Waterfalls near Colorado Springs, Colorado

How the list breaks down

These four sit in the canyons on the city's southwest side and in Manitou Springs. Seven Falls and Helen Hunt Falls are open, as far as we can tell (checked Oct 28, 2026). St. Mary's Falls is open too, as far as we can tell (checked Nov 7, 2026).

Rainbow Falls is closed for the season, as far as we can tell (checked Nov 7, 2026). El Paso County Parks says the closure began September 28, and it had posted no 2027 reopening date.

Two more falls lie north, toward Denver. Maxwell Falls, south of Evergreen, is 58.6 straight-line miles away and open, as far as we can tell (Nov 7, 2026). Boulder Falls, 85.9 straight-line miles away, is closed; the City of Boulder's trail page still read "Status: Closed" on Nov 4, 2026.

This page counts only falls we have published, within 100 straight-line miles of the Census point. Seven Falls is a ticketed private park, with online adult tickets from $21 as listed Oct 28, 2026. Rainbow Falls charged $20 per car for parking and a shuttle in 2026. City and Forest Service pages list no fee for Helen Hunt Falls or St. Mary's Falls.

Our Colorado waterfalls guide covers more falls statewide.

Helen Hunt Falls and St. Mary's Falls in North Cheyenne Cañon

North Cheyenne Cañon Park, a City of Colorado Springs park, holds both of these falls. Helen Hunt Falls sits beside the road, about 2.5 miles up North Cheyenne Cañon Road from the park entrance, per the city. St. Mary's Falls lies higher, in the Pike National Forest, on a Forest Service route that starts just above Helen Hunt.

Helen Hunt Falls: no hike needed

Wikipedia gives Helen Hunt Falls a single 35-foot plunge. The stream is North Cheyenne Creek. You can see it from the base, next to a lot that Wikipedia says holds about 30 vehicles and fills in summer. A short walk leads to a bridge over the top. The trail then climbs to Silver Cascade Falls, about 0.3 mile from the visitor center per the city.

Helen Hunt Falls is open, as far as we can tell: the city's park page showed no closure on Oct 28, 2026. Storms can still shut the canyon. After a June 6, 2026 storm, North Cheyenne Cañon Road and Gold Camp Road stayed closed until July 1 and 2, the Gazette reported.

St. Mary's Falls: Trail #624 over Tunnel #3

The USFS says St. Mary's Falls cascades "down a granite wall 250-300 feet" on Buffalo Canyon Creek. Start at the main "Powell" parking area, just above Helen Hunt Falls, where Gold Camp Road meets High Drive. The USFS says to walk about 1 mile up the closed section of Gold Camp Road to historic Tunnel #3.

A trail climbs over the gated tunnel to Route Marker #624, then follows the creek through aspen stands and mixed pine and spruce forest to the falls. The USFS rates it moderate and publishes no total length, so we don't give one. The trail is open, as far as we can tell: on Nov 7, 2026, no USFS alert named Trail #624, Gold Camp Road or North Cheyenne Cañon.

Rules that apply to both

From November 1 to April 30, the city opens the park from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. From May 1 to October 31, it stays open until 10 p.m. Gates lock each evening near Starsmore and at the north end of Gold Camp Road. Buses, RVs and oversized vehicles may not use North Cheyenne Cañon Road.

The city requires dogs to be leashed on the park's trail system; the USFS page for Trail #624 gives no dog rule of its own. Fires, charcoal grilling and smoking are banned in the canyon. There is no cell service, so save a map before you go. The city counts more than 450,000 park visitors a year.

Seven Falls: a ticketed private canyon

Seven Falls is a chain of seven cascades on South Cheyenne Creek that add up to 181 feet, per Wikipedia. The official site says the canyon walls around them rise 1,250 feet. The Broadmoor owns the park and runs it as a paid attraction, not public land.

You can't drive to the park entrance. Everyone parks at Norris Penrose Event Center, 1045 Lower Gold Camp Rd, and rides a complimentary shuttle, per the official FAQ. From the drop-off, a paved canyon road climbs about 0.8 mile to the base, the FAQ says. A chauffeured golf cart runs to about 100 yards from the base for visitors who find the walk hard.

To reach the top, you climb the 224 Main Falls Stairs; the official FAQ says there is no other route. One trail up there leads 1 mile to Inspiration Point, the original grave site of writer Helen Hunt Jackson, per the park's trails page. The Eagle's Nest platform is 185 steps up, or you can ride the Mountain Elevator. Leashed pets are welcome on the shuttle, stairs and trails.

