When do the leaves change in Denver?
Denver's street maples and the cottonwoods along the South Platte turn gold in mid-October — a week or two after the famous aspen show sweeps the high country an hour west of town.
Peak: October 3–October 17
Color builds from September 25 · mostly bare by November 1
Method: daily ERA5 temperatures (Open-Meteo) drive a photoperiod + chilling phenology model, sampled at Denver’s own coordinates rather than a regional average. Dates are computed for Denver at 1599 m — about 1.6 days later than the surrounding terrain. Estimates, not promises — street trees vary block to block. Check locally before you plan around a weekend.
Fall activities in Denver
Where locals go
Things to do in fall in Denver
Orchards, cider, haunts, and harvest season — the iconic fall stops within a day trip of Denver.
Denver Oktoberfest
Fall festivalColor nearby peaks October 10
Denver's Ballpark neighborhood shuts down Larimer Street for the longest running Oktoberfest in the country, now more than five decades old, with steins, brats, and a stein hoisting contest spread across two free weekends in September.
Don’t miss: Longest-running US Oktoberfest · Two weekends on Larimer Street · Free to attend
13th Floor Haunted House Denver
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks October 11
Denver's long-running haunt, run by Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group - the outfit behind over 15 haunted houses nationwide. The Halloween run goes select nights from Sep 11 to Nov 14 at the East 52nd Avenue warehouse, with Krampus and Valentine's shows filling the off-season.
Don’t miss: Select nights, Sep to mid-Nov · Warehouse-scale build · Off-season Krampus shows
Chatfield Farms
FarmColor nearby peaks October 8
Denver Botanic Gardens' working farm south of the city spreads a pumpkin patch across ten acres and cuts a new corn maze into the fields every fall, with hayrides and an antique tractor display filling out the grounds. There is even pumpkin daycare, so you are not hauling one around all day.
Don’t miss: 10-acre pumpkin patch, pumpkin daycare · 7-acre corn maze · Hayrides and antique tractors
Cottonwood Farms
21 miPumpkin patch
Color nearby peaks October 8
A Boulder County pumpkin patch and corn maze on Isabelle Road, run by Bob and Amy, whose family has farmed in Colorado since the 1850s. Flat Front Range fields with the Boulder foothills on the skyline make it an easy stop between Boulder and Lafayette.
Don’t miss: Pumpkin patch and corn maze · Foothills views from the field · Family farming since the 1850s
in Colorado
Anderson Farms
25 miPumpkin patch
Color nearby peaks October 9
A multi-generation family farm in Erie with over 7 miles of corn maze trails cut at three difficulty levels, plus 40-odd acres of pumpkin fields growing some 70 varieties. After dark the same corn becomes Terror in the Corn, a separately ticketed haunt.
Don’t miss: 7+ miles of maze trails · About 70 pumpkin varieties · Terror in the Corn after dark
in Colorado
Estes Park
52 miHistoric town
Color nearby peaks September 28
Rocky Mountain National Park's eastern gateway fills with visiting elk that wander onto golf courses and downtown lawns each fall rut, while the 1909 Stanley Hotel and Riverwalk shops anchor a town built around the autumn tourist season.
Don’t miss: Elk wandering into town during rut · Historic Stanley Hotel
in Colorado
Guides
2026 Fall Foliage Forecast: When Leaves Peak in Every State
Our 2026 fall foliage forecast for the US and Canada, region by region, built from ERA5 weather data and a phenology model, with live peak dates on the map.
5 Leaf-Peeping Road Trips for 2026
Five real fall road trips for 2026, from Vermont's Route 100 to Germany's Alpine Road, with route feel, standout stops, and how many days to plan for each.
Frequently asked
- When do leaves peak in Denver in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 3–October 17 (best estimate October 10). Color starts around September 25 and trees are mostly bare by November 1. These dates are computed for Denver itself — at 1599 m elevation — from the same weather model as the tracker.
- When is fall foliage season in Denver?
- Denver colors during autumn (September–November). Denver's street maples and the cottonwoods along the South Platte turn gold in mid-October — a week or two after the famous aspen show sweeps the high country an hour west of town.
- What's the best foliage near Denver?
- Bear Lake Corridor, Rocky Mountain National Park (53 mi). For a longer trip: Colorado (58 mi, peak ~October 14); Wyoming (260 mi, peak ~October 11); Nebraska (293 mi, peak ~October 21).
- What are the best things to do in fall in Denver?
- Beyond the leaves: Denver Oktoberfest (1 mi); 13th Floor Haunted House Denver (4 mi); Chatfield Farms (14 mi); Cottonwood Farms (21 mi); Anderson Farms (25 mi). All of them are mapped on this page.
- What are the best things to do in autumn near Denver?
- Come autumn — autumn (September–November) — locals head for Denver Oktoberfest (1 mi); 13th Floor Haunted House Denver (4 mi); Chatfield Farms (14 mi); Cottonwood Farms (21 mi); Anderson Farms (25 mi). Each is on the map with the distance from Denver.