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Taking time to gaze in wonder at the aspens’ sweeping seasonal transformation ranks as a must-do activity for all Centennial State residents. But why squeeze fall’s splendor into a single day? Plan a whole weekend—or if your work-from-home schedule will allow it, a few days mid-week—for a trip to the mountains.
Here are eight great destinations in Colorado’s high country perfect for autumnal overnights.
More Trees Than People at Beyul Retreat
Meredith
Follow the canyon-carving Frying Pan River to this luxe, woodsy retreat outside of Basalt. Beyul is Tibetan for “hidden lands,” and this simple-yet-sumptuous ranch lives up to its moniker with 13 isolated cabins sprinkled across a 32-acre mountain valley cloaked in gilded trees. Beyul Retreat draws meditators, adventurous Colorado families, and even musicians such as Rising Appalachia. Guests frolick among the confluence of meadows, forest, creeks and waterfalls, connecting with the land and disconnecting from the rest of the world. Founders Reuben Sadowsky, a former Yerba Mate Tea marketing director, and Abby Stern, a well-being event curator with Aspen-based Lead with Love, purposely left cell service and wifi off the amenities list in the guest cabins. Don’t worry: Those who desperately need to connect will find satellite internet in the main lodge. But, between downward-facing dogs in the forest, leisurely strolls on the sculpture trail, and afternoons spent unwinding in the sauna, we don’t think you’ll miss it. Weekday nightly rates starting at $139.
Peep this pro tip: After Beyul’s buzzing summer season thins out and visitations begin to slow, the century-old guest ranch welcomes extended-stay residencies of five nights or more. Guests September to April enjoy discounted rates starting around $100 a night. Find refuge, work on that novel or album without distraction, or just immerse yourself in the pristine quiet.
Wine Tastings and Western Hospitality at Vista Verde Ranch
Clark
A comfortable mix of luxury and old West vibes, this all-inclusive guest ranch sits 25 miles north of Steamboat Springs inside Routt National Forest. Vista Verde Ranch becomes an adults-only haven from August 18 to October 18, just in time for quaking aspen to ignite the surrounding hillsides in brilliant swaths of red, orange, and gold. Stay in the main lodge in a luxe ranch room surrounded by western art and handmade lodgepole pine furniture. Or retreat to one of 12 modern cabins stocked with Italian linens and plush spa robes where you’ll read by the glow of a woodburning stove and gaze up at the stars from your private hot tub. Savor the grown-up time with leaf-loaded hiking, biking, fly-fishing, and horseback riding (it’s all included in your stay). The ranch fuels all your adventuring with three square gourmet meals a day like honey-wheat pancakes with caramelized apples for breakfast; a midday treat of grilled veggie, steak, and shrimp kabobs; and multicourse family-style dinners starring Northern Colorado growers and ranchers. All-inclusive; six-night minimum stay rates begin at $5,695 per person. Five-night minimum stay rates begin at $4,495 per person.
Peep this pro tip: Vista Verde Ranch chefs host sensory-pleasing wine and beer tastings, which are included in your stay. Novices and cork dorks alike are invited to connect, sip, and develop a more extensive vocabulary. Guests who like to get their hands dirty will want to sign up for a chef-led cooking class, where you’ll learn everything from grilling to high-altitude bread baking.
Coveted Cabins and Hot Springs Soaking at Avalanche Ranch
Redstone
The secret is out about this tucked-away hot springs in the dramatic Crystal River Valley. Adorably outfitted rustic cabins and covered wagon digs, a working farm, and soaking pools designed around the natural landscape and rock formations make Avalanche Ranch a highly sought after booking. Three natural hot springs cascade from one to the next, and overnight guests are welcome to enjoy all-hours soaking. Relax in the largest pool’s rock grotto behind a warm, three-foot waterfall; visit the barnyard sheep and llama; and take in the cool autumn off-grid serenity just outside of Carbondale. Easy to challenging hikes—including East Creek, Placita Trail and Raspberry Ridge—are within a five- to 15-minute drive, and the ranch itself is home to a mile of paths looping through sloping aspens. Nightly autumn covered wagon rates starting at $135; cabin rates starting at $210 with a two-night minimum.
Peep this pro tip: Head south on Highway 133 and climb McClure Pass to mountainsides blanketed in ruddy red, gold, and orange-hued leaves. The drive is sublime, and every corner reveals even deeper awe. Factor in lots of time for pull-off photo-op stops, and make sure to pop into tiny town Redstone for lunch at Detroit-style pizzeria Propaganda Pie. To witness one of the world’s largest groves of aspens, turn left on GCR 12 and drive over Kebler Pass.
Full Fall Immersion with the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch
Avon
Tucked away on Grouse Mountain, within the boundaries of Beaver Creek Ski Resort, the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch offers a chance to stay on one of the Vail Valley’s aspen-covered hillsides. Here, guests can belly up to the Fireside Bar on the Mountainside Terrace and listen to acoustic classic rock covers, sip cocktails in front of the three-story stone fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows of the Great Room, or curl up with a book on the balcony for a little lazy leaf-peeping before retiring to their room, updated in 2022 with modern mountain touches including wood accents, deer busts, and even stone fireplaces in some suites.
