Landscape, Wildlife, and Travel Photography
Steamboat in Fall
Taking flight at sunrise. Outside of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Steamboat in Fall

Autumn is Colorado’s most photogenic season. From high-country passes to quiet mountain valleys, fall color transforms familiar landscapes into something entirely new.

Every year, I try to chase the colors. On what days will it peak? At what elevations and aspects? How will the weather impact it? The color is fleeting, but when it shows up, it really shows up. Golden aspens, cool mornings, bluebird skies, and that “pull over the car immediately” kind of light.

Last fall, we timed it perfectly – peak color, good weather, and soft light – and had a great long weekend at the end of September in and around Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Below is a roundup of what we saw.

All photos from September, 2025.

Buffalo Pass in fall. 
Ranch lands near Steamboat Lake State Park.
The view from Buffalo Pass.
The gate to the aspens beyond.
The sun peaking through a grove of aspens at their peak color.
A farm in Yampa Valley.
This weekend, every road led to great fall colors.
Taking flight at sunrise. Outside of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
A kiss of sunlight. The low sun backlighting aspens on a ridge.
Rabbit Ears Pass, west of Steamboat Springs. I used to drive this pass regularly in the fall, and never had I seen the colors this good.
A small grove of aspens near Rabbit Ears Pass.
Rabbit Ears Pass.

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