Best Places To Elope In Colorado: For Every Season

We get asked what’s the best place to elope in Colorado all the time and our answer is always the same: that is a very loaded question lol. Colorado is a huge state and if we were to drive across to hit some of our favorite places it would take us about 6 to 9 hours!

Because we have too many places to list, we wrote this blog to help you get an idea of where the best place might be for you. In this guide you’ll find the best places to elope by season, accessibility, capacity etc.

Best locations by season

Eloping in Summer (June-mid Sept.)

We’re going to start with the absolute best time to elope in Colorado (in our opinion) which is the summertime. It’s the best time because you can essentially elope almost anywhere in the mountains surrounded by beautiful weather, greenery and be able to actually access them. (A lot of locations are inaccessible during the winter due to road closures) Here are a few areas that are great for a summer day:

• Buena Vista– So underrated in our opinion. With spots like Collegiate Peaks Overlook and The San Isabel National forest, the mountain views are insane and the town is super adorable. It’s also a less busy area compared to other places in the state.
• Breckenridge– This may be a well known area but you’ll find that there are still a ton of gems! Lake Dillon, Officers Gulch, and Loveland Pass to name a few. Learn how to elope in Breckenridge 
• Leadville– This will go on our list of underrated places in Colorado. Twin Lakes has to be one of our favorite areas there.
• Rocky Mountain National Park– Our three favorite ceremony spots within the park that have the best scenery are 3m curve, Sprague Lake, and Upper Beaver Meadows. You do need a permit to elope here so make sure to apply for that in advance. Learn how to elope at RMNP
• Maroon Bells– You won’t find the iconic views of Maroon Bells anywhere else within the state unless you are willing to go on a big adventure! You can reserve this epic spot 6 months in advance, but it sells out quickly!
• San Juan Mountains– Where do we even start? If you’ve ever driven down the million dollar highway you’d know what we are talking about. This is one of the best areas for a summer elopement and that’s coming from two people that have lived in Colorado our entire lives. Learn how to elope in The San Juan Mountains 

During Wildflower Season (Best late July-mid August)

• Crested Butte-This area is great anytime in the summer but when the wildflowers are out it is 1000 times more iconic. Snodgrass Trail or Gothic Road will have some of the best spots! Learn how to elope in Crested Butte
• Ouray– You’ll have to go off-road a little bit to find flowers in Ouray but it will be an adventure! Learn how to elope in Ouray
• Shrine Pass– You’ll find tons of flowers while you off-road on this beginner friendly driving trail as well as all the epic views. Elope at Julia’s Deck and go off on a wildflower adventure after! 

Tips for a summer elopement:

• If you’re looking for snow capped mountains, June is the best month
• Avoid weekends and specifically July 4th
• If you want it to be cooler, choose a location above 9k ft of elevation. Anything under that will be pretty warm
• The sun sets much later, so consider that when making your timeline especially when it comes to dinner and golden hour

Eloping in Fall (mid Sept.- mid Dec.)

Fall is an interesting season in Colorado because the fall foliage only lasts a good 2-3 weeks before the wind comes in and blows all the leaves off the trees. Once the leaves are gone it starts to look a little crusty and gray in most locations. That along with the cooler weather is the reason why it is considered shoulder season. It’s still a great time to elope because it’s less busy though! Below you’ll find some of our faves:

During Peak Fall Foliage Season (mid Sept.-mid Oct.)

• Kebler Pass– One of the longest drives you’ll ever do surrounded by aspen trees.It’s the perfect spot for Fall Foliage!
• Guanella Pass–  Much closer to Denver, this popular spot will be pretty golden during fall season.
• Telluride–  This is our favorite area for an elopement  in the fall because you get the awesome mountains and the aspen trees.
• Boreas Pass– If you’re looking for meadow views and beautiful aspen trees, this is your spot.

After fall foliage season (Any locations without bald trees)

• Loveland Pass– If you want it to look like you hiked up a mountain (but without the hike) these are the views you’re looking for. Learn how to elope at Loveland Pass.
• Echo Lake–  An easily accessible location that looks great in every season
• Boulder–  We love Boulder for a fall elopement because the weather is nicer and there’s enough pine trees to still make it look alive in the area.
• Garden Of The Gods– A great option for the fall because it looks beautiful year-round and the weather is much more agreeable during this time in this area.

