Enter The Rockies On An Unbelievably Scenic Byway Passing Through Cute Historic Towns

While Denver is one of the best winter destinations in the U.S. mostly due to its proximity to the Rockies, the shoulder season can be just as full of mountain magic. The dizzyingly high drive along the Guanella Pass Scenic Byway might just be the ultimate autumnal Denver day trip, a thrilling automotive adventure that will have you soaring up above the tree line for a taste of that legendary Rocky Mountain High. And it's something you can't even do in the winter, as the pass closes for the season in late November, and doesn't open again until wildflower season in the spring. 

Once you get a glimpse of the golden landscape, you may not want to come back down. And as the drive begins and ends in two adorable towns, with plenty of dude ranches, mountain lodges, and campgrounds along your route, you don't necessarily have to. From Denver, it's just 40 minutes to the route's jumping-off point in the quaint little hamlet of Grant. Make a note to stop in at the Shaggy Sheep, inside a rustic, forest green log cabin, on your way home for what's been called the best burger in Colorado. Then it's 24 steep, scenic miles to Georgetown, with some of the state's most scenic hiking trails along the way.

The Abyss Trail is legendary among Colorado fall color-seekers and the parking lot, just 5 miles from Grant, can fill up early. The views don't begin until you've logged a couple of miles, but once they do, the sight of aspen-covered hillsides splashed in bright yellow and orange, as if the mountaintop gods had spilled a bucket or two of celestial paint, will take your breath away before the altitude gets the chance. Few leaf-lovers hike all the way out and back along this 6-mile trail, but the farther you go, the more solitude you'll have.

You might see a herd of curious bighorn sheep or even a moose as you get back on the road and continue to wind up into the mountains, and you'll eventually drive out of the trees and into the alpine tundra, to the summit of the pass itself, where there's a parking lot and a short walk to an overlook. But there's also a hike here — if you're particularly hardy.

Want to join a pretty exclusive club? Then seize this opportunity to hike one of Colorado's 14ers, the collection of mountain summits over 14,000 feet. Some are difficult and dangerous like Maroon Peak, but Mt. Bierstadt, hikable right from Guanella Pass, is widely considered to be a fantastic entry-level mountain, with a 3.1-mile trail to the summit (pictured). Just be sure to get an early start and watch the weather forecast. Looking down at cotton ball clouds reflected in Abyss Lake, you'll feel like a mountain goat yourself standing there. It's a heady feeling, worth the exertion it takes to climb 2,700 feet at altitude. Or maybe that feeling is dizziness?

About 10 miles from the summit pass, you'll arrive in historic Georgetown. This is such a picture-perfect Western-style mountain town that you'll be looking over your shoulder for gunslingers, gold miners, and madams as you stroll downtown looking for a saloon bar to sidle up to. Keep strolling and you'll end up back in the 21st century at Lake Georgetown, where you can sit on the patio with a warming pint of mocha oatmeal stout at Cabin Creek Brewing. You might even recognize some familiar faces from the day's hike at this outdoorsy gathering place. Then bundle up and hop on the Georgetown Loop Railroad for a 70-minute ride in an open-sided train car pulled by a cartoonishly wonderful red steam engine that will take you through history on a narrow-gauge track built in the 1880s. 

Whether you're hiking, riding a steam engine, or driving a Prius, make sure to prepare your body for the mountainous environment of the Rockies. At over 11,000 feet, the altitude gained going over Guanella Pass will have both you and your car struggling to get enough oxygen, so be sure to acclimate before heading out and up, and be sure your jalopy is tuned up, too. Be prepared as well for extreme swings in temperature, in any season, so learn to layer-up and dress like a Coloradan.