Boulder Falls
Boulder Canyon Dr (CO 119), Boulder, CO
Boulder Canyon, CO
A 70-foot ribbon of whitewater tumbling out of a side canyon just steps from the road, the natural halfway marker on the beautiful mountain drive from Boulder up to Nederland.
About halfway up Boulder Canyon, on the mountain drive between Boulder and Nederland, a side stream leaps 70 feet down a cleft in the granite and crashes into Boulder Creek beside the road. This is Boulder Falls, one of the most beloved roadside sights in the Colorado Front Range, close enough to the highway that generations of travelers have pulled over to stretch their legs and feel the spray.
It has been called the Bridal Veil Falls of Boulder, and the short walk from the pullout to the base is a small, satisfying adventure: a rocky path along the creek, the roar of the water building with each step, and then the sudden view of the falls dropping white out of the dark rock. It is the natural high point of one of the prettiest short drives in the region.
What Guests Love
- A 70-foot waterfall just a short walk from the roadside pullout
- The dramatic granite walls of Boulder Canyon all around it
- A perfect leg-stretch stop on the scenic drive up to Nederland
- The cool spray and creek-side shade on a hot summer day
Worth Knowing
- Parking is a small roadside lot on a busy mountain highway, so pull in carefully and cross with care
- The short trail to the falls can be rocky and slick with spray, so wear decent shoes
- The falls have been closed at times for rockfall or trail repair, so check current conditions before a special trip
- Stay on the viewing area and off the wet rocks above the falls, where the current is dangerous
Details
Boulder Canyon, CO
Learn about Boulder Falls
The falls off the road
Boulder Falls sits where North Boulder Creek tumbles down a steep side canyon to join the main Boulder Creek in the heart of Boulder Canyon. The drop is about 70 feet, a slender, powerful cascade framed by sheer granite, and it runs hardest in late spring and early summer when the high country is shedding its snow.
What makes it a classic is its accessibility. From a small pullout on Highway 119 it is only a short walk up a rocky creekside path to the viewing area at the base, close enough that the falls send a fine mist drifting over visitors on a warm day. It has drawn sightseers since Boulder's earliest days and remains a favorite quick stop for locals and road-trippers alike.
The drive up Boulder Canyon
Boulder Falls is the centerpiece of the drive up Boulder Canyon, the route Highway 119 takes as it climbs from the edge of Boulder into the mountains. The road follows the creek through a narrow, winding gorge of pink and gray granite, a canyon so steep and scenic that the drive is a destination in itself, popular with cyclists grinding up the grade and rock climbers working the walls above.
The canyon opens out near the old mining town of Nederland at the top, a funky mountain hamlet beside a reservoir with the high peaks of the Indian Peaks beyond. Boulder Falls makes the perfect midway pause on that climb, a chance to leave the car, walk to the water, and take in the canyon before continuing up into the high country.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Boulder Canyon
Boulder Canyon Drive (Highway 119)
The road it sits on
The winding, granite-walled scenic drive along Boulder Creek from Boulder up to Nederland, a lovely mountain route in its own right.
Nederland
About 8 miles up the canyon
A quirky mountain town at the top of the canyon, set beside a reservoir below the Indian Peaks, with an old carousel and mountain-town cafes.
Boulder Mountain Park and the Flatirons
About 10 miles
The iconic tilted rock slabs and historic Chautauqua meadow at the edge of Boulder, with miles of foothill hiking trails.