Waterfalls near Denver, Colorado

How the list breaks down

This page lists six falls within 75 straight-line miles of Denver's Census point, and it counts only falls we have published. In this guide, the nearest national park waterfall hikes are in Rocky Mountain National Park. Ouzel Falls in Wild Basin is 48.6 straight-line miles away. Alberta Falls off Bear Lake Road is 54.8 straight-line miles.

Two are in Colorado Springs to the south: Helen Hunt Falls at 67.3 straight-line miles and Seven Falls at 67.9 straight-line miles.

The Forest Service pages we read for Maxwell list no fee, but the Colorado Mountain Club route page shows a "Parking Permit Required" field. Rocky Mountain National Park requires an entrance pass at all hours, year-round: $30 per private vehicle for 1 day, per the NPS. The City of Colorado Springs lists no entrance or parking fee for Helen Hunt Falls. Seven Falls is ticketed, from $21 for an online adult ticket as listed Oct 28, 2026.

For other falls around the state, see our Colorado waterfalls guide.

Maxwell Falls: closest open falls here, with an unclear 2021 order

The Forest Service calls the Maxwell Falls Trail "one of the easiest trails on the Clear Creek Ranger District." Its lower trail page lists an elevation of 8,400 feet but gives no length, so we don't give one. Two trailheads serve the falls, and the Forest Service says neither has restrooms. "South of Evergreen on Highway 73, take Brook Forest Road for three miles" to reach the lower one, the agency says.

Dogs must stay leashed on the trail; CMC cites Jefferson County law. The Forest Service says the falls are at their best in spring, "when the snow runoff is plentiful."

The open question is Order ARP-CCRD-2021-01, issued in 2021 for Maxwell Falls and Cub Creek. It lists four prohibitions: camping, fires, being in the area after sundown or before sunrise, and parking against posted instructions. The order's alert gives an end date of May 11, 2026. Yet it was still on the Forest Service alerts list on Nov 7, 2026, and no renewal order was listed.

Those pages don't settle whether the rules still apply. Follow posted signs at the trailheads, and call 970-295-6600 before you go. Ask about the Salt Cabin Prescribed Fire Closure too: its Nov 1, 2026 alert does not name a location in the list summary.

Boulder Falls: closed since the 2024 rockslide

Boulder Falls is on North Boulder Creek, 11 miles west of Boulder off Boulder Canyon Drive (SR 119), per the City of Boulder. On Nov 12, 2024, the city said it had closed the area after a rockslide damaged the trail. Its trail page still showed "Status: Closed" on Nov 4, 2026. The city has set no reopening date.

In January 2026 the city chose to design a new viewing platform. It said a 2026 feasibility study will inform the cost and schedule for construction. Until then, the existing trail "remains a dangerous area," the city said in January. Check the city's trail page for any change before you plan a trip. Before the closure, visitors parked across the highway, but don't stop there expecting to walk in.

Rocky Mountain National Park waterfall hikes: Ouzel and Alberta

Both park falls are open, as far as we can tell, based on NPS pages read Nov 4, 2026. The NPS says an entrance fee or park pass is always required, 24 hours a day. A private vehicle pass costs $30 for 1 day or $35 for 7 days, by debit or credit card only. Non-US residents 16 and over pay an extra $100, unless they hold an annual or America the Beautiful pass.

No timed entry reservation is needed in November 2026. In the 2026 season, Wild Basin needed the plain Timed Entry option from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., May 22 to October 12. Bear Lake Road, the route to Alberta, needed Timed Entry+ Bear Lake Road from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., May 22 to October 18. The NPS had not published 2027 dates when we checked.

Alberta is the shorter hike: 0.8 mile each way from Glacier Gorge Trailhead, with 233 feet of gain, per the NPS. The free Bear Lake Shuttle that serves that trailhead is not running in November. Ouzel is 5.4 miles round trip with 950 feet of gain, rated moderate on a former NPS page that is now offline. The Wild Basin trail passes Copeland Falls and Calypso Cascades on the way.

Plan for early winter on both trails. The NPS trail report of Oct 22, 2026 warns of snow or ice above 9,000 feet. Ouzel sits at about 9,498 feet, per GNIS figures listed on Wikipedia. The same report says the trail near Alberta Falls could be icy. Pets are prohibited on all park trails, per the NPS. The NPS fees page lists November 11 as the last 2026 fee-free day, for US citizens and residents only.

Colorado Springs: a city park and a ticketed canyon

Helen Hunt Falls drops about 35 feet in a single plunge, per Wikipedia, in the city-run North Cheyenne Cañon Park. You can see it from the base, beside a small lot that Wikipedia says holds about 30 vehicles. A short walk climbs to a bridge across the top. It is open, as far as we can tell: the city's park page listed no closure when checked Oct 28, 2026.

From November 1 to April 30, the city lists park hours of 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. It warns that ice and wintry conditions may exist in the park. Buses, RVs and oversized vehicles aren't allowed on North Cheyenne Cañon Road, and there is no cell service at the falls. Leashed dogs are allowed, the city says.

Seven Falls, on South Cheyenne Creek, is a private park owned by The Broadmoor. Its seven cascades total 181 feet, per Wikipedia. You park at Norris Penrose Event Center, ride a free shuttle, then walk about 0.8 mile up a paved canyon road to the base. The 224 Main Falls Stairs are the only route to the top, per the official FAQ. Leashed pets may ride the shuttle and use the stairs and trails.

As listed Oct 28, 2026, online adult tickets cost $25 for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. entry or $21 for entry after 2 p.m. Seven Falls is open, as far as we can tell, on a late-fall schedule: Friday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through November 29, 2026. The park also lists itself open November 26 and 27 for Thanksgiving. No schedule was posted for after November 29.

Waterfalls near Denver: FAQ