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PHOTOS: Colorado mountains show their aspen colors

By and October 3, 2025 | updated 1 month ago

The evening light shines on Cimarron Ridge South near Owl Creek Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, outside Ridgway, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The sun peeks through the aspens on the westside of Kebler Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, near Crested Butte, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Drops of water lie on an aspen leaf as it rests on the top of a braken fern in the forest west of Kebler Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, near Crested Butte, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
A photographer captures the multicolored aspens on Ohio Pass between Gunnison and Kebler Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
An old mining cabin is framed between a pair of aspen trees on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2025, with the San Juan Mountains in the background on Colorado Highway 550 south of Silverton. The cabin has been a destination for photographers in recent years thanks to its rustic look and the surrounding forest. (The Gazette, Jon Mitchell)
Photographers capture the multicolored aspens on Ohio Pass between Gunnison and Kebler Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Photographers capture the multicolored aspens on Ohio Pass between Gunnison and Kebler Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Rain drops fall on a pond on Kebler Pass as the water reflects the dark clouds above on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The fall foliage colors the valley below Kebler Pass on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The evening light shines on Cimarron Ridge South near Owl Creek Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, outside Ridgway, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Anglers fish Taylor River below the reservoir Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, as the fall colors reflect on the water. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The setting sun casts a red glow on Chimney Rock and Courthouse Mountain Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, on Owl Creek Pass east of Ridgway, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Storm clouds build over the turning aspen south of Crested Butte, Colo., on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The turning aspens on Ohio Pass frame The Castles Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The Castles stand above the turning aspens on Ohio Pass between Gunnison and the Kebler Pass summit Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Aspen trees stands alone Ohio Pass south of the Kebler Pass summit on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The turning aspens on Ohio Pass frame The Castles Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The multicolored aspens below Ohio Pass west of Crested Butte, Colo., shine brightly on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The multicolored, turning aspens decorate the landscape on the west side of Kebler Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Denver photographer Marcela Suter and Kevin and Sudan Piersol wait for a rain shower to pas’s while Suter captured their wedding day among the turning aspens at Lost Lake on Kebler Pass outside Crested Butte, Colo. The couple from Myerstown, Pa., searched online for a beautiful play to elope and found Crested Butte. The couple was wed on the edge of the lake. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The turning aspens reflect on Lost Lake Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, near Kebler Pass. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The evening light shines on Cimarron Ridge South near Owl Creek Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, outside Ridgway, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Denver photographer Marcela Suter captures Kevin and Sudan Piersol’s wedding day among the turning aspens at Lost Lake on Kebler Pass outside Crested Butte, Colo. The couple from Myerstown, Pa., searched online for a beautiful play to elope and found Crested Butte. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Denver photographer Marcela Suter captures Kevin and Sudan Piersol’s wedding day among the turning aspens at Lost Lake on Kebler Pass outside Crested Butte, Colo. The couple from Myerstown, Pa., searched online for a beautiful play to elope and found Crested Butte. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The evening light shines on Cimarron Ridge South near Owl Creek Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, outside Ridgway, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The last minute of sun spotlights the a peak above Owl Creek Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The last minute of sun spotlights the a peak above Owl Creek Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The afternoon sun spotlights Chimney Rock and Courthouse Mountain on Owl Creek Pass near Ridgway, Colo., on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The last minute of sun spotlights the a peak above Owl Creek Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The setting sun casts a red glow on Chimney Rock and Courthouse Mountain Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, on Owl Creek Pass east of Ridgway, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The setting sun casts a red glow on Chimney Rock and Courthouse Mountain Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, on Owl Creek Pass east of Ridgway, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The sun breaking through the clouds cast a stream of light on the turning aspens below the San Juan Mountains on the Dallas Divide Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, west of Ridgway, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The sun breaking through the clouds cast a stream of light on the turning aspens below the San Juan Mountains on the Dallas Divide Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, west of Ridgway, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The Animas River flows through the fall foliage outside Silverton, Colo. on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The Animas River flows through the fall foliage outside Silverton, Colo. on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
An off-highway vehicle makes its way toward 12,800-foot Engineer Pass in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The afternoon sun spotlights the turning aspen along the Million Dollar Highway Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, as seen from Engineer Pass between Silverton and Lake City, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Aspen leaves turn bright red on Engineer Pass in the San Juan Mountains on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The aspens turn multicolored below the San Juan Mountains on the Dallas Divide Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, west of Ridgway, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Motor vehicles drive the U.S. Route 550, the Million Dollar Highway, as the aspens turn on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, south of Ouray, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Motorists drive through the changing aspens making their way south on U.S. Route 550, the Million Dollar Highway, between Ouray and Silverton, Colo., on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The changing aspens are framed by the window of an old cabin on Molas Pass south of Silverton, Colo., in the San Juan Mountains on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The turning aspens show their colors on Molas Pass between Silverton and Durango, Colo., on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The turning aspens surround the city of Silverton, Colo., in the San Juan Mountains on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The Animas River flows through the fall foliage outside Silverton, Colo. on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Vistors stop at the ghost town Animas Fork while exploring the San Juan Mountains near Silverton, Colo., on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The aspens turn on Engineer Pass outside of Lake City, Colo., on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
A fly fisherman casts his line on the Taylor River Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, as the fall colors reflect on the water. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Aspen turn yellow above the Million Dollar Highway, U.S. Route 550, between Ouray and Silverton, Colo., on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
A recreation vehicle drives the U.S. Route 550, the Million Dollar Highway, as the aspens above the town Ouray, Colo., turn yellow on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The turning aspens show their colors in the morning sun as storm clouds build in the background Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, on Red Mountain Pass between Ouray and Silverton, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The turning aspens show their colors in the morning sun Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, on Red Mountain Pass between Ouray and Silverton, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Motorist drive Red Mountain Pass between Ouray and Silverton, Colo., on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, as the aspens turn. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The turning aspens show their colors on Molas Pass between Silverton and Durango, Colo., on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The turning aspens surround the city of Silverton, Colo., in the San Juan Mountains on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
The turning aspens surround the city of Silverton, Colo., in the San Juan Mountains on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
A jeep passes some of Colorado’s mining history as the aspens turn outside Silverton, Colo., on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
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