Rocky Mountains Fall Photo Adventures – Sept 19-28 2025
Saturday September 20th
Sunrise Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre 6:46am
18300 W. Alameda Parkway Morrison, CO 80465
39.666380949625356, -105.20754219350177
Visitor center 7a to 7pm
20 mins to Breakfast with Celina 52 folks at Snooze, an A.M. Eatery
7240 W 56th Ave Ste 100, Arvada, CO 80002
3 hours to Monarch Pass 38.49592115994591, -106.3255700502688
1.25 hours to Ohio Creek Rd / Route 730 for views of the Castles
38.77587864826286, -107.0643216404867
30 mins to Kebler Pass 38.85036525972626, -107.09969289772776
38.86229894293494, -107.09679072567641
3 hours to Rifle Falls State Park, 5775 Highway 325, 10379 CO-325, Rifle, CO 81650
Park: Daily, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Stay with Howard and Katie
20 Hunter Hill Rd
Crested Butte, CO 81224
Maybe Maroon bells that night
Sunday, September 21st
2 hours to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
visitor center 8-5pm
38.55477581398337, -107.686668811846
9800 Highway 347
Montrose, CO 81401
2 hours to Colorado National Monument
39.0358307391656, -108.63049231817345
Independence Monument View 39.09344915059629, -108.73248279311456
Saddlehorn Visitor Center 9-5
1750 Rimrock Dr, Fruita, CO 81521
39.10105586099655, -108.73475619266442
2 hours to Dinosaur National Monument
Canyon Visitor Center, 4545 US-40, Dinosaur, CO 81610
40.243663995394016, -108.97331908947888
Sunday and Monday:9:00 AM–5:00 PM
Tuesday and Wednesday:Closed
Thursday-Saturday:9:00 AM–5:00 PM
30 mins to Quarry Visitor Center, 11625 E 1500 S, Jensen, UT 84035 – daily 9-5
1 hour to Flaming Gorge Dam Visitor Center 9-4pm
40.91422550284711, -109.42470023562987
Maybe hotel in Northern Utah
Monday, September 22nd
City of Rocks National Reserve Visitor Center 8-4:30
42.091209633831554, -113.63256504468842
3035 S Elba Almo Rd, Almo, ID 83312
50 mins to Minidoka National Historic Site
42.678753268685576, -114.24400783158617
1428 Hunt Rd, Jerome, ID 83338
The visitor center is open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 10 am to 5 pm.
If the visitor center is not open during your visit, please check the After Hours Box for brochures and the passport stamp. The historic site grounds are open year-round for self-guided walking tours.
30 mins to Shoshone Falls Park 42.59362480447763, -114.40173907696874
Sunset Memorial Park 2296 Kimberly Rd, Twin Falls, ID 83301
Anna Shaw Pinehurst Gardens, Lot 441 42.545675, -114.437488
Known as Lyda Anna Mae Trueblood, The Black Widow, Lady Bluebeard, and America’s first female serial killer.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1484/anna-shaw
1.5 hours Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument Visitor Center 9-5
42.83178376567522, -114.89190096785853
17970 U.S. Hwy 30
Hagerman, ID 83332
Idaho State Capitol Building700 W Jefferson St, Boise, ID 83702
Maybe hotel near Craters of the Moon or Mountain home or Arco, ID?
Tuesday, September 23rd
3.5 hours to Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve 8-6pm
43.461838095845316, -113.56201602547524
3.75 hours to Big Hole National Battlefield 9-5 daily
45.64106197922228, -113.64316966042097
16425 Highway 43 West
Wisdom, MT 59761
3 hours to SW of Great Falls
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8742943/mary_dunne-fields
47.287249, -111.703503
30 mins to Great Falls
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6261001/george-montgomery
47.466845, -111.269631
3 hours to Bozeman
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/220/henry_tompkins_paige-comstock
https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/21131/famous-memorials
Maybe get a hotel near Gardiner
Wednesday, September 24th
Gardiner, MT
Roosevelt Arch 45.02957325006611, -110.70873294466838
4 hours to Go through through Yellowstone Beartooth Scenic Highway to Bighorn Canyon Visitor Center 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM; Tuesday through Saturday.
