I was driving south on US 95 in Idaho looking for autumn clad cottonwood and larch trees when I saw this image and had to stop. I love mist covered forests because it always seems to usher in autumn in my mind.

Idaho is a state with a vast rugged mountain interior with wilderness larger than any other in the lower 48 states. The Frank Church River Of No Return Wilderness area of the Rocky Mountains is known for river running, backpacking, and high jagged peaks.

Most people do not think of Idaho when they envision autumn colors but I have found numerous areas with great autumn color in the state. The above image is of larch trees that are a conifer and drop its leaves every year. As the season changes larch trees change color into amazing yellow and stand out strongly in the forest against the evergreens. Finding splashes of color like this in forests of green can really make for amazing nature and landscape photographs.

I often find autumn colors in parks or along rivers and streams. The above image is in a park in Coeur d'Alene Idaho which is on the edge of the Rockies. The trick to good fall colors is finding deciduous trees like maples, ash, aspen, and willows. Often times non native trees like the one above can produce amazing colors, so look for those in parks and public properties.

Montana

Montana is another perfect place to photograph autumn in the Rocky Mountains. With abundant birch, aspen, and cottonwood trees autumn colors in Montana can be spectacular.

One of my favorite places to photograph autumn in the Rocky Mountains is Glacier National Park. By mid October the birch, cottonwood, larch, and aspen trees all glow in shades of yellow making for wonderful autumn photographs. 

Lake McDonald is a fantastic place to photograph autumn with the towering peaks of the Rocky Mountains and yellow birch trees on the shore. The image above shows the lake in its autumn glory with a dash of yellow on the shore. Here is a video of my last adventure photographing in Glacier National Park. 

Going-To-The-Sun Road in Glacier National Park is one of the most amazing drives and a perfect way to experience the Rocky Mountains in autumn. With many pullouts to see the vistas, this road is one of the premier drives in the Rocky Mountains for photographers.

The above image is from The-Going-To-The-Sun road looking down on Logan Creek and the beautiful autumn colors in the forest. Landscape and nature photography is all about exploring and if you drive this road make sure to stop at every pullout to scout for compositions.

Wyoming

Wyoming is another Rocky Mountain State that can produce amazing autumn photographs, especially in Yellowstone National Park.

The above image is one of my favorite places in the Park and misty autumn mornings are the best time to visit this spot. With the mist leaving dew on the autumn grass and the stream winding through the dead forest this image brings to mind Halloween and spooky forests, a perfect autumn theme.

The below photograph is on the same theme of autumn dew with a touch of gossamer. I found this composition while photographing along the Madison River in Yellowstone and almost stepped on the scene. Nature and landscape photography is about perspective and for this image I got down low to fill the composition with the web. The river is the backdrop which really helps give the mood and separate the web from the background.

Yellowstone is a magical place to find autumn landscape photography scenes and the cold morning and evening air is perfect for capturing the steam rising off the hotpots and geysers.

Pockets of quaking aspens and cottonwood trees make Wyoming a great place to find color in the autumn. While driving Highway 89 I found the above scene and had to turn around and go back to capture the amazing autumn light. Finding backlit trees with dark backgrounds can really help make the colors pop with brilliance and detail. 

The below image is a classic autumn scene in the Rocky Mountains. With the mighty Snake River filling the scene, the yellow cottonwoods and willows on the shore and the purple mountains majestically towering in the distance, this image brings to mind the classic Rocky Mountain photograph.

Utah

Utah is my home so the majority of autumn photographs I have taken are in my state.

Utah has two large ranges of the Rocky Mountains, the Uinta Range and the Wasatch Range. The Uinta Range runs in an east west direction on the border of Utah and Wyoming and is the only part of the Rocky Mountains to do so.

For the below image I stood just off Wolf Creek Pass State Route 35 on the south slope of the Uinta Mountains. I isolated the peaks, with the aspen forest in the foreground. I love the late afternoon light in this image and waited for the perfect moment until I took the image. The south slope of the Uinta Mountains is accessible from the Uinta Basin which is the home for towns such as Duchesne, Roosevelt, and Vernal, Utah. 

