11 dog-friendly winter waterfall hikes near Denver, Colorado

Rocky Mountain waterfalls are some of the most coveted hiking destinations in Colorado. In the winter, they only grow more beautiful frozen over, and with the added bonus of emptier trails than in the warm months. In this post, you’ll find 11 stellar hikes within a short drive of the Denver Metro Front Range area. All are dog-friendly, and each trail leads to a waterfall that transforms into an elaborate sculpture of ice in the cold weather months.

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In support of chasing waterfalls

Water makes our planet unique, it’s what makes life possible. And like all the life it supports, it is constantly in flux – It moves, cycles, churns, runs, dances, twirls, floats, falls. Water is gentle enough to nourish delicate plants that grow along creek-sides, and powerful enough to carve canyons and pulverize rocks into sand. In the wintertime, water transforms from sculptOR to sculptURE, and there is no better cold weather adventure to take with your dog than to seek out these elusive beauties.

Frozen waterfalls are nature’s silent and captivating creations, their cascading torrents paused in icy stillness. The once-roaring water transforms into shimmering columns of glass-like ice, reflecting the winter sun in hues of sapphire, opal, and diamond. Jagged edges and smooth curves intertwine, creating masterpieces shaped by the cold. Icicles hang like fragile ornaments, and the frozen surface holds secrets of motion trapped in time. Standing before one feels like stepping into a frozen moment, where the world is hushed and the beauty of winter reigns supreme.

Early in the winter, many waterfalls simply appear dry, the freezing drips not yet formed into lacy constructions. But as winter charges forward, relentless in her dark, cold moods, frozen waterfalls build themselves into statues that appear completely unique day to day and year to year. To behold a frozen waterfall necessitates a special kind of attunement – A close relationship with the patterns of cold v. warm spells, filtered overcast light v. hot bright rays of sunshine, snowfall v. dry cold. If you visit a frozen waterfall after a heavy snow, the it may be hidden under a white blanket. If you visit after a warm spell, or too late in the season, you might find the falling water broken free from its ice shield, no longer frozen in place. If you visit a west-facing falls too late in the day, it might be hidden in shadows that prevent its full glory from shining out. 

Below is a list of all of our favorite frozen waterfall hikes close to the Denver Metro area, complete with recommendations for how/when to view them at their peak. These beauties are elusive, however, and one can never perfectly predict their journey because winter weather is moody and ever-changing.

Be sure to read the details, look these hikes up on Alltrails, look at the recent photos folks have posted, consider the orientation of each falls according to where the sun sits in the sky at the time you plan to visit. But also know that anytime you’re seeking a frozen falls, you’re going to see something unpredictable, unique, and special.

Related Posts:

• Beginner’s guide to winter hiking with your dog: Snow pups unite!
• Snowshoeing with your dog: Tips and trails near Denver, Colorado
• 10 dog-friendly winter hikes along Colorado’s Front Range

Land acknowledgement

The Denver Metro Area and Colorado’s Front Range is located on the ancestral homelands of the Tséstho’e (Cheyenne), Hinono’eino’ Biito’owu’ (Arapaho), & Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) peoples

To show respect to the native peoples who cared for these lands long before white settlers, we do several things: 

• Research and speak the names of the traditional guardians of the land. We use Nativeland.net 
• Ask permission from the land itself before we enter. It might seem silly at first, but the more this becomes a habit, the more you become attuned to the ways in which the land speaks.
• Make donations to native-led organizations that support the communities whose ancestral lands were stolen. 

Always be pup-pared – Our favorite gear

Bonnie’s favorite winter coat is the Powder Hound by Ruffwear (Save 10% with our code Pupperscouts10)

Musher’s Secret Paw Wax is our go-to for keeping Bonnie’s & Ada’s paws protected from cold and chapping on hikes

Both Bonnie & Ada wear the Front Range Day Pack by Ruffwear on most winter hikes. (Save 10% with our code Pupperscouts10)

If you’re in need of any additional gear to make your winter hikes safe, warm, and stylish, all of our favorites are contained in our Rockporch locker below.

The Hikes

1. Horsetooth Falls

Horsetooth Falls, somewhere around 20 feet tall, is a slim column of tumbling water. The falls are somewhat delicate in flow, it takes time for the frozen iteration to form in the winter. In December, even January, the falls can simply appear dry. But as those gentle drips form into dainty icicles, a wispy ice pillar begins to build up, somewhat similar in shape to its free-flowing counterpart.

Our favorite time to visit: We prefer February & March, once the frozen falls has had a number of cycles of heating and freezing, allowing the ice column to build up. 

• Trail: Horsetooth Falls Loop Falls Trail
• Trailhead: Horsetooth Falls Trailhead
• Falls Orientation: South
• Length: 3.1
• Elevation Gain: 636
• Cost: $10/vehicle daily entrance fee to parking area, payable at kiosk (Larimer County Open Space)
• Trail Info on Alltrails

2. Fox Creek Grotto Falls

This spot is so interesting, because it’s a series of two waterfalls and cascades, probably totalling about a 30 foot drop total. But there’s deep pool carved in between the upper and lower falls. In the summer, you can climb up the rocks by the lower falls, and swim in a totally secluded pool at the foot the upper falls – magical! But in the winter, there’s no swimming necessary to see and enjoy the upper falls. Frozen, this falls can be likened to a layer cake, with ornate ice falls spilling down the front. It’s completely captivating!

