Kebler Pass
Scenic drive · Colorado
Colorado Highway 12 crosses 10,007-foot Kebler Pass between Crested Butte and Paonia through the largest contiguous aspen forest in North America, a 30-mile drive, partly unpaved, that turns solid gold by late September.
Don’t miss
Peak: September 27–October 1
Color builds from September 16 · mostly bare by October 21
Sampled at Kebler Pass’s own coordinates and elevation (3045 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 Kebler Pass
Good color holds through about October 8, giving you roughly 22 days from the first turn to past peak. That is about 11 days earlier than Colorado as a whole. The 9,990 ft elevation accounts for most of the difference.
Kebler Pass 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.
More things to do in Colorado
Leaves & views
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Frequently asked
- When does Kebler Pass peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for September 27–October 1 (best estimate September 29). Color starts around September 16 and is mostly bare by October 21.
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