Landscape and nature photography are all about waiting for the right light and often times finding scenes with shadow play from clouds can really make a photograph interesting and unique.

The north slope of the Uinta Mountains is generally accessed from Interstate 80 through the towns of Evanston and Mountain View, Wyoming.  The image below is from the area known as Christmas Meadows and is very popular with photographers and is just a short few miles from the Bear River Lodge and Cabins. 

The Mirror Lake Highway is one of the premier autumn drives in the whole USA and is one worth taking anytime of year.  You can access the Mirror Lake Highway from Evanston, Wyoming or Kamas, Utah. Here are all my images of the Uinta Mountains if you would like to see more.

Living only minutes from the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains gives me ample opportunity to photograph autumn in the Rockies. Watching for the autumn colors to peak and storm fronts entering or leaving the area is key to capturing great images. Follow the weather closely in autumn because one storm can knock the leaves from the trees and replace the color with snow. Finding new snow fall on top of the fall colors can also make perfect autumn photographs.

Some other amazing places to look for autumn photography scenes in Utah are the Cottonwood Canyons and Guardsman Pass where I captured the above images. With easy access from the Salt Lake Valley both Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons offer some of the most amazing scenery and hiking in the whole USA.

The Nebo Loop Scenic Byway is another perfect drive to see and photograph autumn colors in Utah. This drive goes from Payson, Utah to Nephi Canyon and is a favorite of Utahn's and many professional photographers.

One of my favorite less popular places to find fall colors in Utah is Daniels Summit going south on Highway 40 south of Heber City. At the top of the summit sits the Daniels Summit Lodge which offers lodging, ATV and snowmobile rentals. It is a perfect base for exploring the aspen and evergreen forests of Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest around Strawberry Reservoir. I took the below image from the Main Canyon road near Daniels Summit.

One of the most popular places to photograph autumn in Utah is Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon. At the right time of year the whole drive up Provo Canyon can be very colorful. Take the turn off to Sundance Ski resort and you are on the route to the Alpine Loop Scenic Drive which is another premier drive in the whole USA.

The Alpine Loop, Utah Highway route 92, connects Provo Canyon Highway 192 to American Fork Canyon near the city of Highland. Timpanogos Cave National Monument is just over 2 miles up American Fork Canyon and offers hiking and picnicking nearby and of course the hike to the caves. The below image was taken near the cave parking lot so make sure to explore the river to find perfect autumn compositions.

The Alpine Loop Scenic Drive has access to some of the best quaking aspen forests in Utah and autumn is the best time to photograph those.  

Make sure to get out and hike, explore and find your compositions then wait for the perfect light to take photographs you can be proud of.

The Alpine Loop road gives amazing views of Mount Timpanogos, one of the most popular mountains in Utah. "Timp", as locals call her, has two trails for hiking the summit, the Timpooneke Trail and the Aspen Grove Trail. Autumn is the perfect time of year to hike Timp but stay aware of incoming weather systems because the temperature can drop quickly and snow can fall as early as the first of September. 

For the image below I took a short hike from Salamander Flats on the Alpine Loop road and waited for the sunset. It was a perfect end to an autumn day in the Rocky Mountains.

Colorado

Colorado is the home of Rocky Mountain National Park and is a premier state to photograph autumn colors.

My favorite areas in Colorado to photograph the fall colors are Kebler Pass near Crested Butte, and the Million Dollar Highway between Silverton and Ouray. The stretch of US Highway 550 between Durango and Ouray Colorado includes the Million Dollar Highway and is one drive you will not forget.

Kebler Pass near the ski resort town of Crested Butte is one of the post popular places in Colorado to photograph autumn colors. With vast quaking aspen forests the whole area glows yellow in the fall. Look for scenes were you can isolate specific areas to show the color and depth of the forests.

US highway 550 between Durango and Ouray is one of my favorite drives and autumn is the best time to drive this route weather permitting. Be aware that early storms can shut the road down and make driving it dangerous. If you time your trip right you can get colorful images with golden forests and towering peaks.

Colorado is one of the most popular places in the Rocky Mountains to photograph autumn colors. Many people travel from all over the USA and even the world to see Colorado in the autumn.