Seven Falls, Colorado Springs
Seven Falls tumbles 181 feet down a solid cliff of granite. You can get a bird’s eye view of the falls by riding the in-mountain elevator 140 feet up to the Eagle’s Nest platform. Or if you want more of a challenge, you can climb the 184 steps up to the same platform. Either way, you’ll get to see this long waterfall from a unique perspective. If you’ve made up you mind to go see Seven Falls, here are the directions to it: from Denver, take I-25 south towards Colorado Springs. Once in Colorado Springs, take exit 138 and turn right onto Lake Avenue. Continue on Lake Ave. and pass the impressive Broadmoor Hotel. You’ll see the signs for Seven Falls, and once you pay your fee at the entrance, you’ll drive what they call: “the grandest mile of scenery in Colorado“. Speaking of the fee, it depends on who you are and what time of day you arrive here. At night, the falls are lit with different colored lights and this increases the price of admission. So, admission prices go like this: (in 2006)
Night Once you’ve paid your fee, you’ll drive a short ways through a narrow canyon until you reach the parking area. The parking area is actually a long string of spots along the side of the road, so the further up you can park, the less you’ll have to walk to see the falls. After parking your car, just follow the road up and the first thing you’ll see is the first of three gift shops. Seven Falls is just a short walk beyond the gift shop. Admire the view from the bottom and when you’re ready, enter the granite hallway that leads to the elevator. If you’re interested, you can read information about the area in this hallway. The elevator takes you 140 feet up to the platform where you truly get a bird’s eye view of Seven Falls. From the platform, you can also enjoy the surrounding scenery, and listen to audio tapes about the falls. When you’re ready to leave, you can either take the elevator back down, or if you want to, there’s a 184 step stairway that takes you down to the bottom. Now, if you’re ambitious, (and not afraid of heights), you can climb the 224 steps that follow Seven Falls all the way to the top. Once there, you can hike two different trails. One is a short half mile walk to Midnight Falls, and the other one is a mile long hike to Inspiration Point, where you can enjoy a view of the Great Plains. Both trails have moderate ratings. Have fun! Here’s an interesting tidbit about Seven Falls: it’s the only waterfall in Colorado that’s listed in the National Geographic list of International Waterfalls. Though I think this is a nice falls, there are other waterfalls in Colorado which I think are nice too! Seven Falls is made up of seven separate waterfalls which each have their own name. Like so: 1) Ramona Falls-this one is named after Helen Hunt Jackson’s book “Ramona”. 2) Feather Falls-this one is named for the way it looks. 3) Bridal Veil Falls-yes, because it looks like a bridal veil. 4) Shorty Falls-you guessed it: because of its short drop. 5) Hull Falls-this one is named after the 1880s owner of the falls. 6) Weimer Falls-Weimer was the name of the second owner of Seven Falls. 7) Hill Falls-and last but not least, Hill is the name of the current owners of this seven tiered waterfall. Seven Falls is open year-round except for New Years Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Eve, so that gives you plenty of time to enjoy it. Have fun!
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