Northern Front Range and Rocky Mountain National Park
31 waterfalls · Larimer County, Boulder County, Grand County, Gilpin County, Jackson County
This is the busiest waterfall country in the state. Glacially carved valleys on both sides of the Continental Divide send creeks through granite steps and gorges. Alberta Falls near Estes Park is among the most visited trails in Rocky Mountain National Park, and Ouzel Falls rewards a longer walk into the park's quieter Wild Basin area. On the west side, Adams Falls near Grand Lake drops through a rocky gorge a short walk from the trailhead. Closer to the cities, Boulder Falls sits along Boulder Canyon. Many of the falls here are modest in height but set among aspen, lodgepole pine and high peaks.
Start with: Boulder Falls, Adams Falls, Ouzel Falls, Alberta Falls, Chasm Falls
San Juan Mountains
18 waterfalls · Hinsdale County, Mineral County, Ouray County, San Miguel County, Archuleta County, Dolores County, Montezuma County, Saguache County
The San Juans are Colorado's most rugged range, a deeply eroded volcanic plateau where streams plunge off sheer walls. Bridal Veil Falls closes off the head of Telluride's box canyon and is one of the tallest falls in the state. Around Wolf Creek Pass, Treasure Falls is visible from the highway, and Piedra Falls lies in quieter forest country nearby. North Clear Creek Falls in Hinsdale County drops into a canyon near the high road between Lake City and Creede. Ouray, surrounded by cliffs and narrow gorges, has several falls within reach of town. Snow lingers late here, so peak flows often run into July.
Start with: Treasure Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, North Clear Creek Falls, Piedra Falls, Bear Creek Falls
Pikes Peak, Sangre de Cristo and Sawatch
17 waterfalls · El Paso County, Custer County, Alamosa County, Chaffee County, Huerfano County, Las Animas County, Lake County, Park County
South of Denver, falls are tucked into canyons at the foot of high, steep ranges. Helen Hunt Falls in North Cheyenne Canon near Colorado Springs is one of the state's most visited, since it sits beside a road with a trail leading higher. In the San Luis Valley, Zapata Falls hides inside a narrow rock crevice in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, reached by wading over slippery stones. The Wet Mountains and Sangres around Westcliffe, and the Sawatch Range near Buena Vista, add falls fed by snowfields on fourteeners and high ridges. These eastern slopes are drier than the Divide country, so flows drop faster in late summer.
Start with: Helen Hunt Falls, Zapata Falls, Elk Falls, Silver Cascade Falls, Crystal Falls
Western Slope Plateaus and Valleys
16 waterfalls · Garfield County, Routt County, Moffat County, Eagle County, Pitkin County, Gunnison County, Summit County
West of the Divide, waterfalls appear where streams cut through plateau edges and limestone. Rifle Falls in Garfield County is notable for a triple waterfall pouring over a travertine ledge, with small caves in the porous rock nearby, and Garfield County holds several other falls in the canyons near Parachute and Glenwood Springs. In Routt County, Fish Creek Falls drops into a forested canyon just outside Steamboat Springs, with upper and lower sections. Moffat County's falls lie in remote canyon country in the state's northwest corner. Resort valleys around Aspen, Vail and Crested Butte contribute a few more, mostly reached by short trails from summer trailheads.
Start with: Fish Creek Falls, Rifle Falls, Hayes Creek Falls, Snake River Falls, Judd Falls