20 U.S. 14, Lovell, WY 82431
44.838055353121355, -108.37691433736458
2.5 hours to Top of The World Store 8am-7pm
44.94273037290846, -109.55992134987689
On way stop by welcome sign 45.08702417710875, -109.3301759187903
2.5 hours to Bighorn Canyon Visitor Center
8:30 AM – 4:30 PM; Tuesday through Saturday.
20 U.S. 14, Lovell, WY 82431
44.838055353121355, -108.37691433736458
Maybe swim at the bath house https://wyoparks.wyo.gov/index.php/places-to-go/hot-springs168 Tepee St, Thermopolis, WY 82443
Try to get to Green River, Wy or Little America for the night.
Thursday, September 25th
Shuttle Crystal Mill or Town of Crystal (Round Trip) Perfect for Photography
Thursday, Sep 25th – 2:00PM – 7:00PM
YOUR BOOKING
- Activity: Shuttle Crystal Mill or Town of Crystal (Round Trip) Perfect for Photography
Friday, September 26th
1.5 hours to dancing (or drunken) Aspens of Ophir, Colorado
37.858321, -107.811392 aspen trees are here but park here 37.858651, -107.811449
trees are located off the side of the road, about 50 yards east of Ophir on Ophir’s Pass
Right outside of ophir, just a little bit up the road on the right as you drive thru town and leave on ophir pass! Sunrise = sunburst and sunset is better front light, but either are great!
Sunshine Mountain Scenic Overview 37.881065670661414, -107.8877796452445
overlook views 37.896862646913036, -107.8904190171324
30 mins to Free Gondola to Telluride – Mountain Village Station
697 Mountain Village Blvd, Mountain Village, CO 81435
Mattie Ross’ Ranch (True Grit) 38.07623211158792, -107.935954572639
San Juan Mountains Scenic View 38.09929901405105, -107.8715833719659
Last Dollar Road A sweeping view of Wilson Peak and Wilson Mesa and its many aspen groves, as seen from Last Dollar Mountain
reflections off crystal lake on the million dollar highway 37.95958683555774, -107.66249986000452
Million dollar highway curve 37.87281192177268, -107.73749297643867
Silverton Overlook 37.80485446928508, -107.67601154892397
Molas Pass View point
37.76548838096504, -107.67708828946417
Molas Pass Cabin
1814 County Rd 70, Silverton, CO 81433
37.76260732612218, -107.68018704791712
Sleep at Maroon Bells
Saturday, September 27th
Sunrise 7:01 for Maroon Bells, leave car by 6am for this spot to photograph sunrise 39.09815907983015, -106.9431462656958
and hike to crater lake
option one Kebler pass / the castles and rifle state park for another round at peak color
or
Maybe 5 hours to Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center 38.29128288156774, -111.26175595943951
If time allows Pando Aspen Tree, Utah It is one of the world’s largest and oldest known organisms.
Maybe eat at Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm 4-9pm
20 UT-12, Boulder, UT 84716
Hans Flat Ranger Station 8-3 daily
38.25515397134307, -110.1796611040386
2282 Resource Blvd
Moab, UT 84532
Natural Bridges National Monument Visitor Center
37.6090956359808, -109.97704312675619
- Sunday and Monday:9:00 AM–4:00 PM
- Tuesday and Wednesday:Closed
- Thursday-Saturday:9:00 AM–4:00 PM
If Friday night doesn’t work out try Saturday night to arrive after midnight to Maroon Bells
Sunday, September 28th
Berthoud Pass curve 39.769819, -105.81605
King Soopers memorial 3600 Table Mesa Dr, Boulder, CO 80305
7 mins Green Mountain Cemetery
https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/57314/famous-memorials?page=1#sr-9466262
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6220/george-gamow 39.9942017,-105.2694016
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7362851/wiley-blount-rutledge 39.993949, -105.269600
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7119723/dean-reed
5 mins Flatiron views 39.998903, -105.282747
4 mins View of Boulder and Denver Panorama Point 760 Flagstaff Rd, Boulder, CO 80302 – 40.005961, -105.292615
5 mins Columbia Cemetery
Thomas “Tom” Horn Jr. 40.0079528,-105.2832417
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/506/thomas-horn
1 hour to Runza in Loveland
18 mins to Buc-ee’s, 5201 Nugget Rd, Berthoud, CO 80513
Head towards airport / maybe Denver skyline shots
