Golden Aspen On Gothic Road
Golden Aspen On Gothic Road
Near Crested Butte, CO
The area around Crested Butte is one of the most beautiful places to visit during the Fall Colors season in Colorado. North of town, along the road to Gothic (a small community), you will discover a wonderful valley filled with golden, orange, green, and yellow aspens everywhere you look. These vast Aspen groves offer numerous excellent photography opportunities and intimate abstracts.
Sometimes, the most beautiful images are hiding in plain sight.
Images and location summary by Tim Wier
Trail Difficulty - MODERATE
I rate the difficulty of this trail as a 1 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being the most difficult). The location of this shot is right on Gothic Rd (CO 317). Easy peasy - just don't get run over by other vehicles passing.
GPS Coordinates & Elevation
9,403 Ft. Elevation
Photography Tips
The road to Gothic drives through a series of small Aspen groves that are placed directly next to the road. Many of these trees have clean white trunks, which can make for some nice abstracts. Take your time as you drive on this road and look for something that appeals to you.
The shot above was taken directly from the road of a small Aspen grove about 100 yards off the road. The trees are situated below the road, so the leaf part of the tree is level with the viewpoint. This allows you to isolate the leaves better than most places. Because of the distance from the road, you will need a long telephoto lens to capture a shot like this.
Directions
CLICK HERE to get driving directions to this location
From Crested Butte - drive on (CO 317) Gothic Rd for 4 miles until you reach the end of the paved road. You will see the Mt Crested Butte Water Treatment on the right.
Continue on (CO 317) Gothic Rd - now a dirt road for 2.9 miles. From the GPS location above, look to the right (north by northeast) and you will see a fairly small set of Aspen trees. The tree photographed above is in the center of the small Aspen grove.
View In Google earth
EXIF Data
Focal Length – 433 mm
Exposure – 125 th @ f 6.7
ISO – 640
Date – Sept 24th
Time – 5:24 pm
Best Time of Day to Shoot
The best time for this location is in the late afternoon toward sunset (after the sun has dropped behind the mountain to the west), or late afternoon on an overcast day. Direct sunlight will blow out the Aspen leaves.
The image above was taken at 5:24 pm.
Best Time of Year
This is best photographed in the Fall.
The image above was taken on Sept 24, 2024.
Lens(es) Needed
From the road, the small Aspen grove is about 100 yards away. For a tight compression shot, you will need a long telephoto lens.
The image above was taken at 433 mm.
Birds-Eye View
Permits
There are no permits required on the Gothic Pass.
Direction of the Shot
The direction of your shot is north by northwest at 25°.
Equipment Needed
No special equipment is needed other than a sturdy tripod and an eye for beautiful Aspens.
Number of Other Photographers to Expect
The Gothic road usually has several photographers on it in the late afternoon. However, there is plenty of space for everyone.
Weather
The Colorado weather is usually mild in the summer and cold (lows in the 20s) in the spring and fall. This location is at an elevation of almost 10,000 ft. – so the temper
Cell Service
I use Verizon, and cell service is spotty at this location.
Nearby Restaurants
As mentioned, the closest town is Crested Butte, home to plenty of very good eating and drinking establishments. It is a GREAT little town and one of my favorite places in all of Colorado. When in Crested Butte, make sure you stop by McGills or Butte Bagels for breakfast. They will both be busy, but it will be worth the wait. The secret for Butte Bagels is to call in your order and pick it up in the back.
For a nice Italian dinner, eat at Marchitelli's, and for a great steak, try Elk Ave Prime (make sure you make a reservation for both).
Area Guides and Workshops
None