Autumn in Rocky Mountain National Park is now it in waining stages. What was a spectacular crescendo of color is slowly slipping to back to browns and grays as the length of days continue to shorten, nights get colder, and those showers instead of producing rain, now often produce snow flakes. The best of the fall color in RMNP is now behind us, but with that said there are still many opportunities for photographers in the park.
Trail Ridge Road had reopened last week but was closed again this weekend as snow was predicted to fall. While little snow actually fell, we will have to see if the NPS reopens Trail Ridge Road for a few more days or decides to call it good for the season.
Lakes and streams are still free from ice and offer good opportunities on those windless mornings. Trails are mostly still free of snow except for those in shade at or near timberline. Access overall to Rocky and its trails are still very good so we still have a little time before snowpack starts to build and covers the trails and the lakes and ponds ice over.
As far as the remaining fall color goes, there are some good patches, especially in the lower elevations of Rocky Mountain National Park and some locations in and around Lumpy Ridge and the town of Estes Park. Higher elevations such as the Bierstadt Moraine are for the most part now bare or only have a few random aspen trees here and there with leaves remaining.
Park still has some color as does Beaver Meadow and Horseshoe Park. Willows, wind sheltered trees and those in and around streams such as the area near the Alluvial Fan still have some potential. Intimate landscape scenes will tend to work better if one is just looking for fall color. Think of aspens leaves on the forest floor and covering the shores of a river or stream.
The weather looks like its going to be seasonal for the rest of the week in Rocky with it trending towards cold and unsettled by next weekend. While there is still much to photograph, straight up fall color photography in Rocky Mountain National Park is quickly becoming more challenging and will required some creativity moving forward.
While Autumn in Colorado is such an amazing time of year, it comes and goes way too quickly but its still worth searching for those hidden gems that may only remain for an even shorter time before the brown season moves on in.