Our favorite time to visit: This falls is icy throughout the winter season, we recommend visiting after a dry spell, to really admire the ice. 

• Trail: Allenspark to Fox Creek Grotto Trail
• Trailhead: Allenspark Trailhead
• Falls Orientation: Southeast
• Length: 3.6
• Elevation Gain: 692
• Cost: FREE
• Trail Info on Alltrails

3. Forsythe Falls

The clearing created by Forsythe Falls is small and sheltered, and you have to climb down into it to see the frozen architecture. Because of this, climbing into the clearing makes you feel like you’re stepping into another dimension. The falls drop approximately 20 feet, the last 10 feet at a pretty close to 90 degree angle. Thus, when you’re standing at the base, you can see nothing but blue sky above, which often tinges the ice a powdery blue color that feels straight out of a fantasy novel. The falls build up over the winter, growing in girth and width, eventually covering all of the surrounding cliffsides with bulging and ropey ice curtains. 

Our favorite time to visit: I personally love this falls the most in late February or early March, when it’s really had a chance to build itself into something large.

Note: The trail itself is fairly easy, but not trafficked a ton in the winter. Thus, If you’re heading to this spot after any period of fresh snow, you might consider snowshoes. 

• Trail: Gross Reservoir via Forsythe Canyon Trail
• Trailhead: Forsythe Canyon Trailhead
• Falls Orientation: Southeast
• Length: 2.9 mi round trip
• Elevation Gain: 396 ft
• Cost: FREE
• Trail Info on Alltrails

4. Boulder Falls

Boulder Falls is a roaring, and dramatic crash of about 70 vertical feet of freefalling water, divided by a gigantic boulder right at the top that makes it split in two. Because of the speed and density, it takes a good amount of cold winter days to fully freeze over. And when it does, it presents a thick, bulbous, mass of ice, with lacy edges dripping from all of the surrounding rocks. The hike itself is short – really more of an interesting stop than a proper hike. But it’s definitely worth a visit!

Our favorite time to visit: We love this falls in February and March, when the ice has had a chance to fully freeze. 

• Boulder Falls Trail
• Trailhead: Boulder Falls Trailhead
• Falls Orientation: South
• Length: .3 mi round trip
• Elevation Gain: 52 ft
• Cost: FREE
• Trail Info on Alltrails

5. Lost Lake Trail Waterfalls

There are two waterfalls along this hike, and you have to know where to look in order to find them in the winter. They’re very close to the trail, but set aside a little bit, so see the map below. I’ve never been able to decipher if these falls have names, so let me know if you happen to know! 

Waterfall #1 consists of a vast stepped terrace, gently sloping down, giving the creek the opportunity to cascade and babble down the rocky surface, before falling about 15-20 feet down. Because this rock slabbed part of the creek is so wide, the falls themselves are equally wide, creating icicle curtains somewhere between 20-30 feet wide, depending on the time of the season you visit. Early season, the waterfall is slimmer, but with super pronounced formations. And as the season goes along, the frozen falls gets wider, fatter, and less distinct in shape. Waterfall #2 is a thin column of falling water, about 10 ft high, tucked into a thin, wooded canyon.

Note: The road into this trailhead is not maintained past the town of Eldora. This means if you don’t have 4×4, you can park at the end of the town, and add about 2 miles to the round trip hike. 

Our favorite time to visit: Because these falls freeze early in the season due to high altitude, it’s one of our favorite spots to visit early in the season, before the road to the trailhead becomes impassable. 

• Trail: Lost Lake via Hessie Trail 
• Trailhead: Hessie Trailhead
• Falls Orientation: #1: South, #2: East
• Length: 4 mi round trip
• Elevation Gain: 830 ft
• Cost: FREE
• Trail Info on Alltrails

6. Cascades at South Boulder Creek

This spot is not just one thing. Rather, it is a stretch of rocky elevation drop in South Boulder Creek, which forms a series of small, 3-5 foot cascades. I’m actually not sure they ever fully freeze over, because the trail elevation is low. But if you visit in the late season, after a cold stretch, you are treated to a series of small ice sculptures with the sound of the bubbling creek below them. 

Our favorite time to visit: February tends to be the best month here to see ice, but be sure to visit after a long cold spell for the greatest chances of seeing the cascades frozen. Additionally, if you visit after a deep snowfall, they might be shrouded, so seek a cold, dry spell for the best chance of seeing the ice. 

