Waterfall hikes are some of the most photographed and most family-friendly trails in any state — the destination delivers a clear visual reward, and many are short enough to do before lunch. We pulled every Colorado trail in our database whose name explicitly references falls, cascade, chute, or plunge, then ranked them by accessibility so the easiest and shortest waterfall hikes surface first. The result is ten hikes that pay off without punishing the people you're hiking with.
Colorado is the highest-elevation US state — 58 peaks above 14,000 feet, deep glacial valleys, and the Continental Divide running its full length. Summer (mid-June through September) is the practical window for high routes; afternoon thunderstorms are reliable July-August. Waterfalls run hardest in spring snowmelt and after sustained rain — the same windows when trail surfaces are slipperiest.
Our rankings here are data-driven — pulled from the 17,956 mapped entries OutsideAtlas tracks in Colorado — but the data has limits worth being honest about. We identify waterfall hikes by scanning trail names for terms like "falls," "cascade," "chute," and "plunge." That misses unnamed seasonal cascades and trails whose primary feature is a waterfall not mentioned in the route name. Treat the list as a confident sample, not a complete catalog.
The Ranking
Ranked from #1 to #10. Click through any entry for the full trail page — map, elevation profile, weather forecast, and direct OpenStreetMap source link.
#1. Adams Falls Loop
Adams Falls Loop near Grand Lake in Grand County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #1 slot for accessibility. Expect ground surface on a forgiving grade. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Adams Falls Loop trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#2. Angel Falls Chalk Cliffs
Angel Falls Chalk Cliffs near Nathrop in Chaffee County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #2 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Angel Falls Chalk Cliffs trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#3. Angel Falls Chalk Cliffs
Angel Falls Chalk Cliffs near Nathrop in Chaffee County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #3 slot for accessibility. Expect ground surface on a forgiving grade. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Angel Falls Chalk Cliffs trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#4. Beaver Falls Trail
Beaver Falls Trail near Glen Haven in Larimer County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #4 slot for accessibility. Expect dirt surface on a forgiving grade. Compared to similar trails in Colorado, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Beaver Falls Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#5. Beaver Falls Trail
Beaver Falls Trail near Glen Haven in Larimer County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #5 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Beaver Falls Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#6. Boulder Falls
Boulder Falls near Nederland in Boulder County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #6 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Boulder Falls trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#7. Browns Creek Falls Trail
Browns Creek Falls Trail near Nathrop in Chaffee County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #7 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Browns Creek Falls Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#8. Cascade Amphitheater Tie (213.1A)
Cascade Amphitheater Tie (213.1A) near Ouray in Ouray County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #8 slot for accessibility. Expect dirt surface on a forgiving grade. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Cascade Amphitheater Tie (213.1A) trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#9. Cascade Chute Trail
Cascade Chute Trail near Grand Lake in Grand County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #9 slot for accessibility. Expect dirt surface on a forgiving grade. Compared to similar trails in Colorado, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Cascade Chute Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#10. Cascade Creek Trail
Cascade Creek Trail near Ophir in San Juan County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #10 slot for accessibility. Expect ground surface on a forgiving grade. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Cascade Creek Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.Planning your Colorado trip
A few pieces of context are worth keeping in mind specifically for Colorado. Summer (mid-June through September) is the practical window for high routes; afternoon thunderstorms are reliable July-August. Lightning above treeline is the leading hazard — plan to be off summits by noon. Altitude sickness hits hikers from sea level on any 12,000+ ft outing.
Always cross-reference the official land-manager page before driving out — closures, fire restrictions, and seasonal road access can change quickly. Our trail pages link directly back to the OpenStreetMap source so you can see the tags we're working from.
If you're new to hiking generally, our beginner's guide covers footwear, layering, and the day-pack basics. For safety planning on bigger objectives, the ten essentials guide is worth twenty minutes of reading.
More Colorado hiking guides
If you found this useful, the rest of our Colorado coverage continues below.
- Top 10 longest trails in Colorado — Multi-day routes and through-hikes ranked by distance.
- Steepest trails in Colorado — Hikes with the most elevation gain in the state.
- Best beginner hikes in Colorado — Easy, well-marked trails for first-time hikers.
- Most challenging hikes in Colorado — Expert-rated routes for experienced hikers only.
- Best national parks in Colorado — Federal parks and recreation areas ranked.
- Best dog-friendly hikes in Colorado — Where leashed dogs are explicitly welcome.
- Best family hikes in Colorado — Short, easy trails sized for kids and grandparents.
Rankings like this are starting points, not verdicts. Trail conditions change, new routes get tagged, and what was the toughest trail in Colorado last year might not be next year. We refresh these articles when the underlying data shifts meaningfully.
Got a correction, a route we missed, or a question? Drop us a note via the contact page. We read every email and we'd rather hear it from you than miss it.
