Guanella Pass

A couple friends recently told us about the fall colors at Guanella Pass, so we decided to check it out. The scenic byway starts just south of historic Georgetown, and climbs up to the 11,670-foot summit. We set out around sunrise; mainly because that’s when Biscuits usually wakes us up, but we also wanted to avoid any mountain traffic.

The winding road traveled through a sweeping valley full of evergreens and yellow aspens, with a few lakes scattered throughout. After living in Colorado for five years, Dave and I couldn’t believe we have never driven this road before – especially since it was so close to our house! 

The summit was absolutely beautiful, and unexpected. We had no clue this type of landscape existed outside of Rocky Mountain National Park. We hiked a short trail through the alpine tundra, with 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains.

The other side of the pass offered even more fall foliage, and a hazy blue river running alongside the road. We also saw a big horn sheep with her baby! 

The next section reminded us of the Blue Ridge Parkway; lined with a hand-crafted wood fence and dense forest in all directions. We stopped at an open meadow to see a group of horses before turning around and heading back into town. 

Georgetown was established in 1859 during the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush; although the town became popular for the large discovery of silver years later. Dave and I browsed a few shops and grabbed an early lunch, where we decided to add Guanella Pass to our annual leaf peeping list!