As the chill enters the air earlier than usual (thanks, Laramie) and the leaves begin to change, it’s hard to deny how gorgeous our little college town gets before the snow rolls through. With mountains all around us, plenty of trees and gorgeous murals, Laramie is truly a jackpot for Insta-worthy backdrops and landscapes. So, if you’re trying to step up your Instagram game, or just make your feed look gorg, here are some of my go-to places for photos. To give you a visual, I will be sure to drop some examples from my photo gallery.
1. Vedauwoo
I’ll start with the obvious- Vedauwoo is always gorgeous, but especially in the fall when the leaves are changing and the aspens are more yellow than ever before. Not to mention, it’s only like 15 minutes away, making it super accessible to you. There are plenty of places to go within Vedauwoo to get gorgeous shots, but I especially love the little side roads before the trail heads. Don’t overthink it- some of the most obvious spots are the best!
2) Happy Jack
Also in the same realm as Vedauwoo, if you take the back road there, Happy Jack, there are gorgeous dirt roads to drive into a little ways or the plains with mountains behind you that make for great photo backgrounds. This photo by my friend Taylor isn’t from the fall, however still shows the potential background you can go for if you take Happy Jack.
3) Downtown Murals & Side Doors
Downtown Laramie is *covered* in murals and cool architecture, which is totally amazing, not only to look at, but for photo ops! I know some of the big murals like the fish one, or the rainbow one by Coal Creek are in dozens of photos from Laramie residents, so think outside the box. Hunt down the side streets for the little murals that might be overlooked because of the large ones. Don’t get me wrong-they’re all so pretty-but going the extra mile to look for the ones down alleyways make for more unique photos. Or, find a wall or door like this one that fits the vibe you want. Give it an autumn feel in your outfit: cozy sweaters and boots are always adorable.
4) Prexy’s
There’s maybe 2 golden weeks on campus where the trees by Prexy’s are to die for. If you see the window-grab it and run. Go for golden hour when classes have dwindled and the sun is just right and find a unique angle-it won’t look like campus if you put in that extra work!
5) Lake Marie
If you head the other direction out of Laramie, maybe 30 minutes away, you will find Lake Marie, just at the foot of Medicine Bow Peak. The craziest part about this area is that it’s only open for a few months because of the snow, so now is the time to get up there while the fall colors are showing and get some pictures before they close it until May. It’s well worth the little drive up, as the view is gorgeous.
6) Coal Creek
Nothing says fall like a warm latte or hot chocolate from a local coffee shop like Coal Creek. Grab one of their cozy mugs in your favorite fall outfits and use the inside (or outside) as your background. It’s comfy and full of natural light.
7) Literally *any* neighborhood street
This sounds very vague, but it’s supposed to. Like I said earlier- some of the simplest areas make for the best pictures. It’s all in how you angle yourself and the camera, where you go and how you choose to use what you see. I had this photo taken right under a random tree in one of the neighborhoods where there were tons of leaves and it worked out great.
8) Aspen Alley
As a bonus, I’m throwing one in that’s more of a 2.5 hour drive, but only around for a limited time, too. You have to go through Medicine Bow and Encampment to get there, but Aspen Alley is exactly that: a road of aspens. Full of fall colors by now, I’m sure, the road is perfect for fall photos if you want to make the drive. The road closes when the road to Lake Marie does, just FYI, but it’s pretty, nonetheless.