Bear Lake Corridor, Rocky Mountain National Park
National park · Colorado
Bull elk bugle across Moraine Park's meadows through the September rut while aspen gild the slopes above Bear Lake at 9,450 feet. A timed-entry permit governs this corridor of Rocky Mountain National Park during peak fall weeks.
Don’t miss
Peak: September 28–October 2
Color builds from September 17 · mostly bare by October 22
Sampled at Bear Lake Corridor, Rocky Mountain National Park’s own coordinates and elevation (2899 m) rather than a regional average.
This window comes from 54 weather points across Colorado, nudged 2 days earlier to match 2 published peak dates from csfs.colostate.edu and smokymountains.com. This year's weather has the peak running 3 days earlier than a normal year. How the forecast works
When to go to Bear Lake Corridor, Rocky Mountain National Park
The color window runs about 22 days, holding until around October 9. Against Colorado overall, that is 10 days earlier. Height explains the gap, since this sits at 9,511 ft. At 9,511 ft, it turns before the lower ground nearby.
It is roughly 53 mi out of Denver.
Bear Lake Corridor, Rocky Mountain National Park on the map
Drag the date slider to see when color reaches this corner of Colorado, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.
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Frequently asked
- When does Bear Lake Corridor, Rocky Mountain National Park peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for September 28–October 2 (best estimate September 30). Color starts around September 17 and is mostly bare by October 22.
- How do I get to Bear Lake Corridor, Rocky Mountain National Park?
- The closest city is Denver, about 53 mi away. It's part of Colorado's fall lineup.
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