Colorado aspens in Mueller State Park

Surprise, another thing we did that I didn’t blog about. Back in October, Mac and I headed up to Mueller State Park to go leaf-peeping. Aspen trees thrive above 8,000 feet elevation and turn glorious shades of gold as fall settles in. Mueller is chock-full of aspen groves, so we decided to go hiking and check out the leaves. We visited a week or so after the peak change, and a lot of leaves had fallen. It was still a beautiful day out of the house (and away from school).

Mueller State Park has a good variety to hiking trails (maps are available at the Visitor’s Center) and even has cabins to rent. The park is pretty high in elevation, and the trails can be steep at points. They’re marked on the maps, and changes in elevation are noted. If the leaves have fallen, the trails may also be a bit slippery. The first trail we headed down was Peak View Pond. It’s a quick jaunt over to this pond, and the hike is pretty easy. We then hiked up the Grouse Mountain Overlook. This trail is a bit more steep, but you find stunning views of Pikes Peak and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains at the top of the trail.

Other Colorado hikes: Garden of the Gods – Perkins Central Garden Trail  |  Red Rocks  |  Florissant Fossil Beds  |  Seven Falls  |  Rocky Mountain National Park – Dream Lake  |  Calhan Paint Mines