Fall is one of the best times to visit Santa Fe. From late September through October, the aspens above town turn gold, daytime highs settle into the 60s and 70s, green chile is roasting on every corner, and the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is an hour away. It is also one of our favorite times of year to be on the Rio Grande.
We live and work in the Rio Grande valley between Santa Fe and Taos, so this guide is the list we give our own friends: when to go, where to see the best color, which events are worth planning around, and how to fit a river day into it all.
Key takeaways
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Table of Contents
- When is the best time to visit Santa Fe in the fall?
- When do the aspens change color in Santa Fe?
- Best fall hikes near Santa Fe
- Ride the chairlift at Ski Santa Fe
- Scenic fall drives: the High Road and the Low Road to Taos
- Fall day trips from Santa Fe: Embudo, Abiquiú and the Jemez
- Go rafting on the Rio Grande in the fall
- Santa Fe fall festivals and events
- Eat, shop and wander downtown Santa Fe
- A 3-day fall itinerary for Santa Fe
- What to pack for Santa Fe in the fall
- Santa Fe in the fall: FAQs
When Is the Best Time to Visit Santa Fe in the Fall?
Late September through mid-October is the best time to visit Santa Fe in the fall. That window lines up peak aspen color, Balloon Fiesta and warm, sunny afternoons. Early September feels like late summer, while November is quieter and colder, with bare trees and the first real chill of winter.
At roughly 7,000 feet, Santa Fe has big swings between day and night. Expect T-shirt afternoons and jacket mornings, and colder temperatures at mountain trailheads.
| Month | Avg. high | Avg. low | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| September | 78°F | 47°F | Warm days, Wine & Chile Fiesta, first aspens turning up high |
| October | 66°F | 35°F | Peak aspens early in the month, Balloon Fiesta, cottonwoods gold along the Rio Grande later in the month |
| November | 53°F | 24°F | Quiet streets, crisp days, cold nights, Día de los Muertos events |
When Do the Aspens Change Color in Santa Fe?
Aspens above Santa Fe usually turn gold from late September into the first week or two of October. Color starts at the highest elevations of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and works its way downhill, so if the upper slopes look past peak, drop a few thousand feet and you will often find the show still going.
Timing shifts by a week or so each year depending on moisture and early cold snaps. The easiest way to see the color is to drive up Hyde Park Road (NM 475) toward Ski Santa Fe. The road itself is lined with aspens, and it leads to both of the spots below.
Best Fall Hikes Near Santa Fe
For more trail ideas across the state, see our local’s guide to New Mexico hiking trails.
Aspen Vista Trail: best for fall color
If you only do one fall hike, make it Aspen Vista. The trailhead sits on Hyde Park Road around 10,000 feet, about a 30-minute drive from downtown, and the wide, steady trail climbs through some of the largest aspen groves in the region. The full route continues toward Tesuque Peak at over 12,000 feet, but you do not need to go that far. The first couple of miles deliver the gold canopy and views across the Rio Grande valley.
Local tip: peak-color weekends get busy. Arrive by 8 a.m. for parking, bring a warm layer (it is often 20 degrees colder than town), and give yourself time to acclimate if you just arrived from sea level.
Atalaya Mountain Trail: best for city views
Atalaya is Santa Fe’s classic in-town summit hike. It starts at the St. John’s College trailhead and climbs into the Santa Fe National Forest to a summit just over 9,100 feet, about 5.8 miles round trip with roughly 1,800 feet of gain. The payoff is a sweeping view over the city, the Rio Grande valley and the Jemez Mountains. The cooler fall temperatures make the steep final push far more pleasant than it is in July.
Ride the Chairlift at Ski Santa Fe
For fall color without the climb, ride the chairlift at Ski Santa Fe. On weekends from mid-September to mid-October, the resort runs scenic chairlift rides over the aspens, with live music, a beer garden and grill, and a free disc golf course at the base. Rides typically run Saturdays and Sundays from late morning to mid-afternoon; check the Ski Santa Fe fall events page for current dates and tickets. It is a great option for families and anyone short on time or lung capacity.
