Glenwood Springs, he said.
Aspen Alley: If you really want to escape the crowds, Steinke said, head just across the border, into the Snowy Range in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest in southern Wyoming.
“People don’t think to go into Wyoming. It’s a fun, easy drive, great for motorcycles, lots of pretty lakes and big, big views there.”
is along a stretch of Wyoming 70 near the town of Encampment. “It’s about a mile long of those graceful, white-barked aspens just making this tunnel.”
It’s tough to beat if you’re looking for solitude.
“You get this big, deep exhale, at least I do, when I cross into Wyoming.”
Jenn Fields: 303-954-1599, jfields@denverpost.com or twitter.com/jennfields
