Rifle Falls in Colorado is a place we have been wanting to do some exploring at. We decided to check it out during our fall 2020 trip. Although it was a bit out of the way, it was easy to find and it was a good place for us to stretch our legs. This was a bit more than half way between Denver, Colorado and Moab, Utah.
Location
Since we were traveling West on Interstate 70, we took the New Castle exit and headed North. From there we followed Co Rd 225 and Co Rd 226 for about 15 miles. We turned on to Co Rd 325 for another 6 miles. It took us about 35 minutes to get there. Despite the easy directions, at times we wondered where in the world we were. We drove though some pretty but very rural areas with not many road signs. Nonetheless, google directed us to the right spot.
Rifle Falls State Park
Rifle Falls State Park is a small park about 3 1/2 miles west of Denver, Colorado and about 3 hours from Moab, Utah. The park includes a 70 foot waterfall, caves, hiking and there is also camping.
Exploring Rifle Falls
The hike to Rifle Falls is 0.2 miles from the parking lot, in general, it is an easy out and back hike. The hike above the falls is a 1.5 mile loop and pretty easy but there is a bit of elevation with steps. It includes a climb up and behind the falls and then over the falls and down the other side.
The falls were spectacular, in addition, not many people were there.
First we took the trail to the left which led along and also behind the falls. It was spectacular although slippery.
Back down the path we again marveled at the falls and followed the path to the right for a different view of the falls.
Next, we decided we would continue on the hike and follow the path over the falls. First we passed some small caves. In general, the path was not bad, mostly dirt covered and there were some steps.
At the the top we hiked through a field and past a couple of lakes before reaching the falls.
Finally we were on top of the falls, there were lookout areas with great scenery below.
We again passed behind the falls as we continued to the bottom. All in all, I would say we spent about an hour here. Enough time to stretch our legs before continuing on to Moab, Utah.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we really enjoyed exploring Rifle Falls in Colorado and the hike was fun also. Even though it was a bit off our our Interstate path, we thought is was worth the extra time.
Follow more of our Colorado adventures at these links:
Jeeping
Crystal Mill, Colorado October 2020
Hikes
The Grottos Trail, Aspen, Colorado October 2020
Silver Lake, Telluride, Colorado October 2020
Odessa and Fern Lakes Aug 2020
St Mary’s Glacier Hike Aug 2017
Ghost Towns
Independence, Colorado October 2020
Road Trips
Our Rocky Mountain National Park Trip Aug 2018
My Favorite Colorado Road Trip Aug 2016