Top 10 Waterfalls in Colorado, United States

November 21, 2021 Merry Kessler

Colorado is home to no less than twenty-six ski resorts such as those in Vail and Breckenridge; other winter activities include snowboarding, sledding, sleigh rides, snow hiking and snowmobiling. The state is blessed with national parks, grasslands and forests where in warmer weather you can enjoy hiking, mountain biking or rock climbing. Wildlife abounds, from bears to moose and raccoons to wolverines. More interested in local history? Head for either the Ute Indian Museum or the Koshare Indian Museum, and don't miss the forts such as Fort Garland and Bent's Old Fort. For a complete change, why not take a ride in a hot air balloon from South Park Valley or Boulder and admire Colorado's picturesque landscape from above?
Restaurants in Colorado

1. Uncompahgre Gorge

Ouray, CO
Excellent
88%
Good
8%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
3%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 40 reviews

Uncompahgre Gorge

Site of a frozen waterfall and America's first manmade ice-climbing park.

2. Ouzel Falls

Wild Basin, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO +1 361-993-5309 http://www.rockymountainhikingtrails.com/ouzel-falls.htm
Excellent
78%
Good
19%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 78 reviews

Ouzel  Falls

Reviewed By jmpncsu - Raleigh, United States

Ouzel Falls is a really beautiful 40-foot waterfall in the Wild Basin area of the park. The hike is about 5 miles round trip and moderate. The trail crosses Ouzel Creek below the falls, but for the best views, follow the path up to the base. It's possible to climb around on the rocks to view from different angles, but be careful as the rocks are slippery. We visited on the longer Bluebird Lake hike.

3. Bear Creek Falls

Bear Creek Falls Trail, Telluride, CO 81435 http://www.visittelluride.com/activity/bear-creek-trail
Excellent
80%
Good
17%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 406 reviews

Bear Creek Falls

Scenic waterfalls that tumble down into Telluride's box canyon in the San Juan Mountains.

Reviewed By wgm51 - Albuquerque, United States

This is a relatively easy trail - about 2.5 miles to the Falls starting at the end of S. Pine Street. The trail does climb most of the way but is not steep until very near the Falls. It is a beautiful hike and you can walk right up to the base of the Falls at the end. Go early to avoid the crowds since this trail is very popular.

4. North Clear Creek Falls

Highway 149 - between Creede and Lake City, Creede, CO http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gDfxMDT8MwRydLA1cj72BTJw8jAwjQL8h2VAQAzHJMsQ!!/
Excellent
79%
Good
20%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 95 reviews

North Clear Creek Falls

Reviewed By Beckibecka - Aurora, United States

If you're driving through this area, you have to make this stop. It's a quick walk from the parking lot to the waterfall viewing area and this waterfall is impressive!

5. Timberline Falls

Sky Pond Trail, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
Excellent
75%
Good
25%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 8 reviews

Timberline Falls

6. Fern Falls

Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
Excellent
87%
Good
7%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 15 reviews

Fern Falls

Reviewed By CT891979 - Loveland, United States

This beautiful waterfall is on the way to Fern Lake as well as Odessa lake and is such a magnificent piece of nature. Luckily there’s always a fallen log right in front of it that you can sit on to take a picture or as you can see from my photo there’s a little path on the side of it that you can walk on to get a picture up close and personal next to the Falls. Timberline Falls So far is my favorite waterfall but this one comes in a very close second.

7. Copeland Falls

Rocky Mountain National Park, CO http://www.rockymountainhikingtrails.com/ouzel-falls.htm
Excellent
63%
Good
28%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
2%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 43 reviews

Copeland Falls

Reviewed By AmberFTraveler

As a family of 6 (4 boys ages 10, 8, 6 and 4) we highly recommend the short hike to Copeland Falls! This was our second day of hiking so we really just wanted a short hike. The drive was about 30 minutes from our Estes Park condo, but worth it! We got there a little after 8am and the parking lot had just filled, but there were several spots near the lot that the Ranger was directing us to. The hike to the falls is only about a quarter of a mile and easy for kids. Once there we had the falls to ourselves! Because most people are continuing on to the cascades (another 1.5 miles), we had 30 minutes of just exploring the area around the falls - walking on the rocks around it and taking pictures. They had so much fun! The ranger also told us a Moose and her baby had just been by before we came, but we weren't lucky enough to ever see them. Highly recommend!

8. Calypso Cascades

Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
Excellent
78%
Good
18%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 49 reviews

Calypso Cascades

Reviewed By CraftBeers - Plano, United States

I would read the reviews on TripAdvisor for Wild Basin Area. There are four major trail systems to explore. The Bluebird and Ouzel Lake trail is one of them. Calypso Cascades is the second stop along that trail at about the 1.5 - 1.7 mile marker. You'll pass Copeland Falls on your way here. This portion of the hike has some significant climbs. There will be long sections of stair-like steps that will give you a work out. Be sure to bring water. Maybe even pack a lunch to hangout and enjoy the views. Wild Basin is an 18 mile drive along hwy 7 to get to the park entrance. It's worth the drive to visit Copeland Falls and Calypso Cascade together. We continued on to Ouzel Falls, but I found Calypso to be the best view of the three we saw on this hike. All entrances into Rocky Mountain National Park require a reservation made in advance. There is a fee associated with the reservation. If you have not made a reservation a few weeks in advance, there is a high likelihood that you will not get in.

9. Fish Creek Falls

Fish Creek Falls Road County Road 32, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477 +1 970-870-2299 http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mbr/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=22746&actid=50
Excellent
77%
Good
20%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 2,089 reviews

Fish Creek Falls

Reviewed By R2643WOdavidb - Winter Park, United States

With 400+ Inches of snow this past winter, the Fish Creek Falls were a powerful force of water!st see place to visit when in Steamboat Springs! Easy hike in to the base of the falls, and many photo spots to stop along the trails to capture the perfect picture! Winter Spring Summer of Fall, always a great time to visit Fish Creek Falls!

10. Zapata Falls

Mosca, CO +1 719-852-7074
Excellent
59%
Good
28%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
3%
Terrible
3%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 434 reviews

Zapata Falls

Reviewed By Steamboat323 - Windsor, United States

Read the reviews, pondered whether to skip this due to the challenging road to the trailhead... so happy we pushed ahead! The road stinks.... it's totally doable for a small SUV vehicle, but it's bumpy and takes 30 minutes to go 3.5 miles. So if you're ready for that, it's the worst part. The short trail to the falls is also rocky, and it's not very scenic. That being said, when you arrive at the stream near the falls, things change magically. When we went, it was the first of October and the fall colors were in their prime - lots of gold around the stream. To reach the falls, you must walk through/ scamper over rocks/ navigate the stream to the cave. Hiking poles help immensely - we had our High Stream Gear folding hiking poles and they were lifesavers for these 50-somethings trying to traverse the boulders among the water. In October, the stream was low flow so even if you just walked in it, it's doable. We hopped rocks and our feet did not get wet. Once in the cave, be sure to look UP as it's beautiful and the lights and shadows are amazing - similar to looking up a small slot canyon in Utah;. The 2-tiered falls are around the corner at the end of the cave. The area is pretty; just know that you need to go through water to actually see the falls. So fun! Tip: Go early in the morning to beat the crowds. We arrived about 9 am on an early October Saturday, and were the only people in the cave upon arrival after passing one small group. But on our way out, there were quite a few folks hiking in. There is no charge to get in.

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