Hiking Bob's Favorite Places to See and Photograph Fall Colors Trail 622A: One of the most popular trails in Springs, there is a large aspen grove where trail 622 meets trail 622A in the Pike National Forest above North Cheyenne Canon Park. To get there, drive through North Cheyenne Canon Park to the large dirt parking lot past Helen Hunt Falls (at the intersection of N. Cheyenne Blvd, High Drive and Gold Camp Road). The trail is Gold Camp Road at the west end of the parking lot behind a gate. Follow the road for .7 miles to where the road crosses over North Cheyenne Creek. Look for the trail markers on the right where the trail exits the road. The trail is easy to the 7th bridge where it becomes more rugged and rocky. Continue on 622, always keeping the creek to your left. After approximately 2.5 miles from the parking lot, the aspen grove will be obvious.

Cheeseman Ranch Trail, Mueller State Park: On the north end of the park, the Cheeseman Ranch Trail is not only the longest single trail in the park, but winds its way through a forested area and then through the old ranch. There are a few old buildings and fence which makes for good foreground or backgrounds for foliage pictures. I suggest taking the trail clockwise for the easiest hike and best views. This hike is best in the afternoon. To get there: Take U.S. 24 west from Colorado Springs for 25 miles through Woodland Park to the town of Divide. Turn left onto Highway 67 South for 3.5 miles. Entrance fees do apply. Dome Rock State Wildlife Area: Just south of, and bordering the southern edge of Mueller State Park, the Dome Rock SWA has a lot to offer both in hiking and fall colors viewing. To get there, take Colorado 67approximately 5 miles south of Divide to the fork in the road at Teller County Road 61 (4 Mile Road) and bear right. Continue for several miles to Dome Rock SWA on the right side of the road and turn down to the parking area. There is a parking area with trail maps and a bathroom to the right. Take trail 41, which starts a little further back on the access road. The trail runs through an open area before going uphill into a dense forest of aspens and pines.

Crags Trail (Trail 664): Just past Mueller State Park, the Crags trail offers a variable landscape, with rocky cliffs and large boulders to work as a background for fall colors. The wide, expansive view from the crags at the end of the trail also make for good photos. The moderate out-and-back trail is a little under 6 miles round trip. To get there: Follow the directions above for Mueller State Park, but go just past the entrance to the park and look for Forest Service Road 383 going over a creek on the left. Take 383 for about 3.5 miles to the Crags trail parking lot, passing a Mennonite Camp along the way. Note: When snow covered, the road gets much more difficult past the Mennonite Camp, and even 4 wheel drive vehicles get stuck in the ditches along the narrow road.

Catamount Ranch Open Space: Several easy/moderate trails in a wooded area with great views of the north face of make this a great place for fall colors pictures (and also snowy landscape pictures). There are plenty of signs along the trail to help you find your way. I suggest the Elder-Fehn Trail which goes to the west end of the open space. It makes a loop at the west end, but the pictures along the loop aren't as good as on the trail getting there, so feel free to turn around at the 1+ mile loop. Approximately 4 miles round trip from the parking lot to the loop. To get there: Take US 24 west from Colorado Springs. After passing through Woodland Park, look for Edlowe Road on the left side of the road (there is a church at the corner). Take Edlowe Road to the parking lot/trailhead where the road goes from pavement to dirt. Bonus: Lots of nice foliage along the road on the way to the open space.

Shootin' Star and Twin Rocks Trails, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument: There are only a few trails in this National Monument, and this trail is the least used of them all. The trail starts at the Barksdale Picnic area, winds through an open space and then crests a small mesa where the Shootin' Star trail meets the Twin Rocks trail. It continues over a creek & then on to the park boundary. The best photo ops are in the back half of the trail where there are a couple of aspen groves and a small pond which makes for good reflection photos. This roughly 7 mile out and back hike is easy/moderate, and is also a great snowshoeing trail. To get there: Take US 24 west from Colorado Springs for 35 miles to Florissant. Follow the signs south to the park entrance. Entrance fees do apply. To get to the trailhead, go south from the park entrance to Twin Rocks Road and turn left. The Barksdale Picnic area is approximately 1.7 miles on the left. Weston Pass: Located off of US 285 about 90 minutes west of Colorado Springs, this shortcut to Leadville is drivable in most vehicles and is quite scenic. There aren't many hiking trails, but there are plenty of places to stop and take short forays into the trees for pictures. To get there: Take US 24 west from Colorado Springs over Wilkerson Pass and through South Park then through Hartsel. Just past Hartsel, turn right on Highway 9 and take it to US 285. Turn left on US 285 and look for Weston Pass Road/Park County Road 5, approximately 3.7 miles down on the right. The west side of the pass road is a bit rougher than the east side, but should be OK for cars with decent clearance. Kenosha Pass: One of the nicest places to see an abundance of fall colors, Kenosha Pass makes up the north end of south park and is also a crossing point for the Colorado Trail. There is a large parking area at the top of the pass and many trails in the area. On a recent trip through there, I observed two moose in the large pond just over the north side of the pass along the highway. Kenosha pass is a must see if you're out that way. To get there: Follow the directions for Weston Pass above, but instead of turning left on US 285, turn right and continue north. You can't miss it. /St. Elmo/Mount Princeton Area: About 2 hours west of Colorado Springs, the Mt. Princeton area along the Chalk Creek is chock full of great scenery. You can shoot from the roadside or take any of the numerous hiking trails along the way. The St. Elmo ghost town is particularly scenic, and the Poplar Gulch trail at the beginning of Tin Cup Pass just outside of St.Elmo is one of my favorites. Added bonus: The Mt Princeton Hot Springs are a great place to relax after a day on the trails. Jans Restaurant in Buena Vista serves some fine food. To get there: Take US 24 west from Colorado Springs, staying on US 24 past Hartsel until it intersects with US 285/24. Turn left, go over Trout Creek Pass to Johnson Village where the highway crosses the . Turn left and continue several miles to Nathrop and turn right on Chafee County Road 162. Keep driving. St. Elmo is approximately 15 miles further on. If you want to hike Poplar Gulch, and if you have a suitable vehicle — that’s up to you — turn right approximately halfway through St. Elmo and cross the creek, then turn left and start up Tin Cup Pass. Approximately one-half mile from the start of Tin Cup Pass, look for a dirt road on the right and the sign for Poplar Gulch. The trailhead and parking area is just down the road on the left. You can also park in St. Elmo and walk to the trailhead. Cuchara Pass: Located about 2 hours south of Colorado Springs and nestled under the Spanish Peaks, this is one of my favorite places for shooting fall colors. Highway 12 is a Colorado “Scenic Byway” and although beautiful year round, it really shines in the fall. There are plenty of places to shoot from and a number of trails in the area, including a trail to the from the top of Cordova Pass, if you're inclined to do a 13er (misses being a 14er by only a few hundred feet). Many trails start just south of Cuchara at the Spring Creek Trailhead (look for the sign by the water department building). Also, check out forest service road 422 further south of Cuchara just before Highway 12 starts to switchback up. There is lots to see there and some trails at the end of the road near some campgrounds. To get there: Take I-25 south of Colorado Springs to the Walsenburg exit, then drive through town to Highway 160 and go west. Turn south on Highway 12 — through the town of La Veta — and continue on to Cuchara. And finally, Highway 550 between Durango and Silverton has some of the best colors anywhere.