Waterfalls & Springs in Colorado

Colorado's waterfalls and hot springs reflect exactly what makes the state's geography distinctive — elevation, snowmelt, and steep terrain producing dramatic falls in some places, and geothermal springs that have shaped town identity for generations in others.

Bridal Veil Falls

Near Telluride, Bridal Veil Falls is Colorado's tallest free-falling waterfall at 365 feet, its dramatic mountain-wall setting and mining-country backdrop giving it one of the strongest senses of place of any waterfall in the state.

Hanging Lake

Hanging Lake's emerald, travertine-formed pool and cliffside waterfall setting have made it one of the most iconic short hikes in Colorado, though a mandatory permit system now limits daily visitors to protect the fragile geology.

Zapata Falls

Near Great Sand Dunes National Park, Zapata Falls requires wading through a narrow, frigid stream inside a rock slot canyon to reach the falls themselves, a genuinely different kind of access than most Colorado waterfalls and a rewarding detour for visitors already in the area for the dunes.

Fish Creek Falls

In Steamboat Springs, Fish Creek Falls connects a well-known mountain town directly to a highly photogenic waterfall outing just minutes from downtown.

Glenwood Hot Springs

Glenwood Hot Springs is one of the largest hot spring pools in the world, and it anchors a broader Colorado soaking culture that includes Ouray Hot Springs, Pagosa Springs, and numerous smaller geothermal destinations across the mountains.

Why Springs Are a Travel Category of Their Own

Colorado's hot springs aren't a minor side note to the mountains — they shape entire town identities and winter tourism seasons in their own right, giving visitors a human-scale way to experience the same geology that produces the state's waterfalls and snowpack.