COME TO LIFE / Fall Color U-PICK FARMS & CORN MAZES When harvest season arrives, Colorado’s farms swing open their gates for fall fun in the fields. Load up the whole family for wallet-friendly learnin’, pickin’ and eatin’ — all the while supporting local growers and businesses. A FEW TO CONSIDER: Cottonwood Farms in Boulder Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield Farms in Littleton Fritzler’s Corn Maze near Greeley Miller Farms in Platteville Anderson Farms in Erie Colon Orchards in Cañon City Studt’s Pumpkin Patch in Grand Junction Weathers Family Farms in Yuma Mesa Verde Farm & Ranch Tours in Cortez HORSEBACK RIDING: Few activities embody the West like an old-fashioned horseback ride. Some-how, aspen viewing, wild-life watching, sightseeing and simply enjoying the outdoors are a different experience when sitting astride a saddle. Consider a trail for the day or book a vacation at a Colorado dude ranch. OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLES (OHV): Travel deep into aspen-covered backcountry while riding a four-wheeler, ATV or 4x4 vehicle. Forest trails, often explored by just a handful of visitors, abound in Colorado. Find yourself surrounded by speckled aspen bark, as a golden canopy of color rises above you. GO FOR THE GONDOLA: Many of Colorado’s 28 ski resorts (see page 27) offer scenic chairlift rides — throughout summer and fall. Hop on, relax and survey the colorful trail-carved mountainsides as you glide to the summit. Many have scenic overlooks and places to grab a bite and a brew before you head back down the slopes. WEST ELK LOOP: Near Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Montrose, this byway winds around the West Elk Mountains and two mountain towns famous for their biking cultures: Gunnison and Crested Butte. TOP OF THE ROCKIES: Well over 9,000 feet, this elevated ride crosses the Continental Divide and passes through Copper Mountain, Leadville and Aspen. PEAK TO PEAK: The pot of gold at the end of this byway near Rocky Mountain National Park provides a gorgeous encore of vibrant fall foliage. WANT MORE? COLORADO.COM/FALL 40 / 1-800-COLORADO CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: FRITZLER CORN MAZE; NEAR TELLURIDE, LISA SEAMAN; MILLION DOLLAR HIGHWAY NEAR OURAY, MIKE BORUTA; VISTA VERDE RANCH. BIKE THE BYWAYS: Our 26 official Scenic and Historic Byways meander through breathtaking sceneries and, during autumn, the sights are absolutely mag-ical. Byways are known for driving, but who’s to stop foliage-hungry cyclists from taking on a challenge with such glorious rewards? Check out these color-soaked byways (and see page 74 for more):
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2020: Page 40
