Colorado in the Fall with a Baby: Golden Aspens, Twin Lakes and Garden of the Gods
A long weekend in Colorado with an eight-month-old during peak fall color: Denver and Golden, aspen hikes with a baby hiking carrier, the road through Twin Lakes and Leadville, the Arkansas Valley near Buena Vista, and Garden of the Gods.
Colorado has a special place in our hearts. We’ve driven the van through its mountain towns more times than I can count. This September we flew out for a quick trip to catch the aspens with Andi, who at eight months was finally big enough for a real hiking carrier.
Jack stayed home for this one. It was a short flying trip, and we spent most of it on trails.
- Route
- Denver and Golden → aspens near Kenosha Pass → Buena Vista → Twin Lakes and Leadville → Nathrop → Colorado Springs → Denver
- How long
- 6 days
- Who came
- Colin, me and Andi (8 months). Jack stayed home.
- Getting around
- Flew into Denver, then a rental car
- Best for
- Peak fall color in mid-to-late September and easy hikes with a baby carrier
Denver and Golden
We flew into Denver and spent our first couple of days with friends around Denver and Golden. It was a slow, easy start, and Andi got to play with a new baby friend. We even caught a rainbow over the neighborhood.
Aspens near Kenosha Pass
On the 20th we drove southwest out of the city into the mountains near Grant and Kenosha Pass, and the aspens were right at their peak. Whole hillsides were glowing gold. Andi rode in her framed hiking carrier, high enough to see everything.
Twin Lakes, Leadville and the Arkansas Valley
The next day we did a big loop around the upper Arkansas Valley: up to Twin Lakes, through Leadville, and back down toward Buena Vista and Nathrop. The roads up there are some of the prettiest in the state, winding through aspens with fourteeners all around.
Near Nathrop we pulled over above the valley, with the road snaking down below, and Andi did a pop-up that’s still one of our favorites.
Garden of the Gods
On our last full day we drove to Colorado Springs and hiked through Garden of the Gods with Andi in the carrier. The red rock spires against a blue sky are wild, and the main trails are short and easy.
Colorado in the fall with a baby: what worked
- Go in mid-to-late September for the aspens. They peak at different times at different elevations, so check a fall color report before you go.
- A framed hiking carrier made real trails possible at eight months.
- Layers and a warm hat. Mornings in the mountains were cold, and afternoons were warm and sunny.
- Take the altitude seriously. Keep the first day easy, offer plenty of feeds and fluids, and ask your pediatrician before you go high with a baby.
- Sun protection. The sun is strong at elevation. A stroller fan and shade helped on warm afternoons.
More Colorado
Colorado is where we’ve done some of our best van trips with Jack. Our guide to Colorado’s mountain towns by van with a dog, from Telluride to Crested Butte to Breckenridge, is coming soon.