Scenic Fall Drives: the High Road and the Low Road to Taos
The High Road to Taos is one of the most beautiful fall drives in the Southwest. It winds through historic Spanish land-grant villages like Chimayó, Truchas and Las Trampas, with adobe churches, apple stands, chile ristras and wide views of the high desert and the Sangre de Cristos. Plan about two hours of driving without stops, or a relaxed half day with them. Our Locals Guide to the High Road to Taos covers every stop worth making.
For the trip back, take the Low Road (NM 68). It follows the Rio Grande through the canyon, where the cottonwoods along the river turn gold later in October, and it runs right past our headquarters in Embudo. Driving the loop is the easiest way to add an afternoon on the river to a Santa Fe fall trip.
Fall Day Trips from Santa Fe: Embudo, Abiquiú and the Jemez
The best fall day trips from Santa Fe are Embudo and the Low Road, Abiquiú and Ghost Ranch, and the Jemez Mountain Trail. Each is an easy day out of town with its own kind of fall color, from river cottonwoods to red cliffs to volcanic canyons, and the first two pair perfectly with an afternoon of Rio Grande rafting.
Embudo and the Low Road: our backyard
Embudo is a small river village on NM 68, halfway between Santa Fe and Taos, and it is where we call home. Fall is harvest season all along this stretch of the Low Road. Orchards are heavy with apples, and roadside fruit stands in nearby Velarde sell apples and chile ristras. Just up the road in Dixon, you can stop at local tasting rooms like Vivác Winery. Later in October, the cottonwoods along the Rio Grande turn gold, and it is one of the prettiest times of year to be in the canyon.
Raft the Rio Grande while you are here. Our headquarters sits on NM 68, across the street from Blue Heron Brewery, about a mile from the Rio Grande Racecourse put-in, so a few hours on the river fits easily into the day. See our fall trips below.
Abiquiú and Ghost Ranch: O’Keeffe country
About an hour northwest of Santa Fe on US 84, Abiquiú is the landscape Georgia O’Keeffe painted for decades: red and yellow cliffs, wide mesas and the flat-topped profile of Cerro Pedernal. In fall, the cottonwoods in the valley below the village turn gold against the red rock, usually from mid to late October.
The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum offers tours of her Abiquiú Home & Studio from March through November. Reservations are required, and tours leave from the Welcome Center in Abiquiú, which is open Tuesday through Sunday. Book early during Balloon Fiesta week. A few miles north, Ghost Ranch sells day passes that cover its hiking trails and two small museums. Chimney Rock and Kitchen Mesa are the classic hikes, with the views that made O’Keeffe fall in love with the place. Note that the Ghost Ranch museums are closed Sunday mornings and all day Monday.
Make it a loop: drive Santa Fe to Abiquiú in the morning, cut over through Española to Embudo for an afternoon Racecourse rafting trip, then follow the Rio Grande back to Santa Fe.
The Jemez Mountain Trail: hot springs and volcanic canyons
Head west through Los Alamos and the Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway climbs over the Valles Caldera National Preserve, a vast volcanic crater ringed by forested mountains, before dropping into the Jemez River canyon. Fall brings aspens and oaks on the slopes and cottonwoods along the river. Stop at Soda Dam, a mineral formation that looks like a frozen waterfall; soak at Spence Hot Springs; and grab lunch in the village of Jemez Springs. Bandelier National Monument, with its ancestral Pueblo dwellings, sits right along the way, so it is easy to fill a full day. Save the river for another day of your trip: Embudo is about an hour north of Santa Fe in the opposite direction.
