The Most Unique Ways to Experience Fall Colors in Colorado
The Most Unique Ways to Experience Fall Colors in Colorado
Fall is the new summer this year. Now’s the time to try your favorite summer activities in the fall. Lake City offers the best of the season in Colorado: a gentle autumn sun, bright blue skies, and quaking golden leaves.
Enjoy the state’s second largest lake, San Cristobal, a deep blue jewel set against a backdrop of golden aspens. Bring your own boat or rent a paddleboard, kayak, or boat. Look for the hidden waterfall as you scan the lakeshore for moose. Take your eyes off the water for a moment and catch a glimpse of one of the lake’s resident bald eagles looking for a morning catch. Paddle to “Oyster Shell Island,” a tiny rock outcropping at the lake’s center. Camp or picnic at Wupperman Campground on the cliffs overlooking the lake. The campground also offers shoreside campsites, allowing you to dock your canoe or kayak right next to your tent. There’s a slim chance that you will see more than two other groups on the water.
Take a gentle bike ride or stroll along Henson Creek. A walking trail follows the creek and connects with the town’s larger trails system. You can hop on the trail at the beginning of County Road 20 (also known as the Engineer Pass Road). As September turns to October, cottonwoods along the creek turn to fiery shades, outlasting the aspen’s fading gold. Falling leaves reveal secrets of the mining past once hidden behind summer foliage. Interpretative plaques will guide you in your history hunt. For those seeking a longer bike ride, continue on County Road 20 after the walking trail ends. There is minimal car traffic on the road in the fall but plenty of fall color. Capitol City and Whitmore Falls—about eleven miles from town—are great endpoints for your ride. You will know when you have reached your destination! As Henson Creek’s canyon gradually widens, you will find yourself in an open valley. Cascades of golden aspen surround the ghost town of Capitol City and the prime moose habitat along the creek.
Thompson Lake will please fishers, hikers, and anyone seeking a peaceful spot to read. There is limited parking at the trailhead, so be prepared to start your trek at the IOOF Cemetery, adding an extra mile to your hike. You will enjoy great views of Lake City as you ascend the short trail. You will be rewarded with beautiful scenery: autumn’s reflection on the placid lake, interrupted by the occasional jumping trout. Adventurers in your group may continue hiking or biking a longer loop trail that connects Crystal Lake and Larson Lakes. You will join generations who have climbed the iconic Golden Stairs to reach Crystal Lake. A more popular destination, the lake also offers an idyllic setting for fishing. The lake sits just below Crystal Peak. A historic, abandoned cabin borders its shore. Larson Lakes are farther afield. The collection of small lakes receives fewer visitors, making you one of the lucky few to rest on its shores.
