The best historic waterfalls in Colorado are Agnes Vaille Falls, Glacier Falls, Adams Falls and 6 more. Falls with a written record: a USGS naming history, a gazetteer description or older recorded names.
See every waterfall on the Colorado waterfalls page or the Colorado waterfall map, or browse by town: Buena Vista, Estes Park, Granby, Creede, Rangely.
How we picked: We took the 9 publicly accessible Colorado waterfalls that have a written record in the USGS Geographic Names Information System (a naming history, a gazetteer description, or older variant names) and ranked them by how much of that record exists, then by Google review volume.
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1. Agnes Vaille Falls
Agnes Vaille Falls is a named waterfall about 10 miles southwest of Buena Vista. USGS notes: Located in San Isabel National Forest, along Cascade Canyon, 4.8 km (3 mi) north of Mount Antero
Chaffee County, CO (GPS 38.7206, -106.2345)
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The USGS gazetteer describes it as: Located in San Isabel National Forest, along Cascade Canyon, 4.8 km (3 mi) north of Mount Antero. Name history: Named for Agnes Vaille (1890-1925), mountaineer and charter member of the Colorado Mountain Club. Older records also call it Anges Vail Falls and Agnes Vail Falls. The nearest town is Buena Vista, about 10 miles to the northeast. The nearest other named waterfall is The Falls, about 9.9 miles to the east.
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2. Glacier Falls
Glacier Falls is a named waterfall about 8.7 miles southwest of Estes Park. USGS notes: original entry contained a typographical error
Larimer County, CO (GPS 40.2939, -105.6458)
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The USGS gazetteer describes it as: original entry contained a typographical error. Older records also call it Gllcier Falls. The nearest town is Estes Park, about 8.7 miles to the northeast. The nearest other named waterfall is Alberta Falls, about 0.8 miles to the northeast.
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3. Adams Falls
Adams Falls, near Granby, is next up, rated 4.8 out of 5 from 172 reviews.
Grand County, CO 80510 (GPS 40.2367, -105.7964)
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Older records also call it Ouzel Falls and Minnehaha Falls. Visitors rate it 4.8 stars across 172 Google reviews. The nearest town is Granby, about 13 miles to the southwest. The nearest other named waterfall is Cascade Falls, about 2.9 miles to the northeast.
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4. Saguache Falls
Saguache Falls is a named waterfall about 9.3 miles northeast of Creede. USGS notes: Located along Middle Fork Saguache Creek, at the mouth of Benito Creek, 4.8 km (3 mi) NW of Halfmoon Pass.
Saguache County, CO 81130 (GPS 37.9417, -106.8028)
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The USGS gazetteer describes it as: Located along Middle Fork Saguache Creek, at the mouth of Benito Creek, 4.8 km (3 mi) NW of Halfmoon Pass. The nearest town is Creede, about 9.3 miles to the southwest. The nearest other named waterfall is North Clear Creek Falls, about 20.0 miles to the west.
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5. Chasm Falls
Chasm Falls near Estes Park is another strong option, rated 4.9 out of 5 from 40 reviews. Visitors come here for hiking, drive, and waterfall.
Larimer County, CO 80517 (GPS 40.4168, -105.6726)
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Older records also call it Horseshoe Falls. Visitors rate it 4.9 stars across 40 Google reviews. The nearest town is Estes Park, about 8.4 miles to the east. The nearest other named waterfall is Thousand Falls, about 0.6 miles to the southeast.
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6. Fern Falls
Fern Falls near Estes Park is worth the drive, rated 4.7 out of 5 from 17 reviews.
Larimer County, CO 80517 (GPS 40.3474, -105.6678)
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Older records also call it Lulu Falls. Visitors rate it 4.7 stars across 17 Google reviews. The nearest town is Estes Park, about 8.0 miles to the east. The nearest other named waterfall is Marguerite Falls, about 0.6 miles to the southwest.
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7. Ribbon Falls
Head to Ribbon Falls near Estes Park, rated 4.8 out of 5 from 6 reviews.
Larimer County, CO 80517 (GPS 40.2670, -105.6402)
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Older records also call it The Silver Slide. Visitors rate it 4.8 stars across 6 Google reviews. The nearest town is Estes Park, about 9.8 miles to the northeast. The nearest other named waterfall is Timberline Falls, about 1.8 miles to the northwest.
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8. Lost Falls
Lost Falls is a named waterfall about 9.0 miles north of Estes Park. It appears on the USGS Pingree Park topographic map.
Larimer County, CO (GPS 40.5036, -105.5664)
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Older records also call it The Falls. The nearest town is Estes Park, about 9.0 miles to the south. The nearest other named waterfall is Bridal Veil Falls, about 4.7 miles to the south.
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9. Lower Disaster Falls
Lower Disaster Falls is a named waterfall about 39 miles north of Rangely. It appears on the USGS Canyon of Lodore North topographic map.
Moffat County, CO (GPS 40.6439, -108.9329)
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Older records also call it Disaster Falls. The nearest town is Rangely, about 39 miles to the south. The nearest other named waterfall is Upper Disaster Falls, about 0.4 miles to the north.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best historic waterfall in Colorado?
Agnes Vaille Falls tops our 2026 list. The USGS gazetteer describes it as: Located in San Isabel National Forest, along Cascade Canyon, 4.8 km (3 mi) north of Mount Antero. It is near Buena Vista in Chaffee County.
How many historic waterfalls are in Colorado?
9 of the 82 waterfalls we track in Colorado qualify. This page ranks the top 9; every waterfall in the state is on the Colorado waterfalls page.
How was this list made?
We took the 9 publicly accessible Colorado waterfalls that have a written record in the USGS Geographic Names Information System (a naming history, a gazetteer description, or older variant names) and ranked them by how much of that record exists, then by Google review volume.
Which counties are they in?
The 9 on this list are in Chaffee County, Larimer County, Grand County, Saguache County, and Moffat County.
More Colorado Waterfalls by Type
- 10 Best Hidden Gem Waterfalls in Colorado 2026
- 5 Best Cascades in Colorado 2026
- 10 Best Waterfall Hiking Locations in Colorado
- 10 Most Beautiful Waterfalls in Colorado
- 5 Most Visited Waterfalls in Colorado
- 5 Must-See Waterfalls in Colorado
Or browse every type on the historic waterfalls by state page and the waterfall types hub.