Locals have a saying: come for the winter, stay for the summers. But this leaves out maybe the best time of year to visit — fall! Fall is when Telluride exhales. The festivals wrap up, the tourists thin out, and the mountains turn to gold. If you catch it right, there will be a dusting of snow on the mountains. You'll feel like the entire valley belongs to you. And you just might never leave.

The leaves usually start to change in late September, right around Blues & Brews, and they peak the last week of September or the first week of October. It depends on the year — sometimes a storm knocks them down early, sometimes they hang on like they don't want summer to end. My advice: aim for the last week of September or the first week of October. That's when the hillsides glow, and the town starts to get quiet. Lodging drops too — if you've looked at summer or ski-season rates, you'll be pleasantly surprised by October prices.

Hiking & Leaf Peeping from Town

  • The Classic — Bear Creek to Wasatch: Bear Creek is the classic — two miles to a waterfall, great for families or a warm-up. If you've got the lungs, keep going. The Wasatch trail takes you up and over ridges that feel like you're walking on the spine of the world.
  • The Underrated — Lewis Mine: Behind Bridal Veil Falls. You can hike straight from the bottom of the falls, or drive up and save your legs. The old silver mine is still standing, a rusted reminder of what built this place.
  • The Fish — Silver Lake: A short but straight-up grind to a hidden alpine lake above town. The fish are huge, but hard to catch. Bring strong legs and your fly rod.
  • The Big One — Sneffels Highline: Fourteen miles, thousands of feet of climbing, and views that make your legs forget they're tired. Do it.

Biking in the Fall

Just as good as hiking, maybe better. The aspens turn every trail into a tunnel of gold.

  • Galloping Goose to Ilium: Mellow and flowy, great for color chasing. You'll finish with a climb back into town that makes you work for your beer.
  • Prospect Trail on the ski mountain: Grab a gondola ride (or not, and bike uphill), and weave through the high alpine. When the leaves change, Prospect is unbeatable.
  • Out of town: RAT Trails in Ridgway or Phil's World in Cortez. Both worth the drives. If you go to RAT, stop at Tacos del Gnar afterward.

Eating After All That

With a Patagonia pullover, you can probably still sit outside in town while refueling. A few favorite casual spots with outdoor dining:

  • La Cocina de Luz: Right on main street, perfect for post-hike tacos and margaritas (go top-shelf). Don't skip the ice cream.
  • Butcher & Baker: Great breakfast burritos in the morning and hearty plates at night.
  • Cornerhouse Grille: Bar hangout and restaurant, with trivia and karaoke and other fun activities.

The Festivals

Fall belongs to Blues & Brews (mid-September, the perfect excuse to drink craft beer at 9,000 feet) and Cars & Colors (classic cars parked with golden aspens as the backdrop). The energy is high but they are a little quieter than the big summer festivals.