DENVER (KDVR) — The Denver metro area is seeing lots of color as fall leaves are reaching their vibrant peak of the season.
Colorado has some of the best places in the nation for fall foliage, but leaves have already fallen and left bare branches in many areas of the high country, and some ski areas are preparing to open for winter sports.
Meanwhile, in the Mile High City, the foliage is just getting started.
FOX31’s Pinpoint Weather team put together a forecast map showing when and where leaves would peak across the state. There may still be some color left in the foothills, but the metro area is where leaf-peepers will want to go for the remainder of the season.
Last weekend was not ideal weather for leaf-peeping, but the Denver weather forecast for the coming days looks a lot more pleasant, at least before the sun sets around 6:25 p.m.
- Friday
- Sunny with a few clouds and high temperatures in the 60s
- Saturday
- Sunny with highs in the lower 60s and an afternoon breeze
- Sunday
- Sunny and warm with highs in the 70s and a light breeze
Here are some places to take a stroll in the autumn colors around the metro.
University of Denver arboretum
2199 S. University Blvd.
The University of Denver and the surrounding areas did not use to have trees, as not many deciduous trees are native to the high plains. But thanks to a Denver pioneer’s conditions for how his land would be developed for the university, the campus makes for a great leaf-viewing spot today.
Throughout the University of Denver campus is the Chester M. Alter Arboretum with over 2,000 trees of hundreds of different species, including 10 state champion trees, the largest of their species in the state.
The arboretum is free for anyone to visit any day of the year. Visitors can find an information kiosk near the southwest corner of the Mary Reed Building and a map detailing where each tree can be found online.
Washington Park
701 S. Franklin St.
There are some 2,000 trees in Washington Park, including several species that change colors and some champion trees. Most of the trees are estimated to be around 150 years old, as they were planted after settling occurred.
The Friends and Neighbors of Washington Park organization has put together a guide for 84 different tree species found in the park. Some of the trees have red flags with numbers to help visitors identify the tree. The guide also has information about trees at South High School near the park, which is home to some species not seen at the park and some Colorado Champions.
Additionally, several streets in the area are lined with silver maple, ash, walnut, American elm and other trees.
City Park
2001 Colorado Blvd.
The largest urban park in the city has lots of deciduous trees and great views of the mountain peaks you can see from Denver.
It is also home to a famous 109-year-old tree: the Shakespeare Elm, a wych elm, which was planted exactly 300 years after William Shakespeare died on April 23, 1916. Historians cannot confirm, but legend has it the tree grew from a scion taken from Shakespeare’s grave in England.
There are plenty of sidewalk trails that weave throughout the park as well as benches and areas to have picnics.
Cheesman Park
1599 E. 8th Ave.
Cheesman Park has lots of trees and walking trails, but that’s not the only reason why this is a great spot for fall activities.
The park was once a cemetery before the city got permission from Congress in 1890 to use the land for a park. Many bodies were moved to Riverside Cemetery, however, historians estimate there may still be thousands buried under the grass.
From 2010 to 2012, construction at the park led to the discovery of eight bodies, a Denver Parks and Recreation spokesperson told FOX31. There are stories of people finding bones in the park, however, experts say those may just be stories to scare people, and most bodies are likely still several feet below the ground.
Sloan’s Lake
1700 Sheridan Blvd.
The Sloan’s Lake park is lined with many deciduous trees of various colors, making for vibrant views that reflect on the water against a background of the city skyline.
The area wasn’t always a park — or even a lake. According to the Denver Public Library, it was used as agricultural land in the mid-1800s before Thomas M. Sloan tapped into a water aquifer while digging a well in 1861, creating a 200-acre lake almost overnight.
The area quickly became an attraction with activities like boating, swimming and ice skating.
South High Street
Between Louisiana Avenue and Alameda Avenue
South High Street is a great place to see leaves for anyone who wants to take a stroll or those who may want to stay in the comfort of their vehicles.
The street between Louisiana Avenue and Alameda Avenue, near Washington Park, is lined with hundreds of trees of various species. According to DLC Landscape and Arbor, there are 57 silver maple trees that are around 75-100 years old each.
Though many American elm trees in the neighborhood have been lost to Dutch Elm disease over the years, DLC said on its blog that there are two “huge” ones on High Street with limbs that interweave above the street.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
