Colorado Conditions
A few always-current trackers, plus posts from Chris.
Posts
A Week in the Most Magical Place in Colorado: Crested Butte in Fall
We missed our usual July wildflower trip this year, so we rescheduled Crested Butte for the first week of October. Castles at sunrise, aspen forests, horseback rides, and a few very unbothered cows.
A Moody Fall Weekend in Breckenridge
Sunrise at Boreas Pass, a double rainbow, a hike to Aspen Alley with my 7-year-old, and the best rock find of my life — that he found without even trying.
Chasing Fall Color From Summit County to Leadville (With Two Highway Closures In Between)
A 4:45am alarm, a closed highway, missed sunrise, and still one of the better fall color days I've had this year — Old Dillon Dam, Turquoise Lake, and a lot of time sitting in traffic.
Guides
In-depth guides to the big Colorado photo trips. All guides
Colorado Winter Hikes With Low Avalanche Risk
Snowshoe routes away from avalanche terrain, and the popular ones that aren't.
Rocky Mountain National Park Photography Guide
Timed entry, the best lakes and overlooks, wildlife rules and winter.
Indian Peaks Wilderness Hiking & Photo Guide
Brainard, Hessie, Fourth of July and Lone Eagle, with permits and rules.
Colorado History Hikes & Historic Places
Ghost towns, rail grades, lookouts, cliff dwellings and memorials.
Hidden Gem Photo Spots in Colorado
Thirty quieter spots statewide, and how to share them responsibly.
Colorado Hot Springs Guide: Resorts to Wild Pools
Fifteen springs: reservations, prices, rules and photo etiquette.
Caves in Colorado: Tours, Wild Caves & Photo Tips
Show caves, wild caves, bat rules and underground photo tips.
Northern Lights in Colorado: Where & How to See Them
What Kp level you need, where to go, and the settings that work.
Maroon Bells Reservations & Photo Guide
Shuttle vs. parking, sunrise access, peak aspen and where to stand.
Colorado Winter Photography: Spots & Tips
Easy winter spots, driving rules, avalanche basics and snow exposure.
Milky Way Photography in Colorado: Where & When
Milky Way season, the darkest places in Colorado and settings.
Colorado Fall Colors: When & Where Aspens Peak
Peak timing by region, the best drives and how to shoot aspen.
Colorado Wildflower Season: Where & When to Go
When the meadows bloom and the best wildflower hikes.
Seasonal round-ups
Rebuilt every day, so they don't go stale. Aspen, wildflower and wildlife timing is estimated from each spot's typical season, not live sightings; the stargazing page is calculated from the moon and the Milky Way. Live forecasts and road, gauge and snow sensors are on Planning Your Shot.
Best Aspen Color Spots Right Now
Which aspen spots are typically at peak, near peak, or still weeks out this time of year.
Best Wildflower Spots Right Now
Where Colorado's wildflower meadows typically bloom this time of year, from lower valleys to alpine tundra.
Best Nights for Stargazing Right Now
The next real dark-sky window, any meteor showers lining up with it, and whether it's even Milky Way season.
Best Wildlife to Watch For Right Now
Elk rut, crane migration, bear activity and more: which Colorado wildlife events usually happen this time of year.