As temperatures drop and deciduous trees radiate color, Colorado’s deep blue skies beckon us to get outside and enjoy what many call our best season. Here are some ways to experience fall that go beyond leaf peeping (though we’ve included our favorite spots to soak in the crimson and gold landscapes, too).
Spirit of Colorado balloon ride. Photo by David Allen.
The art and adventure of ballooning
Rise before the crack of dawn to float away in a hot air balloon at the whim of the wind, and you’ll be rewarded with 360-degree views.
Commercial balloon pilots Bob McCluskey and Debbi Waltman schedule private and special occasion hour-long sunrise flights for up to three people. McCluskey flies the Spirit of Colorado out of Fort Collins, and Waltman, who flies for No Worries!! Ballooning, takes off from Windsor’s Treasure Island Demonstration Garden. McCluskey’s weekend flights launch from Harmony Club Golf Course in Timnath.
Both say fall mornings are ideally crisp and calm before thermals build and the wind picks up. Colorado’s dry climate and low velocity drainage winds that blow off Front Range canyons create near perfect flying conditions.
McCluskey flies his hot air balloon in the summer and fall. He’s racked up nearly 1,000 hours in the air since the early 80s and especially loves the cool autumn mornings. He says this time of year allows for more lift, longer flights and greater responsiveness due to temperature variations inside and outside the balloon.
“It’s a wonderful way to get a different perspective,” Waltman says. “The idea is to relax and enjoy the view and the sensation of floating without [too much] speed.”
If you’ve only lived in town, McCluskey says you’ve never seen farmland like this: “You’ll get a bird’s-eye view of animals, mountains and lakes unencumbered by streets.”
The pilots seek safe landings in vacant fields or neighborhood cul-de-sacs, rarely landing in the same place more than once. Their balloons carry people in a traditional wicker basket, which provides flexibility and bounce to cushion the ride as they land.
Each landing is celebrated with a champagne toast, a tradition dating back to the Montgolfier brothers’ first hot air balloon flight on Nov. 21, 1783, near Paris. Book flights at spiritofcoloradoballoon.net or noworriesballoon.com.
Photo by Michael Kanter.
Gravel bikes and mountain views
Area cyclists take advantage of fall’s temperature drops by riding closer to home throughout Larimer and Weld counties. By the end of this year, the Poudre River Trail will offer 44 contiguous miles for pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorized vehicles, linking Island Grove Regional Park in Greeley to Watson Lake State Wildlife Area in Bellvue.
The Poudre River Trail is paved, but it intersects with arterial city roads, creating opportunities for off-path exploration on varied terrain to enjoy the colorful leaves during the cool autumn days. That’s one reason why gravel bike popularity grows in the fall. They’re also more comfortable to ride than road bikes.
Alex Broyhill, sales manager at Trek Bicycle Fort Collins, says 20 percent of bikes sold at his shop are designed for soft-surface terrain.
“Gravel bikes’ lower pressure and wider tires make riding over rocky gravel or rutted terrain softer. It’s like a mountain bike feel, but the skinnier tires make them faster and more versatile. They’re good for gravel, chunky pavement or paved paths,” he says.
To experience Northern Colorado’s agricultural roots while scoring scenic fall views, the Great Western Trail offers 10.5 miles from the northeast corner of Windsor to Eaton. The trail’s surface—a combination of clay and small rock—drains well and becomes compacted when wet, providing a semi-solid surface, says trail manager Andy Nagel.
“It’s prized by distance runners as a nice, predictable surface that’s forgiving on the knees,” Nagel says. “It’s not as solid as concrete, and thin-tired road bikes can hit soft spots that cause swerving or bogging down. But it’s easy riding for gravel or mountain bike tires.”
Trek Bicycle Fort Collins started Sunday gravel rides last November to help people stay fit and keep their group ride community going in the fall, Broyhill says. A popular 30-38 mile route, the Fort Follies loop, incorporates Fort Collins streets, the Overland Trail and a gravel connector back to the Poudre River Trail. There are also longer routes (45-90 miles) heading east to Nunn and north of Wellington that are geared toward race training. The year-round rides are free, departing from Lucky’s Market in Fort Collins on Sundays at 9 a.m.
“The longer routes are for more dedicated riders,” Broyhill says. “Don’t be intimidated by the mileage and the group leaders. You’ll have fun at your own pace.”
Shorter routes are posted a day in advance on the store’s Facebook page and on Strava for people to download. Riders bring filled water bottles, tire tubes, flat kits and lights. Helmets are required.
Track config Mountain at College circa 1940s.Photo courtesy of the Poudre Landmarks Foundation.
House tours and a trolley full of Fort Collins history
Steep in local nostalgia on Sept. 9 when the Poudre Landmarks Foundation teams up with Fort Collins’ historical preservation services department for the 39th annual Historic Homes Tour, a community tradition held every September since 1985. The homes are even more beautiful this time of year as they glow in autumn’s golden light.
Tim Dillon, the Foundation’s communications director, says this year’s homes are historical treasures: “There’s a range of architectural styles, and the houses have stories to tell.”
They include Casa de Romero, a historic adobe home housing the Museo de las Tres Colonias, an educational site showcasing the culture and living conditions of Hispanic beet workers in the Northern Colorado sugar beet industry.
