Looking for Colorado
waterfalls to hike to?

This Colorado waterfalls page will tell you everything you need to know to take a great waterfall hike. I'll tell you where they are, and give you specific directions to each trailhead. Then I'll tell you the distance of the trail as well as some of the scenery you might expect to see along the way.

Some of these Colorado waterfalls require a fee in order to be seen, while others are free. Those are the best kind! I'll be telling you about both, but if they do require a fee, I'll tell you what the amount is so you can decide what you want to do.

As you know, most waterfalls make great hiking destinations...otherwise you probably wouldn't be here! So, you'll probably be happy to know that they can be found in various parts of the state and that they come in all sizes and shapes. You probably won't have too much trouble finding one you like!

O.K., are you ready to go see some Colorado waterfalls? Good, then I'll start you off at Rocky Mountain National Park. You'll find some good waterfall hikes there and the trails will range from easy to moderate. Click here to see my Rocky Mountain National Park trails page and once there, just choose a hike that looks to your liking. Have fun!

If you’re going to be in the Boulder area, you should put Boulder Falls on your “to do” list. It’s in Boulder Canyon and shouldn’t be missed.

Seven Falls is a 181 foot waterfall in Colorado Springs. It has seven separate falls, and can be viewed from a platform that's 140 feet up off the ground.

Are you going to be in the Gunnison or Crested Butte areas? If so, you could go see Judd Falls. It's a short and fairly easy hike that takes you to an overlook of this pretty Colorado waterfall.

I think I have enough Colorado waterfalls on this page so I've started a new one. If you want to see more waterfalls in Colorado, they are definitely out there :-).

Here's a Colorado waterfall hike near Breckenridge but before I tell you about it, here are the directions to Breckenridge itself:

From the Denver area, take I-70 west to the Breckenridge exit 203. Follow Hwy. 9 south and drive through Frisco and on to Breckenridge. Breckenridge is about 9 miles south of Frisco on Hwy. 9.

Continental Falls
One-way distance: 3.0 miles
Difficulty level: moderate to difficult
Dog friendly: yes
Entrance fee: no
Restroom facilities: no

Directions to Continental Falls trailhead: from Breckenridge, continue driving south on Hwy. 9. At about 2.4 miles from the last light in Breckenridge, turn right on Spruce Creek road which is a dirt road. Continue on Spruce Creek Rd. for about 1.2 miles to the parking area and trailhead. (Make sure you stay on Spruce Creek Rd. since there is a spot where the correct direction isn't clear. That spot is at about the second fork in the road and you want to follow the road around to the left; don't take the right fork otherwise you'll be going the wrong direction.)

O.K., now on to this splendid Colorado waterfall known as Continental Falls. For about the first two miles of the trail, you're hiking through a pine scented forest, and at one point early on, you cross Spruce Creek. At another point, the trail leads to a dirt road. Turn left on the dirt road and follow it until you see the sign on your right saying Mohawk and Mayflower Lakes.

Follow that sign and the trail on to Mayflower Lake. Near this small lake, you will see the remains of several old cabins, as well as meadows filled with wild flowers. Near this lake is also the turn-off point for Continental Falls. The sign for the falls is well marked and you will have to cross a log bridge over a fast moving stream. It may be difficult for some people since there is no hand rail. Just take your time.

Remember when I said this trail is moderate to difficult? Well, this is where it becomes more difficult. The last mile of trail to this waterfall is steeper, the trail is harder to follow, and the elevation is higher. But please don't be put off! I'm just telling you these things so you know what to expect. As many people along the trail told us, it's worth it, and it was to us too!

Here's a Colorado waterfall near Steamboat Springs. But let me first give you directions there. From the Denver area, take I-70 west to the Silverthorne exit 205. (Sign also says Steamboat Springs.) Turn right, (north), on Colorado Highway 9 to Kremmling. In Kremmling, turn left on U.S. 40 west and follow it to Steamboat Springs.

