DENVER -- With the drought behind us, avid quaking aspen viewers in search of gold, yellow and red landscapes this autumn should be looking forward to a colorful viewing season in the state, said a University of Colorado at Boulder professor.

"In general, the aspen look quite healthy this year," said Professor Michael Grant of the ecology and evolutionary biology department. "If we have a normal fall progression in the weather, it should be a very good year for aspen viewing."

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Although the gold, yellow and red pigments seen in the aspen leaves each fall are present throughout the spring and summer, they are overshadowed by the green chlorophyll -- the light-harvesting pigment in the trees, he said. When the chlorophyll is retracted from the leaves in autumn in preparation for winter dormancy, the brilliant pigments remaining in the leaves shine in full glory.

According to the US Forest Service, Colorado's aspen trees usually change color in the third week in September, but this season the colors have held out a little longer, with aspen trees given western exposure (on a west-facing slope) displaying more of the vibrant yellow, red and orange shades.

Here are some of our recommended aspen-viewing trips in Colorado:

Hwy 285/I-70, short trip: Take U.S. Highway 285 south to Grant, then take the scenic byway over Guanella Pass to Georgetown and return to Denver on Interstate 70.

Hwy 285/I-70, long trip: Take U.S. Highway 285 over Kenosha Pass and continue south to Como and then take the gravel road that goes over Boreas Pass to Breckenridge. Continue north on Colorado 9 to I-70 and return to Denver.

Hwy 285/Hwy 24/I-70, longer trip: Take U.S. Highway 285 over Kenosha Pass, Red Mountain Pass and Trout Creek Pass to Buena Vista. Take U.S. Highway 24 over Tennessee Pass, through Minturn, to Vail, returning to Denver on Interstate 70. (good side trips from Buena Vista area: Cottonwood Pass, Independence Pass)

Peak-To-Peak: Drive the highway between Blackhawk, north through Nederland, to Estes Park (Hwy 119/72/7).

Mount Evans: Take I-70 to the Evergreen Parkway exit. Drive to Bergen Park and then take Highway 103 to Echo Lake and continue to Idaho Springs, returning to Denver on I-70.

Rocky Mountain National Park, short trip: Drive to Estes Park and into Rocky Mountain National Park, returning to Denver the way you came.

Rocky Mountain National Park, long trip: Drive to Estes Park, then drive through Rocky Mountain National Park over Trail Ridge Road. Continue to Granby on U.S. Highway 40. Drive over Berthoud Pass to I-70, returning to Denver (all day trip).

Rampart Range Road: Take Highway 85 south to Sedalia, then take Highway 67 to Rampart Range Road. Take Rampart Range Road south to Woodland Park, then take Highway 24 to Colorado Springs, returning to Denver on I-25.

Steamboat Springs, long trip: Take the 100 mile loop in roughly 3.5-hours, which offers breathtaking views of mountainsides exploding with the changing aspen colors from the 235,000 acre Flat Tops Wilderness Area with snowcapped mountains to Gore Pass (9,527 feet) to Muddy Pass (8,772 feet) to Rabbit Ears Pass (9,426 feet) and Steamboat Springs.

There is still a lot of change yet to happen in the later months, particularly along I-70 between the Eisenhower Tunnel and Vail Valley. While there is some gold between Frisco and Copper Mountain, most of the trees have not changed yet especially at higher elevations, so if you want to go later in the season, head over to those areas.