Kenosha Pass Fall Colors 2024: What to Expect Right Now

What I Found Out There

The peak had already passed by a few days when I got there. That's just the reality of Colorado fall color chasing — the window is narrow, and it moves fast. That said, it wasn't a wasted trip. There was still plenty of gold on the trees, and if you know where to look, or more accurately, how far you're willing to walk, there's still something worth seeing. The aspens closer to the trailhead and parking areas tend to go first, which makes sense given the elevation and wind exposure. The further you push down the trail, the more color you find.

That's probably the most useful thing I can tell you from this trip: don't just step out of your car, glance around, and leave. I've seen people do that and then go home saying the colors were done. They weren't done — those people just didn't walk far enough. Getting down the trail, away from the crowd at the trailhead, is where the remaining gold was actually showing up.

Is It Worth the Drive Right Now?

Kenosha Pass sits on US-285, which is roughly an hour and a half from Denver depending on where you're starting from in the city. That's not a trivial commitment, and I think it's fair to factor that in before you go. If you're expecting to walk into a full peak color display at this point, you're going to be disappointed. The best of it has already happened.

If you go this week, and I do mean this week, there's a reasonable shot you catch the tail end of things, especially further down the trail. By next weekend, I'd expect the trees to be mostly bare. Colorado's high country doesn't linger. One cold front, one strong wind event, and the leaves are gone. That's just how it works up there.

The Practical Stuff

Kenosha Pass is a pretty accessible trailhead as far as Colorado high country goes. The parking area sits right off 285, so you don't need a high-clearance vehicle or anything like that to get there. What you do need is layering — even on a warm fall day, the temperature can drop fast at that elevation, especially if you're walking the trail for an hour or more. I'd bring more than you think you need.

Weekends out there get crowded during peak color season, and even in the days just after peak, you'll still see a solid number of people making the drive out. If you can do a weekday trip, the trailhead is noticeably less chaotic.

My Take

I'm not going to tell you the timing worked out great this year, because it didn't, at least not for me. I was a few days late. But hiking further down the trail still gave me enough gold in the trees to make the drive feel worthwhile. The San Juan mountains and other ranges tend to peak later, so if you've completely missed the Kenosha window, there are still options in the state — but that's a separate conversation.

For Kenosha Pass specifically, this week is probably your last real shot at seeing any color at all. If you go, walk the trail rather than just standing at the trailhead. That's where the remaining leaves are, and that's the difference between a trip that feels like a miss and one that actually delivers. Next weekend, I'd look elsewhere.