Ready To Peep: Our Quest to Find Fall Colors

Our late September drive through the Guanella Pass and Kenosha Pass in Colorado to look for fall leaves. 

By Marisa Cooksey

Geneva Creek, Pike National Forest, Colorado

On the eve of the Fall Equinox, September 21, 2025, my family woke up in our small suburb town outside of Denver, Colorado, and could sense a slight change in the air. It felt a little lighter, crisper, cooler. After a long, hot summer, we, like the rest of the world it seemed, tried to bully fall to come on into the room by adorning our home with pumpkin figurines, swathing our mantle with felt leaf garlands rich in golds, reds, and dark greens and decorating our front porch to look as though it’s about to star in a seasonal Hallmark film. Though it helped a little, that change in the air let us know that fall just entered the building and that soon, the days will get colder and shorter and the nights spent playing board games by the fire are close on the horizon.

Over coffee (hot coffee! Because it’s finally cool enough in the mornings to drink it!) my husband asked, “should we go try to find some fall leaves today?” He knows that fall leaves are my Roman Empire, so before we could formulate a plan, I was running up the stairs to grab jackets and hats for everyone, throwing them into the car while yelling at the kids to “grab a screen free activity for the car! We’re going to the mountains to find leaves!” And we did just that.

After everyone loaded into the car, we headed to the Guanella Pass, a mountain drive located between the towns of Georgetown and Grant, Colorado. Slowly but surely, as we gained elevation, hints of golds and reds started to appear. The temperature crept down from the 70s to the 60s. We opened the sun roof in the car, letting in the autumn light. 

I can’t tell you what it is about seeing the fall leaves, but I literally turn into a crazy person when I see them. I love them so much. Growing up in Florida, the four seasons were a lot more like a super long summer, and a few months that weren’t quite as blazing hot as summer, but oh wait, summer’s back again. A true millennial, I fangirled over Gilmore Girls in my teens and decided in high school that I wanted to live in Stars Hollow where all things autumn reigned supreme. It wasn’t until I moved to Colorado in my early 30s that I was able to experience the fall season in all its glory. I fell in love, hard, and the love affair will never end.

Once on the pass, the colors started to truly show off. We turned into the Pike National Forest and parked by Geneva Creek. It was at this point that the journey went from seeing mostly green plants with a few that were turning here and there to the inverse. We all got out of the car and headed to the small bridge overlooking the water. I told my boys to take a deep breath in. As we did, we took in the sweet, perfect scents of the forest. We listened to the rapids. We stretched out our arms and spoke to the universe. “Welcome fall!” we whispered.  It was a magical moment. And to celebrate, I grabbed a box of Trader Joe’s apple cider donuts that I packed for the journey and handed one to each member of the family. We clinked our donuts together as if they were glasses of the finest champagne, and munched on our seasonal snack in pure delight.

Geneva Creek, Pike National Forest, Colorado

After the boys skipped stones on the creek and dipped their fingers into the ice cold white blue water, we headed back to the car for the second leg of our fall joy ride. We turned onto Kenosha Pass. This took us to Jefferson. We pulled off at the Colorado Trail Trailhead and took a meander down the path encircled by gold aspens. The sound that aspen leaves make is delicious - it’s a steady quake that falls nothing short of whimsical. We turned around when the first whine of “my legs hurt, Mom” sounded and headed back to the car. 

Colorado Trail Trailhead, Kenosha Pass, Highway 285, Colorado

The kids took a few golden leaves they found on the ground and put them in their books. We love collecting leaves and turning them into crafts at home. It’s an easy way to cement the glory of this amazing season.

We then headed home, windows open, counting hawks in the sky and looking for earth giants in the rock formations (any Frozen II fans here? And if not, have you not lived?). It was the perfect way to welcome fall. 

Colorado Trail, Kenosha Pass, Colorado

Colorado, you are the real deal in the fall season. And Earth, what can I say? You are a true artist.