Fish Creek Falls
One-way distance: 5 to 10 minute walk, (see description)
Difficulty level-easy
Dog friendly: yes
Entrance fee: $5.00 per day in 2008;
Restroom facilities: yes

Directions to Fish Creek Falls trailhead: from Steamboat Springs, follow Hwy. 40 west, (Lincoln Ave.), to 3rd Street. Turn right on 3rd Street, then turn right again on Fish Creek Falls Rd. Follow Fish Creek Falls Rd. for approximately 4 miles until it ends in the parking area.

The walk to this beautiful Colorado waterfall is short and easy. You have two choices: one, you can follow the paved trail which takes about five minutes and leads to an overlook of the falls. Or two, you can take the dirt hiking trail which goes downhill and leads to a bridge from which you have another good view of the falls. That's about a ten minute walk.

Either way, you won't be disappointed. Do both! Some people consider this to be one of the best waterfalls in Colorado and I definitely agree. Don't miss out! And if you're interested, you can hike up to Upper Fish Creek Falls. It's 2.5 miles up the trail from the main Fish Creek Falls, and I think it's well worth going up there.

How about a triple waterfall? This one is located near the town of Rifle, Colorado, at Rifle Falls State Park. Here are the directions: take I-70 west to the Rifle exit, then go north on Colorado Hwy. 13 for three miles. Next, turn right onto Colorado 325 and drive 9.8 miles, where you'll see the sign for Rifle Falls State Park on your right. Turn right into the park.

Rifle Falls
One-way distance-5 minute walk, or less;
Difficulty level-easy
Dog friendly: yes but dogs must be leashed;
Entrance fee: yes; $5.00 for a daily parks pass, (in 2007), and it is good through 12 noon the following day;
Restroom facilities: yes

This Colorado waterfall is unique since it's actually three separate waterfalls. From the small parking lot, just walk around the gate and follow the easy path to the falls. You'll hear them before you see them. Also, morning is the best time to be here since that's when the sun will be shining on the falls. (During the summer at least). If you brought a picnic, there are several tables near the falls for your use...have fun!

Helen Hunt Falls
Helen Hunt Falls is near Colorado Springs and here are the directions to them: from I-25, take exit 141, (Hwy. 24 west), and turn left on 21st street. (21st becomes Cresta Blvd.) Then turn right onto Cheyenne Blvd. Stay on Cheyenne Blvd. and continue into Cheyenne Canon Park on North Cheyenne Canon Rd. until you see this Colorado waterfall on your left.

This is a nice falls that’s worth seeing if you’re in the Colorado Springs area but since you can drive to it, this will be a brief description of the short trail that goes up behind it and up to the smaller Silver Cascade Falls.

It’s about .3 miles, (on a moderate trail), to Silver Cascade Falls and takes just over 10 minutes to hike up there. So, from Helen Hunt Falls, follow the trail that takes you up to the bridge and over Helen Hunt Falls. Beyond the bridge, the trail becomes steeper but there are stairs cut into it most of the way. Take your time and you should be fine.

St. Mary’s Falls
Roundtrip distance-5.6 miles
Difficulty level-moderate to difficult, (but worth it!)
Approximate roundtrip hiking time: 3 hours and 30 minutes;
Dog friendly-yes
Entrance fee-no
Restroom facilities-no

Directions to St. Mary’s Falls trailhead: from Helen Hunt Falls, (above), keep following the road upwards until you reach the end of the paved portion of the road. Park in the big dirt parking area. Start walking on the closed portion of Gold Camp road which is on the far left as you drive in to the parking lot.

You’ll walk for about 1.2 miles along the road until you reach the actual trailhead for this beautiful Colorado waterfall. (It's another 1.6 miles on the actual trail to the falls.) Unfortunately, it’s not marked so here’s how to find it: as you’re walking, you will come upon a closed tunnel with a big fence blocking the entrance. To the left of the tunnel is a narrow trail heading upwards and this is where you want to go.