On the rates page checked Oct 28, 2026, online adult tickets cost $25 for entry from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Entry from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. cost $21. Children 2 to 12 paid $19 or $15, and walk-up tickets cost $2 more. The page shows no year, so confirm before you buy.

Seven Falls is open, as far as we can tell (checked Oct 28, 2026), on a short late-fall schedule. It opens Friday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through November 29, 2026, plus November 26 and 27 for Thanksgiving. No winter schedule was posted, so check the Hours & Rates page before a December trip.

Rainbow Falls in Manitou Springs: closed for the season

Rainbow Falls in Manitou Springs is not Rainbow Falls in Hawaii. El Paso County Parks runs it as the Rainbow Falls Historic Site, at the west end of Manitou Springs. The county describes "a 50-foot plunge to shallow pools below" on Fountain Creek. A 1932 concrete arch bridge carrying U.S. Highway 24 crosses the creek right at the falls.

As far as we can tell, the site is closed for the season (Nov 7, 2026). That day the county page read, "The Site is now closed for the season." The county says the closure began September 28. It suggests checking back for special winter openings and the 2027 reopening date.

How the 2026 season worked

There was no general parking at the falls in 2026, apart from one accessible spot booked a week ahead. After sizable rocks fell from the cliff, the county blocked the old lot with barriers. Visitors parked at Higginbotham Flats, 101 Higginbotham Road, off Highway 24 and Serpentine Drive. A shuttle run by Adventures Out West carried them to the falls.

The 2026 fee was $20 per car, covering parking and the shuttle. The shuttle ran Friday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and reservations were encouraged but not required. The county warns that parking on Serpentine Drive could bring a ticket. It called the shuttle a short-term solution and had not posted 2027 details by Nov 7, 2026.

The county describes a 0.15-mile gravel trail "on a significant slope" from the old parking area to the falls. It does not say where the shuttle drops visitors. Dogs are allowed on a leash. For updates, call the parks department at 719-520-7529.

Maxwell Falls and Boulder Falls: farther north, toward Denver

Maxwell Falls is on Maxwell Creek in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, south of Evergreen, 58.6 straight-line miles from Colorado Springs by our math. The Forest Service calls its route "one of the easiest trails on the Clear Creek Ranger District." It lists no trail length, and we found no agency height. Neither the lower nor the upper trailhead has restrooms, per the Forest Service.

Spring is its season. The Forest Service says the falls are best when snow runoff is plentiful. The Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) says Jefferson County law requires dogs on a leash at all times on this trail. The Forest Service pages we read list no fee. CMC's route page, though, shows a "Parking Permit Required" field.

Maxwell is open, as far as we can tell: the forest's alerts list named no closure for it on Nov 7, 2026. A 2021 order covering camping, fires, after-dark visits and parking there listed an end date of May 11, 2026. It was still posted on Nov 7, 2026. Follow trailhead signs, and call 970-295-6600 before you go.

Boulder Falls, on North Boulder Creek west of Boulder, is 85.9 straight-line miles away and closed. The City of Boulder shut the area after a rockslide damaged the trail, announcing the closure on Nov 12, 2024. It now plans a new viewing platform, with a feasibility study planned for 2026, per the city's Jan 16, 2026 release.

The city warns of a "very high risk of future rockfall hazards" at the site. No reopening date appeared on its trail page, which showed "Status: Closed" on Nov 4, 2026. Visit Boulder, the area's tourism site, puts the falls at about 70 feet.

Our waterfalls near Denver page covers both from that side.

Fees, dogs and winter: comparing the six

No source we read calls entry to any of these six free. City and Forest Service pages list no fee for Helen Hunt Falls or St. Mary's Falls, but none says free outright. Seven Falls is ticketed, and Rainbow Falls in Manitou Springs charged $20 per car in 2026. Maxwell's parking permit question is unsettled, and Boulder Falls is closed.

Leashed dogs are allowed in North Cheyenne Cañon Park, at Seven Falls and at Rainbow Falls in Manitou Springs, per each site's managers. The USFS page for the St. Mary's trail adds no dog rule. For Maxwell, CMC cites a county leash law. The City of Boulder listed dogs as allowed on the Boulder Falls trail before it closed.

North Cheyenne Cañon Park stays open all year, so Helen Hunt Falls and the St. Mary's trail remain options in winter. The city warns of ice and wintry conditions, and the road may close for snow removal. Seven Falls had posted no hours after November 29, 2026. Rainbow Falls is closed for the season, though the county mentions possible special winter openings.

Maxwell's lower trailhead page lists winter sports, but the Forest Service pages we read say nothing about plowing. Wet or icy rock near falling water can be slick. Our waterfall safety guide covers ice, slick rock and cold water.

Waterfalls near Colorado Springs: FAQ