DENVER (KDVR) — The Denver metro area is seeing a lot of color as the fall leaves reach their vibrant peak for the season.
Colorado has some of the best places in the country for fall foliage, but the leaves have already fallen and left bare branches in many high country areas, and some ski areas are preparing to open their doors for winter sports.
Meanwhile, in Mile High City, the foliage is just beginning to appear.
FOX31’s Pinpoint Weather team put together a forecast map showing when and where foliage will peak across the state. There may still be some color left in the foothills, but the metro area is where foliage lovers will want to go for the rest of the season.
This past weekend wasn’t ideal weather for leaf peeping, but Denver’s weather forecast for the coming days is looking a lot more pleasant, at least before sunset 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 stroll in fall colors around the metro.
University of Denver Arboretum
2199 S. University Avenue.
The University of Denver and its surrounding areas were treeless, as there are not many deciduous trees in the high plains. But thanks to stipulations set by a Denver pioneer regarding how his land would be developed for the university, the campus is a great place to view the foliage today.
Throughout the University of Denver campus is the Chester M. Alter Arboretum, which houses more than 2,000 trees of hundreds of different species, including 10State champion treesThe largest of its kind in the state.
The nursery isFree for anyone to visitAny day of the year. Visitors can find an information kiosk near the southwest corner of the Mary Read and AA map detailing where each tree can be foundconnected.
Washington Park
701 S. Franklin Street
There are about 2,000 trees in Washington Park, including many species that change colors and some champion trees. Most of the trees are estimated to be about 150 years old, as they were planted after settlement.
Friends and Neighbors of Washington Park has compiled a A guide to 84 different tree species Found in the garden. Some trees have red flags with numbers to help visitors identify the tree. The guide also contains information about the trees at South High School near the park, which are home to some species not seen in the park and some Colorado heroes.
In addition, many streets in the area are lined with silver maple, ash, walnut, American elm, and other trees.
City Park
2001 Colorado Blvd.
The city’s largest urban park has plenty of deciduous trees and great views of the mountain peaks you can see from Denver.
It’s also home to a famous 109-year-old tree: the Shakespeare Elm, which was planted exactly 300 years after William Shakespeare’s death on April 23, 1916. Historians can’t confirm this, but legend has it that the tree grew from a scion taken from Shakespeare’s grave in England.
There are plenty of sidewalk paths weaving throughout the park as well as benches and picnic areas.
Cheeseman Park
1599 AH. Eighth Avenue.
Cheeseman Park has plenty of trees and walking trails, but that’s not the only reason this place is a great place for fall activities.
The park was once a cemetery before the city received 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 these may just be stories to scare people, and it is likely that most of the bodies are still several feet underground.
Sloan Lake
1700 Sheridan Blvd.
Sloan Lake Park is lined with many deciduous trees of varying colors, providing vibrant views reflected on the water against the backdrop of the city skyline.
The area was not always a park, or even a lake. According to the Denver Public LibraryIt was used as farmland in the mid-1800s before Thomas M. Sloan tapped the aquifer while drilling a well in 1861, creating a 200-acre lake almost overnight.
The area quickly became a magnet for activities such as boating, swimming and ice skating.
South High Street
Between Louisiana Avenue and Alameda Street
South High Street is a great place to view the foliage for anyone who wants to take a stroll or for those who may want to stay in the comfort of their cars.
The street between Louisiana Avenue and Alameda Street, near Washington Park, is lined with hundreds of trees of various types. According to the DLC Landscape and ArborThere are 57 silver maple trees, each of which is about 75-100 years old.
Although several American elm trees in the neighborhood have been lost to Dutch elm disease over the years, the DLC said on its blog that there are two “massive” trees on High Street with limbs that tangle over the street.