Tips for a fall elopement:

• Bring layers-it can be warm during the day and switch off to very cold in the afternoon
• If you want to guarantee fall foliage the last week of September is the best bet
• High elevation locations like Breckenridge will see fall foliage first, and lower elevation locations like Boulder will see it last.
• Weekdays are strongly advised during the fall foliage season.

Eloping in Winter (mid Dec.-March)

Colorado has some of the best areas for a winter elopement whether you want to snowmobile to the area or drive up. There will be options for everybody! We aren’t huge winter people, but we can’t deny that a winter elopement is super magical. Winter is a little tricky because there are tons of logistics that you need to take into consideration like road closures, avalanches and accessibility. Here are some of our favorite areas for a winter elopement:

• Estes Park– With Rocky Mountain National Park in its backyard, Estes Park is great because it is very accessible in the winter time with some of the best views in the state.
• Colorado Springs– We love Garden of the Gods for a winter elopement because it will still be accessible and the city itself experiences mild winters compared to locations in higher elevations.

During Ski & Snowboard Season

• Breckendrige– Most mountain towns become sleepy towns in the Winter. You’ll find everything from places to elope like Officers Gulch to lots of things to do like tubing in Breck. 
• Aspen– Snowmobile to Maroon Bells. This is probably the only time it won’t be super busy and magical 

Tips for a winter elopement:

• Stay away from avalanche prone areas
• You may have to use snow shoes in higher elevations especially if you’re hiking to get to your ceremony spot
• Layers are your best friend 
• Keep hand and body warmers nearby
• Have an indoor plan

Eloping in Spring (April & May)

With snow (high elevation areas over 8k ft)

• Rocky Mountain National Park– You’ll easily still find snow at Bear Lake for your elopement at Rocky
• Breckenridge-You’re probably noticing a theme here, but Breckenridge is a gem for any time of the year.

Without snow (elevations under 8k ft)

• Boulder– Lost gulch is one of our faves, though it is best at sunrise to avoid crowds. Learn how to elope in Boulder.
• Evergreen– A hidden gem, you’ll find epic spots near here that are less known. Good thing we can help you find them! Learn how to elope in Evergreen.
• Colorado Springs– If you want beautiful agreeable weather, the spring is ideal for Colorado Springs

Tips for a spring elopement:

• Watch out for sporadic weather conditions 
• Bring waterproof shoes
• Watch out for muddy areas
• Layer up

Best locations to elope that are guest friendly & or accessible

Maybe you’re considering bringing a few guests for your elopement or having more of an intimate wedding. Here are some areas to have an elopement type ceremony with guests:

• Sunrise Amphitheater– Book here
• State parks– Learn how to elope at state parks
• National parks– Learn how to elope at National Parks
• Sapphire point– Book here
• Peanut Lake– Book here

Check out other small wedding venues here.

How to choose the perfect spot to elope

Weather

The location you choose will be heavily influenced by the seasons so making sure you know the weather patterns in the areas that you want to elope will be one of the most important things to help you choose the perfect spot.

Permits

Some locations will have permit requirements which are usually no more than $300. You need to make sure that you are contacting the land management team that your location is in to make sure they don’t have permits in place. Don’t worry, there are a ton of locations that are free to use. We recommend hiring an elopement photographer who can help you with this.

Accessibility

There are many locations that will have different accessibility at different times of the year.  Some locations that you can drive up to in the summer you probably have to hike up to in the winter.  Finding cute locations online is one thing but actually knowing the conditions and accessibility for them is another.  This is another time we recommend asking an experienced elopement photographer for help.

Altitude

An honorable mention to help you find the perfect spot is knowing what altitude you will be in especially if you are coming from out of state.  Typically we recommend arriving two days early so your body can acclimatize to the elevation anyway but keep in mind that altitude sickness is real and it can really dampen your day.

Time of day

Some locations will look best at Sunrise and sun will look best at sunset.  Your rule of thumb is if it’s an east facing mountain, sunrise will look best and if the mountain is west facing, sunset usually looks the best. 

Back up plans

We cannot stress this enough. Anytime you are eloping outdoors, it is super important that you have a backup plan. When you are choosing a location make sure there are other options nearby  in case you have to pivot.

Guests

Not all locations in Colorado can accommodate guests unless the location has a reservation system in place. If your celebration includes less than 10 people total, including vendors (photographer, videographer, officiant, etc…) accommodation shouldn’t be a problem. 

If you are looking to have more than 10 people present at your celebration, we highly recommend you look into small wedding venues that can accommodate the number of guests you plan to have.

Want help finding a unique spot?