Shortly after this point, you’ll come to a fork in the trail. On the right is a small sign that says “trail”, and also has the words: National Forest. This is where you want to go. After this point, things become even more confusing because there are several more forks in the trail, none of which are marked. It’s as if they don’t want you to visit this waterfall, which I think is the prettiest Colorado waterfall that I’ve seen.

So my best advice is to take the right fork every time until you reach the sign that tells you that St. Mary’s Falls is .2 miles away. That’s how we managed to find it. So, from the .2 miles away sign, keep going up until you reach yet another unmarked fork. Here, you want to switchback around to the left instead of going straight.

You will soon come upon another sign that says that this Colorado waterfall is about 500 feet away. Now you’re almost there…finally…and no more forks in the trail! The last part of the trail, (starting from the .2 miles away sign), is the steepest part of the whole hike, but I think it’s definitely well worth it. See what you think!

Now, I’ll tell you briefly some of what you’ll see or hear along that trail since up to this point, I was trying to tell you how to find this breathtaking Colorado waterfall.

The first thing I noticed along the road was lots of humming birds. The next thing was that Buffalo Creek follows along most of the trail. It makes for nice pictures! The third main thing I noticed was lots of aspen trees along or near the trail. I always take note of where I’ve seen aspen trees so I can go back for fall color hikes :-).

Booth Falls
One-way distance-2.0 miles
Difficulty level-moderate to difficult;
Approximate one-way hiking time: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Dog friendly-yes
Entrance fee-no
Restroom facilities-no

Directions to Booth Falls trailhead: from the Denver area, follow I-70 west to east Vail at exit 180. Take exit 180 and as you come off of it, make an immediate right turn and then left onto Frontage road. From here, it’s a short drive to Booth Falls road where you want to make a right. Follow this road to the end of the road and the trailhead.

There’s a small parking lot here and we counted about 18 spots so it’s best to be here early, especially on weekends. The trail to this hard-to-see, (and photograph), Colorado waterfall starts on the other side of the gate that you’ll see near the parking area.

The first part of this trail is probably the steepest part of the whole hike. But after that, it becomes more moderate and stays that way for most of the way to the falls. The first half tends to be a little buggy, (but not bad), so I recommend the bug spray. Also, there are lots of aspen trees along this trail so it would be great for fall color.

The trail goes back and forth between open areas and trees, so there is usually a place to stop in the shade for a break. Along the way, you’ll cross a creek twice and stepping stones have been placed there so you can more or less get across without getting your feet wet.

At about the ¾ mark of your hike, you’ll come to a fork in the trail and there’s no sign there telling you which way to go. You want to take the right fork. Shortly after this, you’ll be hiking up a relatively steep stream bed that might have water in it. From here though, it’s not far to the falls. Once there, you’ll see why it’s hard to see the falls but there’s also an upper falls which I think is very pretty.

Lake Irwin waterfalls
Difficulty level-easy
Approximate one-way hiking time-only a few minutes;
Dog friendly-yes
Entrance fee-no
Restroom facilities-yes

Directions to Lake Irwin waterfalls: from Gunnison, follow Hwy. 135 north to Crested Butte. (It’s about a half hour drive.) In Crested Butte, turn left onto Whiterock Ave. which becomes Kebler Pass Rd. Follow this road about 6 miles to the Lake Irwin turnoff on your right. Turn right here and drive about 2 more miles to Lake Irwin.

Once there, follow the road over the lake’s spillway and turn left into the tiny parking area that fits maybe 2-3 cars. (If there’s no room there, you can park in the bigger lot on the other side of the road.) There is no sign for these two Colorado waterfalls but the narrow trail starts from the smaller parking area.

Follow the trail down along the river and within a few minutes, you’ll see the first waterfall. Just a short ways beyond that, (and a few more minutes), is the second waterfall. Enjoy, and when you’re ready, go back the way you came.

