A Cozy Fall Day Trip from Denver: Coffee, Pumpkins, Apples & a Pint
The air in Colorado is growing crisp. Aspens have started to take on their autumnal glow. And suddenly, we’re all yearning for a hot drink, rummaging our closets for a sweater, and settling into another rewatch of Practical Magic.
Not only do we completely get that feeling, we also bring you good news: Colorado is the ideal place to soak in and celebrate the Fall experience.
Heading north from Denver, we’ll hit coffee shops, pumpkin patches, apple orchards, and breweries (oh my!), all in one easy trip. It’s a perfectly pumpkin-spiced day for you and yours, without any backtracking or scrambling over who will be driving.
Bonus points for any group that brings a cozy craft to do in the party bus between stops!
Here’s our plan, stop by stop, for a fun fall day trip from Denver:
The Route at a Glance
Our route runs north along the Front Range and every stop is just a short hop from the last:
Denver → Lafayette: about 30 minutes
Layfayette → Longmont: about 25-30 minutes
Longmont → Denver: about 45-50 minutes
That’s about 2 hours of drive time in total, leaving plenty of time to wander the apple orchard, nibble some tasty treats, and pose with the biggest pumpkin you can find in the pumpkin patch.
Stop 1: Morning Coffee in Old Town Lafayette
About 30 minutes from Denver
Let’s start the day off right: hands cradling a hot mug of strong coffee in a quaint small town.
Lafayette’s Old Town has that walkable, Stars Hollow-esque, brick sidewalk kind of charm that begs for an oversized sweater and some espresso. Grab yourself a silly seasonal drink and a warm pastry while your group wakes up. Fuel up before the pumpkin mission begins!
When you’re riding together, this part is the BEST. There’s no orchestrating parking or watching the clock. Everybody gets to chat, sip, and catch up without having to split up.
East Simpson Coffee, a snug and homey coffee shop with adorable outdoor seating, just rolled out their pumpkin spice latte and golden chai latte October specials. The building looks like it could be a house and it has a long standing history of serving the community, as it’s the former home to Lafayette’s historic City Hall.
Pro Tip: If you’ve got some real caffeine fiends in your crew, grab coffee to drink there at the coffee shop, but also take some to-go drinks for the ride!
Stop 2: Pick Your Pumpkin at Cottonwood Farms
About 10 minutes from Old Town.
Cottonwood Farms is family owned farm that checks every fall box:
rows of pumpkins, squash, and pick-your-own produce
two acre corn maze that’s cut by hand rather than by tractor, meaning that the trail width isn’t quite as broad and will feel more encompassing and personal (huge hit)
farm animals, including chickens, goats, sheep, cows, and bunnies
classic hayrides offered every Saturday and Sunday through October
a display of vintage farm equipment, including antique steam engines
Stop 3: Apple Picking at Ya Ya Farm & Orchard
Longmont. About 25-30 minutes from Lafayette
Does anything say ‘fall’ more than an afternoon spent in an apple orchard?
Ya Ya Farm & Orchard grows more than 1000 fruit trees. Apples are the star of the show, but there are plums, cherries, and pears as well. You can pick-your-own fruit, channel your creative energy while painting some gourds, or even make your own hard cider.
Imagine you and your best friends exploring the orchard. In one hand, you’ve got an apple cider donut, still warm from the fryer. In the other, you’re holding a cup of fresh apple cider to sip on as you peruse the farm’s homemade butters, sauces, jams, and honeys.
It’s the perfect fall afternoon.
Pro Tip: Check their website for information about ticketed seasonal events, like Applefest, their Gourd & Pumpkin painting event, and BOOFest, an (adult humored) murder mystery dinner.
Stop 4: Cheers in Longmont
Finish the day in Longmont
After all of that walking and picking, you’ll have earned yourself a pint!
Longmont is packed with Colorado craft beer, including Left Hand Brewing and Oskar Blues. It’s the perfect way to refuel with some food and swap stories over a few drinks at the end of the day.
This is a time when a group ride really shines. Everyone will be relaxed and you can all raise a glass while you enjoy the evening without leaving anyone out to pull designated driver duties. You all arrive together, you leave together, and the ride itself is half the fun.
Planning Tips for Your Fall Day Trip
Go on a weekday if you can. Weekends can be packed in October. While that can be fun in itself, if that isn’t your thing, keep it in mind that a weekday can mean shorter lines and calmer patches.
Check event dates. If there’s an event that you’re hoping to take part of, make sure to double check dates first, so as not to be disappointed.
Dress in layers. Mornings are chilly, afternoons warm up, and you can leave your layers on the bus if you don’t want to carry a jacket around with you.
Bring cash and a bag. Some farm stands are small and you’ll need something to carry your apples home in.
Check accessibility ahead of time. Farm terrain can be unpredictable. Call ahead to ask about pathways and facilities if anyone in your group uses a wheelchair or a mobility device.
Make It a Group Day
A fall day like this works in tandem with any occasion: birthdays, family reunions, girls’ weekend, corporate team outing. Having a party bus that can fit your whole group means there’s zero managing logistics on your end, there are no “so, who’s following who?’ conversations, and there will be plenty of room for your pumpkins to travel home with you.
At Jedi Charter, we’re a Colorado homegrown company. Building a custom itinerary around this kind of a day is what we love to do. Our professional drivers handle the roads, we have ADA accessible buses, and everyone is welcome onboard.
Ready to ride? Tell us where you want to go and we’ll help you plan a fall day your group won’t stop talking about.
Looking For More?
If you’re in need for even more of a fall fix, check out our blog post on Colorado’s Best Fall Foliage Trips. It’s perfect for casual and dedicated leaf peepers alike.
