Central feature of the 48-acre (0.19 km2) park is a triple 70-foot (21 m) waterfall flowing over a travertine dam on East Rifle Creek

How to Get There

From Grand Junction (73 miles): Get on I-70 E in Clifton. Follow I-70 E to US-6 E in Garfield County. Take exit 87 from I-70 E. Take CO-325 N to destination

Overview

Rifle Falls State Park is a Colorado state park located in Garfield County northeast of Rifle, Colorado. The central feature of the 48-acre (0.19 km2) park is a triple 70-foot (21 m) waterfall flowing over a travertine dam on East Rifle Creek. Commonly seen wildlife includes mule deer, elk, coyote, and golden-mantled ground squirrel. Rainbow and brown trout can be caught in the creek. Limestone cliffs near the falls have a few small caves and three species of bats. Visitor facilities include campsites, picnic sites and 2.0 miles (3.2 km) of hiking trails.

Waterfalls at Rifle Falls State Park

Rifle Falls State Park is a very accessible and scenic location. The falls is located approximately 50 yards from the parking area with a relatively flat path adjoining the two areas. It is an easy walk to reach the falls, which are lovely nearly any time of year. The picnic and camping area near the parking lot offers grassy yard, restrooms, and potable water.

Mdemoux, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons ; Image Size Adjusted

There is a short hike which leads up and around the top of the falls. The trail is fairly steep and rocky, but is only about one mile round trip. Along the way there are several caves which visitors can explore. The hike also leads to a rock ledge behind one of the falls offering a lovely (if a little bit misty) view.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Rifle Falls State Park", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0