Best waterfalls in Colorado
Colorado’s falls are an altitude game: snowmelt giants like Telluride’s Bridal Veil, box-canyon roarers in Ouray, and gentle alpine cascades in Rocky Mountain National Park. The high season is short — many run hardest in late spring and early summer — and a few, like Hanging Lake, now require reservations.
Colorado’s tallest free-falling fall, with a historic power station at its lip.
a roaring fall thundering inside a narrow slot in Ouray.
a powerful fall just outside Steamboat, roaring at snowmelt.
a stair-step series in a narrow box canyon near the Springs.
a wind-blown plume right beside the highway over Wolf Creek Pass.
a fall tumbling right into the edge of town in the "Switzerland of America".
a rare triple fall with caves to explore behind it.
an easy fall on the quiet west side of Rocky Mountain National Park.
a city-park fall in North Cheyenne Cañon.
tucked in a rock cleft near Great Sand Dunes; an ice cave in winter.
turquoise travertine pools fed by Bridal Veil Falls; reservation required.
Flows change with the season and recent rain — many falls roar at spring snowmelt and slow by late summer. Check conditions and any permit or reservation rules before you go.