Hays Creek Falls
Difficulty level-easy to moderate
Approximate one-way hiking time-only a few minutes;
Dog friendly-yes
Entrance fee-no
Restroom facilities-no

Directions to Hays Creek Falls: in Carbondale, follow Hwy. 133 south to Redstone. From Redstone, it’s then about another 1.8 miles south on Hwy. 133. You’ll see the sign for Hays Creek Falls on the west side of the road.

This Colorado waterfall is only a few minutes from the road but even so, I was wishing I had worn my hiking boots when I was there. You have to hike over uneven terrain to reach the falls and that includes a fairly large slab of rock which tilts downwards. So, watch your footing and you should be just fine.

McCullough Gulch/Quandary Falls
Roundtrip distance-2.6 miles
Difficulty level-moderate to difficult
Approximate one-way hiking time-1 hour and 20 minutes;
Dog friendly-yes
Entrance fee-no
Restroom facilities-no
Elevation-11,700 feet at the falls

Directions to Quandary Falls trailhead: from Breckenridge, go south on State Road 9 for 7.5 miles. Then turn right onto County Road 850 and follow it for one mile. Next, turn right onto Forest Road 851 and follow it for two miles to the gate at the end of the road. (At one point on Forest Road 851, you will come to a fork in the road. Follow the left fork to the road’s end.)

At the trailhead, parking is on the side of the road, so just park wherever you can. As always, it’s best to arrive as early as you can. This is especially true here since this Colorado waterfall is situated in an open area that could be dangerous during a thunderstorm.

Although the roundtrip distance to Quandary Falls is fairly short, the hike is a little more difficult than you might think. Some sections of the trail are steep, there are several rock fields to cross, and this Colorado waterfall is the highest elevation hike on this website, so far. Still, if you can handle the elevation, I think it’s well worth going to the falls.

Anyway, the trail starts on the other side of the gate and follows an old road. It’s rocky but eventually turns into a regular trail. You’ll go through wooded areas and a few open areas. As I mentioned earlier, you will also pass through several rock fields but they are relatively short.

The last ¾ or so of the trail becomes more difficult because the trail is steeper and the elevation is higher. At one point you’ll reach a long, large slab of rock. Hike up this rock to follow the trail and then it’s not much further to this pretty Colorado waterfall. Be watching for a little spur trail that goes left and this will be the path to Quandary Falls.

Agnes Vaille Falls
One-way distance-.5 miles
Difficulty level-moderate to more difficult
Approximate one-way hiking time-30 minutes;
Dog friendly-yes
Entrance fee-no
Restroom facilities-no
Elevation-9,300 feet at the falls

Directions to Agnes Vaille Falls trailhead: from the Denver area, follow Hwy. 285 south, all the way to the small town of Nathrop. (It’s about 8 miles beyond Buena Vista.) In Nathrop, continue south on Hwy. 285 for another .3 miles, then turn right, (west), onto County Road 162. From there, it’s a little over 8 miles to the trailhead on your right. It’s well marked with a sign saying Agnes Vaille Falls trailhead.

We estimated that the parking lot for this Colorado waterfall could hold maybe 10 cars, so again, the earlier you can get there, the better. By the way, we saw a pronghorn antelope and several deer as we were driving along County Road 162 to the trailhead, so keep an eye out for them!

Anyway, the trail to this Colorado waterfall is rocky but starts out fairly easily otherwise. You’ll be hiking through a forest for the most part and after a short time, you’ll come to the first of two benches. Take a break if you want to, and when you’re ready, continue on the trail which now becomes more moderate.

After a short time, you’ll reach the creek and this is where the trail starts to get more difficult. In some spots, the trail becomes quite narrow and you’ll be hiking right next to the creek. There are a couple of places where you have to climb over rocks, so just take your time.

You’ll be there in no time and when you are, make use of those rocks, and find one to sit on and enjoy the view.

I'll be adding more Colorado waterfalls in other parts of the state at some point, so keep checking back. In the meantime, enjoy the Colorado waterfall hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park, or any of the other waterfall hikes you see here. You won't be disappointed!

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