City: Boulder, CO

Category: Annual Events & Festivals

Description: The greatest fall festival is the natural one—the annual gilding of the aspen. Mother Nature never calls ahead to reserve a day for the best leaf-viewing, so watch local papers for reports of favorable turnings, sometime in September or October. The Daily Camera runs stories and maps. The aspens east of the Continental Divide generally turn gold, but sometimes pinkish foliage peeks out among the yellow. Often, a whole grove changes at once, for aspen are large, cloned families, connected by their roots. Because “quakies” have loose leaf stems, the shiny leaves really shimmer. The biggest aspen fields are along the Peak to Peak Highway outside of Nederland. Driving is fun. But even better, park at a trailhead and take a stroll. Rocky Mountain National Park boasts several astonishing stands of aspen. The park rangers can direct you to the best. Wherever you hike, the filtered golden light, the tannin scent of fall, and the sound of fluttering aspen leaves are unforgettable.