The Perfect Colorado Fall Road Trip: Twin Lakes, Charlotte Hot Springs, and Camping at Taylor Reservoir

This past weekend hit peak color for almost the entire route, and it might be my favorite fall trip I've done in Colorado. Twin Lakes to Buena Vista to Cottonwood Pass to Taylor Reservoir to Boreas Pass, all in one loop. Here's exactly how it went.

Interlaken Trail at Twin Lakes

We started at the Interlaken Trail in Twin Lakes, a 5 mile out and back that runs right along the lake shore through aspen groves and pine forest, with 14ers and Independence Pass rising up behind the water the entire way. From the base you can count something like five 14ers in view.

The best part is there's basically no elevation gain, so it's a perfect fall hike with zero risk of an early snow surprise up high. My 15 year old dog Kila and my other small dog Disco both did the whole hike comfortably with only a few breaks and 'carry me' sections from Disco. They loved every minute of it.

The trail eventually leads to an abandoned homestead you can walk into and explore, including a lookout tower room at the top that you climb up to through a narrow staircase. The 360 degree view from up there peaks over the tree line and is worth the slightly sketch climb.

The trail keeps going toward other trails if you want a longer trek. You don't need 4WD to get here, just expect to park a bit further adding to the mileage. The whole hike took us about 2.5 hours.

Soaking at Charlotte Hot Springs - A Must For A Colorado Fall Road Trip Stop!

After the hike, we soaked at Charlotte Hot Springs for the sunset. It was only $30 for entry, and it was my first time there. It sits at the base of Cottonwood Pass on the Buena Vista side, basically across the street from Cottonwood Hot Springs, which I'd already been to, so I was excited to try something new.

It's a newer facility with a botanical garden, two parrots that greet you at the entrance, and plants for sale that I very much wanted to bring home but knew better than to buy mid road trip.

There are four pools ranging in temperature plus a cold plunge. It's not a huge facility, but it wasn't crowded. The pools felt clean, and they even had pool noodles, which is a small thing, but makes lounging in the water fun. Walking the garden afterward with the koi fish, turtles, and healthy, well kept plants was the perfect way to wind down. This place is a must stop for a Colorado fall road trip!

A Nervous Night Drive Over Cottonwood Pass

From there we drove up Cottonwood Pass looking for a campsite, and this is where the trip got a little more adventurous than planned. Two of the campsites we tried were closed. We ended up continuing over the Continental Divide toward Taylor Reservoir instead.

Driving Cottonwood Pass at night is not for the faint of heart. We went slow, watched for deer (saw a few), and just kept easing our way through it. The search for an open campsite got real for a bit.

Camping at Taylor Reservoir

We finally found a spot right on the shore of Taylor Reservoir at Rivers End Campground, with only one other group camped nearby. The vault toilets were clean, which always matters more than you think, and the whole site felt lit up under the moonlight. After the dense, winding drive we'd just come from, the reservoir felt completely calm and serene. We took a moonlit walk toward the water and the stars out there were unreal.

The next morning was the real payoff. We opened the van doors to the lake laid out in front of us, mountains behind it, and aspens scattered across the hillsides in yellow, orange, and red. The sky was a blue bird Colorado morning. We walked the creek and reservoir edge and then, almost on cue, a cowgirl came riding up with her herding dog, five cows, and their babies, bringing the herd down to the creek to drink and graze. It was straight out of a Yellowstone episode. What a life!

We sat with our coffee and breakfast looking out at all of it. Mornings like that are exactly why I'm grateful to live here.

Back Over the Pass in Daylight

Driving back over Cottonwood Pass in daylight let us finally see the road we'd been so nervous about the night before, and honestly, we had every reason to be cautious. The drop offs are even more intimidating in the daylight because the Collegiate Peaks are so sharp and dramatic.

We stopped for lunch at a viewpoint on top of the Continental Divide overlooking the lake we had just camped at below. These are the ethereal mountain moments I love.

Buena Vista, Then On to Boreas Pass

We swung back through Buena Vista for acai bowls from Blend, my favorite coffee spot in Buena Vista. We restocked groceries, filled up on diesel, and continued on toward Boreas Pass.

Boreas Pass had its own vibrant aspen groves going with some leaves already down but plenty holding on, with a lot of the color pushing into orange and red. We stayed at Selkirk Campground, which had fire rings which was such a genuine treat this year since most of the state has been under strict fire bans all season. Yay s'mores!

We got there with plenty of daylight left to set up camp, use our griddle, get a fire going, cook potato in foil over the coals, and close out the night with s'mores under the stars. Being tucked into thick pine forest was a completely different feel from our open lakeside site the night before, and it was a nice way to end the trip on a different note.

Driving Boreas Pass on the First Morning of Fall

We drove the rest of Boreas Pass the next morning, which happened to be the first official day of fall. The road up top turns rocky and bumpy, nothing that needs a high clearance vehicle, but slow going.

At the summit there's an old cabin with some history posted about the railroad line that used to run straight through there. Standing up there in that crisp, first-day-of-fall air, I genuinely could not picture what it must be like above tree line in the dead of winter, let alone why anyone thought running a train line through it was a good idea in the first place.

This is honestly what I love most about Colorado's ghost towns and old mining and railroad routes. There's this eerie undercurrent to all of it and the ghosts of whatever tragedies it occurred for people to give up on settling somewhere. These were people with no internet to warn them what winter above tree line actually does, or what an avalanche can wipe out in seconds. They found out the hard way as true pioneers of America.

Coming down the other side of Boreas Pass, the aspens were at full peak color, and I felt so lucky to catch it. If you go this weekend, you'll get the same show. I recommend going quick, because one wind storm could end it all.

Breckenridge and the Drive Home

Dropping into Breckenridge, the whole town was glowing with color and busy with people out enjoying it. If you're planning to camp along Boreas Pass itself, note that the pullout spots are flagged for no campfires. If you want an actual fire, head to a real campground with fire rings instead, which is exactly why Selkirk was worth the stop the night before.

On the way home we pulled off at Lake Dillon for lunch with a lake view, or what's left of the lake. There were geese floating on what might be the saddest puddle I've ever seen. It's one thing to hear about the drought and another to see it in person. That view alone tells you everything about how dry this year has really been.

If you're planning your own version of this loop, check out my full Colorado leaf peeping guide for drive times, other stops, and more suggested routes.