The home at 308 Cherry St. has significant ties to local Black history. The city designated the 1918 structure a Black history landmark because Virgil Thomas, the first Black student to graduate from Fort Collins High School, lived there with his parents, Mamie and John Thomas, from 1933-1940.
Other favorite fall tours include The 1883 Water Works and the 1879 Avery House. The Avery House will have Halloween-themed candlelit tours with Victorian-era games (including bobbing for apples) from October 27-28 this year.
The Trolley Barn is also open for tours. It’s a Mission-style brick building dating back to 1907 that is now used for city storage and trolley maintenance.
The Fort Collins Municipal Railway Trolley Depot operated electric streetcars from 1919-1951 as public transportation until motorcars trumped trolleys. Two of the trolleys were restored in 1984, and they currently run on a mile-and-a-half restored track from City Park to Old Town.
“You’ll get a history lesson about the trolley and Fort Collins during your ride, and you can hop off in the middle to grab an ice cream cone,” Dillon says. “Everyone lights up when they hear the clang-clang of the bell. I think it’s innocence; it’s a sweet, nostalgic, childlike thing.”
The trolley operates on weekends from 12-5 p.m. through October 1. It’s also available for private parties and events.
Photo courtesy of Visit Estes, John Berry.
Hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park
Indulging in the allure of fiery red, burnished gold and vibrant orange aspen leaves fluttering in the breeze is a perennial tradition for many. Rocky Mountain National Park has numerous hikes and drives to satiate your urge to see the spectacular transition as summer seeds to fall. According to the Colorado State Forest Service, fall colors are at their peak in mid-September at higher elevations and wrap up at lower elevations in mid-October.
As a bonus, the elk bugle their butts off in the hopes of securing and protecting mates this time of year. There’s even a weekend festival from Sept. 30-Oct. 1 in Bond Park, where you can observe the elk rut, kick up your heels in the Rut Run 5K, grab a bite, listen to live music and sip a Bugling Bloody Mary from Dunraven at The Estes Park Resort. It’s a package deal that makes Estes Park a popular destination in early fall.
According to Visit Estes Park, the top 10 hiking trails include:
Gem Lake – Lumpy Ridge Trailhead
Bierstadt Lake – Bear Lake Trailhead
The Pool – Fern Lake Trailhead
Glacier Creek – Bear Lake Trailhead to Sprague Lake Trailhead
Sprague Lake – Sprague Lake Trailhead
North Deer Mountain Trail – Deer Mountain Trailhead
Estes Cone – Longs Peak Trailhead
Ouzel Falls – Wild Basin Trailhead
Twin Sisters – Twin Sisters Trailhead
Mills Lake – Glacier Gorge Trailhead
Timed $2 entry permit reservations and Park Access+ are needed to access RMNP through Oct. 22.
Recommended Routes from Trek Bicycle Fort Collins:
Shorter Routes
Fort Follies ride from Trek North (reverse) – 32.6 mi
Rist Bottoms – 23.4 mi
Black Hollow – 36.0 mi
Eastward Bound (reverse) – 38.2 mi
Longer Routes
FoCo Fondo 50 from Trek – 56.5 mi
Northern Expanse from
Trek North – 47.3 mi
Howling Cow Gravel
long loop – 55.0 mi
Follies + Some from
Trek North – 49.0 mi
Flavorful festivals
Scottish-Irish Highland Festival
You don’t have to be of Scots-Irish heritage to adore the Longs Peak Scottish-Irish Highland Festival, a 46-year-old Estes Park festival celebrating athletic feats of strength, herding dog agility, the flavors of Scotch whiskey and the skill of Highland dance. This year, the shaggy and oh-so-cute Highland cattle will make an appearance at the Estes Park Fairgrounds from Sept. 8-10.
Photo courtesy of Visit Estes Park – John Berry
Oktoberfests (in September, of course)
What began as a German celebration in 1810 when Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen has evolved into a worldwide phenomenon and days of drinking beer, eating pretzels, bratwurst and schnitzel and dancing to Bavarian Oompah bands.
Loveland Oktoberfest: Compete in stein hoisting, vote for who’s best dressed in their lederhosen or dirndl and run the Beer Stein Relay in this traditional event at Loveland’s Fairgrounds Park from Sept. 15-16.
Oktoberfest at Odell Brewing: This year, the brewery’s Oktoberfest will host Denver’s Thirsty 5 band with traditional German Oompah polkas and waltzes Sept. 17 at 4 p.m. on the patio stage. Prost!
Lederhosen Run: Presented by The Caring Hearts of Red Feather Lakes Foundation, this event gathers festivalgoers on Sept. 23 for a scenic run around Red Feather Lakes that finishes at The Tavern for the Oktoberfest celebration.
Greeley OktoBrewfest: This fall fest promises plenty of hydration from NOCO craft breweries as well as brats and other tasty fare, lively entertainment, contests and games. OktoBrewfest will take place at Lincoln Park from Sept. 29-30.
Highland Meadows Oktoberfest: Cool off with a craft beer from Mash Lab Brewing & Kitchen, dance to live polka music by Neue Polka, throw some corn holes and compete to see who’s got the most authentic Bavarian attire. Join the fun on October 7 from 1-5 p.m. at Highland Meadows in Windsor.