Go Rafting on the Rio Grande in the Fall
Yes, you can raft in New Mexico in the fall, and it is one of our favorite seasons on the water. We run Rio Grande trips into October from Embudo, one hour north of Santa Fe. Lower fall flows mean more technical, hands-on paddling, with smaller crowds and golden canyon light. See our New Mexico rafting season and water levels guides for more.
- Rio Grande Racecourse: about 3 hours of Class III whitewater. Best for first-timers and families (ages 5+).
- Rio Grande Gorge Full Day: Class II to III with a riverside fajita lunch. Best for a full day on the water.
- Orilla Verde Family Float: calm water and big scenery. Best for young kids.
- Whitewater & Wine Tasting: a Racecourse morning plus local winery tastings, with pickup from Santa Fe or Taos. Ages 21+.
- Paddle your own: free inflatable kayak upgrade on any trip with 24 hours’ notice.
- What to wear: synthetic layers (no cotton), a warm layer for the morning and dry clothes for after.
| Ready to get on the river this fall? Book your Rio Grande trip or call us at 505-983-7756. Fall weekends book up, so reserve ahead. |
Santa Fe Fall Festivals and Events
- Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta (late September): a week of tastings and chef events celebrating the green chile harvest, with around 90 wineries.
- Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (early October): 500+ balloons, about an hour south. See our guide to 5 things to do at the Balloon Fiesta.
- Santa Fe Harvest Festival (early October): centuries-old harvest traditions at El Rancho de las Golondrinas, a living history museum just south of town.
- Dixon Studio Tour (first full weekend of November): New Mexico’s longest-running studio tour, just up the road from our Embudo headquarters.
Eat, Shop and Wander Downtown Santa Fe
No fall visit is complete without slow days in town. Fall is chile season, so follow the smell of roasting green chile, and when a server asks “red or green?”, answer “Christmas” to try both. Stroll the galleries along Canyon Road, browse the vintage boutiques and artisan shops around the Plaza, and spend a Saturday morning at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market in the Railyard, where the fall harvest is on full display.
A 3-Day Fall Itinerary for Santa Fe
Day 1: Aspens and art
- Morning: hike Aspen Vista early, or ride the Ski Santa Fe chairlift if it is a weekend.
- Afternoon: gallery-hop along Canyon Road.
- Evening: New Mexican dinner downtown. Order it Christmas.
Day 2: The High Road, the river and the Low Road
- Morning: drive the High Road through Chimayó, Truchas and Las Trampas to Taos.
- Afternoon: head 30 minutes south on the Low Road to Embudo for a Racecourse half-day rafting trip.
- Evening: follow the Rio Grande back to Santa Fe, about an hour.
Day 3: Balloons and the harvest
- Early morning: head to Albuquerque for sunrise launches if your trip lines up with Balloon Fiesta in early October.
- Afternoon: the Harvest Festival at Las Golondrinas (early October), or a slow afternoon around the Plaza and the Railyard.
Have a fourth day?
Drive to Abiquiú for a morning at Ghost Ranch or an O’Keeffe Home & Studio tour, then loop through Embudo on the way back for a Racecourse rafting trip, fruit stands or a winery stop. Or spend the day on the Jemez Mountain Trail.
Want a full river day instead? Swap Day 2’s afternoon for the full-day Rio Grande Gorge trip and drive the High Road on Day 3.
What to Pack for Santa Fe in the Fall
- Layers: a warm fleece or puffy for mornings and evenings, plus T-shirts for afternoons.
- Sun protection: sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat. The high-altitude sun is strong even when it is cool.
- Sturdy shoes for trails and cobbled downtown streets.
- A reusable water bottle. The air is dry at 7,000 feet and higher, so drink more than you think you need.
- For rafting: quick-dry synthetic layers (no cotton), a sunglasses strap and a full change of dry clothes.
Plan Your Fall Trip
Golden aspens, green chile, balloons at sunrise and a canyon to yourself: fall in Northern New Mexico is hard to beat. When you are ready to add a river day, explore our Rio Grande trips or book online. We hope to see you on the water this fall.