• Trail: South Boulder Creek via Walker Ranch Trail
• Trailhead: Walker Ranch Loop Trailhead
• Falls Orientation: East
• Length: 3.5 mi 
• Elevation Gain: 636 ft
• Cost: FREE
• Trail Info on Alltrails

7. Bridal Veil Falls by Charlie Taylor Water Wheel 

This towering, yet dainty falls is visible right off of I-70, a 70 foot consistent stream of plunging water. In the winter, it begins to freeze up right away, it’s north-facing position getting very little sunlight. The trail is paved, so not exactly the most thrilling “hike”, but it’s a perfect accessible area to visit, and also great if you want a fun outing that doesn’t include a lot of challenge. 

Our favorite time to visit: The waterfall becomes more brilliant and lacy as the winter goes along, so we love to visit in late January or February to see the most extravagant ice formations.

• Trail: Clear Creek Greenway Trail
• Trailhead: Harold A. Anderson Park
• Falls Orientation: North
• Length: 2.7 mi
• Elevation Gain: 180 ft
• Cost: FREE
• Trail Info on Alltrails

8. Maxwell Falls

This is one of those rare spots that we actually love most in the winter! In the summertime, the falls is a lovely set of cascades, ending in about a 10 foot drop of scurrying water, spread wide over the rock face. However, it’s quite a difficult spot to access without a lot of scrambling, possibly some wet feet, and a lot of care. It’s tucked behind a curve in the canyon, and shrouded by leafy shrubs. The best summertime view is from above, which is neat, but not altogether mindblowing.

In the winter, you can walk across the frozen creek and easily hike right up to the base of the falls, which forms a serene frozen pool, tucked between stunning rock formations. It feels like your own ethereal place to hideaway, and it’s pure magic! 

Our favorite time to visit: We like this falls in January and February, after a dry spell (the falls gets covered after a fresh or heavy snow)

• Trail: Upper Maxwell Falls Loop Trail
• Trailhead: Upper Maxwell Falls Trailhead
• Falls Orientation: Northweast
• Length: 2.4 mi
• Elevation Gain: 515 ft
• Cost: FREE
• Trail Info on Alltrails

9. Elk Falls

Elk Falls is the tallest waterfall on the Front Range, a boisterous and crashing 75 foot wall of water that thunders down into a hidden canyon. In the winter, it begins to freeze right away, by January becoming a mighty wall of ice. It’s one of the top ice-climbing destinations in the state, so you might see some climbers there when you visit, which is fun to watch. 

Our favorite time to visit: This falls is brilliant all winter, but is the most formed in February and March. The hike is lengthy, it’s recommended to visit on a sunny day so you can bask in the warmth!

• Trail: Elk Falls via Scout Line, Chimney Rock, and Bugling Elk Loop, Staunton State Park
• Trailhead: Lazy V Trailhead
• Falls Orientation: West
• Length: 8.3 mi
• Elevation Gain: 1,568 ft
• Cost: Keep Colorado Wild Pass required to park, $30/year, or $10/day
• Trail Info on Alltrails

10. South Platte River Canyonside Falls

This falls is interesting, because it’s not really a waterfall at all in the warm months. I believe it’s a natural spring that trickles down from the mountain. In the winter, however, the drips turn into a thick and multi-textured cascade of thick icicles, roughly 30 feet high. If you climb up to the falls, you can even find some free hanging ice columns that form small ice caves behind them, but be careful! There is no formal trail to this part. The ground is steep and loose. But it’s a great add-on adventure to this fairly easy trail. 

Our favorite time to visit: Because the water that creates these formations is nothing more than a trickle, it takes a while for the ice formations to build up. Thus, we love this spot most in late February & March, when the formations are at their peak. 

• Trail: South Platte River Trail to Strontia Springs Reservoir
• Trailhead: North Fork Trailhead
• Falls Orientation: Southeast
• Length:  2.7 mi round trip
• Elevation Gain: 101 ft
• Cost: FREE
• Trail Info on Alltrails

11. Castlewood Canyon Falls

This waterfall is a gorgeous curtain of falling water, about 15 feet high. The water crashes down a concave curve in the rocky creek bed, into an ethereal pool, which makes the waterfall wide and spectacular. Because this falls is low in elevation, it only fully freezes after a long cold spell, but even the partially frozen spectacle is beautiful! This is one of the only falls on this list that you can’t get up close and personal with. You can view it from a distance via a number of viewpoints along the trail, and it’s honestly easy to miss unless you know it’s there! But that kind of adds to the mystique of this gorgeous spot.

Our favorite time to visit: Because this falls is shy about totally freezing over, we like to visit in the coldest part of the winter, after a long cold spell. Additionally, because the falls can only be viewed from far away, it’s best to see it in the early morning, when the sun is shining on it from the east, and before the rock shadows from the west overtake the falls. 

• Trail: Castlewood Canyon Falls Trail, Castlewood Canyon State Park (OR for a longer hike, try the Rim Rock Loop)
• Trailhead: Westside Trailhead 
• Falls Orientation: Northwest
• Length:  1.1 mi round trip
• Elevation Gain: 134 ft
• Cost: Keep Colorado Wild Pass required to park, $30/year, or $10/day
• Trail Info on Alltrails