Those who prefer to peep more purposefully can book a Rocky Mountain Adventure experience through the hotel concierge—perhaps a 4×4 mountain tour or horseback ride? For those in the mood to meander, simply head out the hotel’s front door to find an extensive network of hiking and mountain biking trails. Nightly rates starting at $559
Peep this pro tip: Learn the rule of thirds and the importance of picking a focal point—and how to apply these photography basics to your fall-color-capturing efforts—from a pro. National Geographic photographer Jad Davenport will share tips and tricks with the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch guests (both amateur and seasoned shutterbugs alike) from October 4 through October 7. No Nikon? No problem. Smartphone cameras welcome.
Hot Springs Getaway at the Springs Resort & Spa
Pagosa Springs
Soak up both the splendor of fall in the San Juan Mountains and the healing properties of Colorado’s soothing hot springs: That’s the gloriously simple itinerary for your getaway to the Springs Resort & Spa. Fed by the world’s deepest geothermal hot spring—the “Mother Spring,” which sits on resort property, plunges more than 1,002 feet below the earth’s surface—the resort has 25 different soaking spots ranging from around 95 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Each pool contains an all-natural mix of 13 minerals—including potassium, iron, and magnesium—shown to reduce blood pressure, strengthen bones and muscles, and heighten energy levels, among other health benefits.
There’s more to the Springs than soaking, however. Vinyasa-based aqua yoga classes and balancing sound baths (both free for overnight resort guests), along with a robust menu of on-site spa treatments (we love the stress-busting Blanco Basin Scent-Sation massage) stretch bodies and soothe minds. Yes, the five-hour drive to Pagosa Springs from Denver may seem long, but given the most direct route takes you over multiple aspen-flanked mountain throughways (including Kenosha Pass, which is a destination in itself), think of the ride as pre-gaming for the main event. Nightly rates starting at $369
Peep this pro tip: While the hot springs are open to the public between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m., overnight resort guests get 24-hour access. Take advantage. Rise before the sun, and walk over to River Bend, a roughly 105-degree pool in the adults-only VIP section. The infinity-pool-style ledge looks out over the foliage along the banks of the San Juan River with the snowcapped heights of Sand Mountain and Blackhead Peak in the distance.
Read More: 8 Relaxing Hot Spring Getaways to Book Right Now
Glamping Experience at Collective Retreats, Vail
Wolcott
Looking for a fall camping experience—complete with the tent and campfire—but with a little (OK, a lot) of luxe thrown in? Book an overnight in the canvas-covered cribs available through Collective Retreats, Vail (open through September 25). Go big for your home away from home with one of the 440-square-foot Summit Tents; inside you’ll find a king-size bed covered in Pendleton blankets, a coffee credenza with locally roasted grounds, and a bathroom complete with flushing toilet, shower, and premium Byredo bath products.
Given that it’s foliage season, however, you’ll want to spend most of your time lounging in an Adirondack chair on your front patio, admiring the dusty ambers and sage greens of the more than 1,000 acres of untamed ranchland unfurling around you. No question the aspen groves adorning peaks in the distance will be worth peeping, too. Once the sun sets, mosey over to the group fire ring for a smoked old fashioned and s’mores under a star-studded sky. Nightly rates for Summit Tents starting at $392
Peep this pro tip: The season’s bounty isn’t just for your eyes. Let your tastebuds sample the goods, too, with the chef’s tasting menu, a six-course culinary journey complete with Palisade peaches, zucchini, and other hyper-local ingredients. Dine on-site, outside, to get the full fall effect. Available Friday and Saturday nights; 48-hour advance notice required.
Historic Excursion with Hotel Colorado
Glenwood Springs
Over the course of its 130-year history, Hotel Colorado has hosted American presidents, notorious gangsters, and Molly Brown (aka, the Centennial State’s least-sinkable citizen). But like any Grand Dame of the Rockies, as the hotel was known in its early years, the stress and strain of life leads to more than laugh lines. A full facelift was in order, and in 2023, Hotel Colorado unveiled its multimillion-dollar overhaul. Taking care to maintain architect Edward Tilton’s original Italianate-inspired design, the renovation turned an eye to the guest rooms, hallways, elevators, and stairways. Now, rooms in the pet-friendly hotel feature updates like marble-topped bedside tables, leather chairs, and oversize, upholstered headboards alongside modern must-haves like a Keurig coffee maker and high-speed internet. The multiple groupings of deciduous trees around the hotel, however, were untouched in the update. Prefer to avoid I-70 to get there? Ride out on the Rocky Mountaineer, which lists Hotel Colorado among its partner lodging options. Nightly rates starting at $135
Peep this pro tip: For a hearty serving of the Hotel Colorado’s history, we suggest booking the Molly Brown Suite, an opulent ode to the Denver philanthropist and socialite who survived the sinking of the Titanic. Cozy up in your Turkish cotton bathrobe and enjoy Glenwood Springs’s take on fall from the comfort of one of your two private balconies.
Roughing It at Lake Irwin Campground
Outside of Crested Butte
Looking for something a little more low-key? Plan a no-frills camping excursion to Lake Irwin Campground, which has first-come, first-served sites available through the end of its season (October 3). You’ll access your site via a dirt road. Cell service is spotty (or for some carriers, non-existent). Water must be packed in–there’s no well. And pit toilets…enough said. But a front-row seat to the lake on the east, the Ruby Mountain Range on the west, and Colorado’s largest aspen grove (and some argue the biggest organism in the world) will expose all of these (minor) inconveniences for what they are: Worth it. Nightly rate $24
Peep this pro tip: Bike, hike, paddleboard, fish, forest bathe, hammock—the list of outdoor activities available steps from your tent reads like the best kind of choose-your-own-adventure novel. Peep on.
