The Perfect Fall Hike: Piney River Ranch

Last updated on September 30th, 2020 at 02:14 am

Every fall, Luke, Kona, and I drive up to the mountains to see the leaves changing. Usually, we go for a drive, but this year I wanted to hike as well. Hiking Upper Piney River Trail was the perfect way to enjoy the leaves changing during the fall.

Choosing the Best Fall Hike

There are many places in Colorado where you can see the fall foliage, but we chose Upper Piney River Trail near Vail. I chose this because I had never heard of it and it is the second best hike after the Maroon Bells. Maroon Bells, while incredibly breathtaking, is three and a half hours away from Denver and can get quite crowded during the fall. It also requires either paying to park or taking a shuttle bus from Aspen, and dogs aren’t allowed on the Scenic Loop Trail.

The Upper Piney River Trail is only two and a half hours away, parking is free, and dogs are allowed. While there were quite a few people on this trail, it never felt like too many, especially if you arrive early.

Upper Piney River Trail Essentials

When hiking in the fall, or really any time in Colorado, it is best to be prepared for any kind of conditions. The weather changed quickly on this hike and wearing layers was essential. I always bring a rain jacket hiking now, something didn’t used to do and I often regretted it.

I love Smartwool socks for keeping my feet warm and comfy. This is necessary in the chilly fall weather. Sunglasses are always a must as well as a collapsible dog bowl for the pup.

Getting to Upper Piney River Trail

We departed on Saturday September 30th around nine o’clock because we are bad at getting up early. After a very beautiful drive down I-70, we took exit 176 to Vail.

From there, we took North Frontage Road west and took a right onto Red Standstone Road #700. After about 2 miles, there is a fork at which we took the dirt road. There was another fork a little ways down the road, which if we had looked at the sign, would have been easy to follow. When you get to this fork, you want to take a left to continue onto Red Standstone Road #700. However, we went the other way and ended up driving two miles out of our way until we ended up at a very rocky trail and decided to turn back (ironically, the place we were headed was called Lost Lake).

Read More: A Beginner’s Guide to HIking in Colorado

It was worth it though because we saw some beautiful fall colors.

When we finally found our way back to the trail, we still had another seven miles to go on dirt road before we reached the trail head.

Piney River Ranch is private property but there is a parking lot to the right of the ranch. The lot was full so we just parked along the road.

Unfortunately, there are no public bathrooms at this trail and the forest is not thick enough for me to justify peeing in the woods. Of course I had to go when we arrived, so I ended up holding it for the entire hike. Oops. I highly recommend stopping to go to the bathroom in Copper or Vail.

Hiking Upper Piney River Trail

The trail that you are looking for is the Upper Piney Trail, which starts just next to the parking lot. It winds through a grassy area that borders Piney Lake and continues to follow the river, giving you a beautiful view of the mountain peaks with adjacent aspens.

So we had to get this super majestic picture of Kona. Is anyone else’s dog more photogenic than themselves?

As you continue on, the trail starts to go up into the hills through the aspens.

At this point, the trail starts to get a little more difficult with switchbacks. We then headed through a little wooded area.

And back to more beautiful aspens!

Read More: 8 Hiking Trails Near Denver

Finally, we could hear the river! From here you could see the other side of the mountain covered with aspens.

At the end of the hike you get to see Piney River cascading beautifully down the mountain. This hike was absolutely worth it!

As we were enjoying the river, the temperature dropped and it started drizzling, so we decided to head back before the sky broke. Luckily it didn’t start pouring until we reached the last 100 feet.

It even started snowing on our drive home! Typical Colorado.

This trail took us about an hour and 45 minutes to get to the cascading waterfall (2.5 miles) and about an hour to get back.

This was an amazing fall hike that I am definitely going to do again in the future! What is your favorite place to see the leaves change?

Need more fall inspiration? Check out 10 Things to Make You Excited for Fall.

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