My favorite place to be in late September is in the Colorado Rockies, when the aspen trees usually peak in Central and Southern Colorado.  The colors seemed a little more subdued this season compared to last season, but that didn't prevent me from finding some great scenes.  There were also a couple of times when snow fell on the peaks.  Below is a picture of 14,131 foot Capitol Peak near Aspen & Snowmass. 

The Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness is a great place to look for fall color. Another favorite place for hiking is the Raggeds Wilderness, west of Crested Butte. I found this colorful scene on a hiking trail looking toward Marcellina Mountain. 

Not all of the great scenes have to be found on hiking trails.  Some are found on the side of the road.  One popular drive for leaf peepers is the Ohio Creek Road south of Ohio Pass in the Gunnison National Forest. It is road filled with colorful understory ferns and beautiful aspen trunks.  

Vibrant Forest

Another popular drive in the Crested Butte area is Kebler Pass Road.  Here you will find one of the worlds largest aspen groves. Not only is there an awe-inspiring sea of yellow, but with this size comes variety. An area know as “The Dyke” near Kebler Pass, contains some aspen stands, which turn a striking red shade.  I'm told that certain soil conditions causes some of these aspen trees to turn more rosy.

Most people just photograph from the side of the road or nearby pullovers while looking up at this particular aspen grove, but I tried to find a more secluded spot and to be more at eye level with this colorful grove by hiking one of the nearby trails. 

This October, I went to West Virginia for a different variety of fall foliage.  While you won't see quite the soaring mountains and aspen trees in West Virginia, you will find plenty of other beautiful trees, rugged terrain and waterfalls. West Virginia might be the state that most resembles my stomping grounds in the Ozarks of northern and western Arkansas.  Both tend to overlooked on national level for scenery, but some of the mountains in West Virginia are a little higher than the mountains of Arkansas.  Some of the highest elevations in the state are found near a place called Bear Rocks, where you will find views and colorful shrubs. The red shrubs in the bottom of the picture (below left) are blueberry bushes that turn crimson in early October. 

Bear Rocks    Lindy Point

One great place in West Virginia to visit is Blackwater Falls State Park. In addition to waterfalls, you will also find nice viewpoints, such as Lindy Point (above right) and the Pendleton Overlook (below). 

Pendleton Overlooks

Of course, visiting Blackwater Falls is a must see when in the area.   Blackwater Falls

My favorite backcountry area was in the Dolly Sods Wilderness.  The color was peaking about the same time that the remnants of Hurricane Nate had just brought some soaking rains to West Virginia. With the recent runoff, my hike along Red Creek was well timed.  

Red Creek at Dolly Sods Red Creek at Dolly Sods Wilderness in West Virginia

A trip to West Virginia would not be complete without visiting the most photographed spot in West Virginia, Babcock Mill at Babcock Mill State Park. 

Babcock Mill

However, I find more pleasure in finding and photographing spots that aren't as iconic and well known, such as this lone shapely bare tree next to a calm pond in the fog at Canaan Valley State Park.

Lone Tree & Pond

We are heading into the heart of fall foliage season in the Ozarks of Arkansas as it seems to be on target for peaking during the usual time of late October and early November.  That will be the subject of my next blog post.