Coloradans heading into the mountains to bask in the fall colors this weekend should plan for a very slow drive surrounded by thousands of their fellow leaf-peepers, according to state transportation officials.
Friday through Sunday will likely be some of the busiest travel days of the season as folks flock to higher elevations to enjoy the changing leaves, Colorado Department of Transportation officials said Thursday.
Heavy traffic, significant delays and major backups are expected along the Interstate 70 mountain corridor, along with “extreme congestion” on U.S. 285 between South Park and Denver as people travel to Kenosha Pass.
CDOT officials tracked a peak of 3,000 vehicles per hour passing through the Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnel during the same weekend in 2024, and road crews had to meter traffic late into the evening to keep vehicles moving safely.
Other areas of heavy I-70 traffic could include Floyd Hill and the stretch between Evergreen and Georgetown, as well as backups between Georgetown and Grant as vehicles wait to exit toward Guanella Pass.
According to CDOT, daytrippers should expect the heaviest westbound traffic in the late morning and early afternoon and the heaviest eastbound traffic starting in the late morning and into the evening.
The best bet to avoid some of the crowds is to head out early or late in the day, but delays are inevitable, state officials said.
Drivers should also think twice before taking any alternate routes to bypass the crowds, because local roads like Guanella Pass can’t handle I-70 volumes of traffic, according to CDOT.
Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.
Related Posts:
- PHOTOS: Fall colors shine on Colorado’s Guanella Pass News Despite recent snowfall, fall colors remain on aspen trees on Colorado’s Guanella Pass on Sept. 24, 2025. Related Articles PHOTOS: Fall colors begin to emerge in Colorado high country Heightened enforcement planned as Guanella Pass braces for tens of thousands of leaf-peepers Circle Sept. 20 on your calendar for peak…
- What caused young elk hunters’ mysterious deaths in Colorado mountains News Two young elk hunters found dead a week after they went missing were killed by lightning, despite the lack of signs of trauma, a Colorado coroner said. Related Articles After death on rollercoaster, Universal says ride ‘functioned as intended’ Tiger kills trainer linked to ‘Tiger King’ Joe Exotic Pickett Fire:…
- What caused young elk hunters’ mysterious deaths in Colorado mountains News Two young elk hunters found dead a week after they went missing were killed by lightning, despite the lack of signs of trauma, a Colorado coroner said. Related Articles After death on rollercoaster, Universal says ride ‘functioned as intended’ Tiger kills trainer linked to ‘Tiger King’ Joe Exotic Pickett Fire:…
- A guide to 2025 pumpkin patches, corn mazes and Colorado fall festivals News One of my favorite photos of my daughter as a toddler shows her falling over pumpkins at a preschool fall festival on University Boulevard, hay bales and scarecrows in the background. As you can see from the glorious photo taken by The Post’s R.J. Sangosti, above, in 2010, it’s a great…
- Hurricane Gabrielle tracker map shows where the major storm is heading News Hurricane Gabrielle strengthened to a Category 3 storm on Monday (Picture: AP) Storm Gabrielle in the Atlantic Ocean has strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane. Gabrielle reached that dangerous level earlier today, with sustained winds at 120mph, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. As of this afternoon, the…
(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)