It’s faaaaallll! Have you gotten your pumpkin spice latte fix yet? The leaves are changing colors, and it always feels like autumn flies by too quickly. We all know that drives through the Alpine Loop or up Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons are classic ways to take in the deep reds and oranges of the season. But have you heard about the world’s largest, most dense organism to ever exist? Just three hours south of SLC lies the Pando Aspen Clone in Fishlake National Forest! This incredible organism weighs in at 13 million pounds (don’t ask me how scientists figured that out), with a root system that connects 40,000 aspen trees, all believed to have sprung from a single seed at the end of the last ice age. During the fall, these 106 acres transform into a golden wonderland. If you end up taking a stroll through this ancient grove, I would love to see pictures from your adventure!

Fun fact: “Pando” is Latin for “I spread,” a fitting name for this clone that continues to thrive from its single-seed origins.