Box Cañon Falls

One of Ouray, Colorado’s most natural wonders is opening again for the season on Friday, May 11. This breathtaking waterfall and park is a must-see for anyone visiting the Ridgway/Ouray area. Formed when the rushing waters of Canyon Creek eroded a deep and narrow box canyon through fault weakened limestone, the park’s short trails are easily accessible and offer a genuine mountain adventure for all levels of hikers. The lower trail, an easy 500-feet hike via a walkway and suspension bridge, will lead you straight into the belly of the falls. You will be silenced by roaring water as the force of thousands of gallons a minute ricochet off a mix of rugged crags and smoothly eroded pre-Cambrian rock, rushing eighty feet to the canyon’s bottom. In 2001, Box Cañon Falls was designated as an important bird watching area by the National Audubon Society. It supports one of the state’s largest populations of Black Swifts, a protected species. These birds nest in their preferred habitat— the canyon walls sheltered by overhanging rocks near waterfalls. For the respect of these birds, dogs are not allowed on the trails. There is a small admission to the Park. Fees are $4.00 for adults, $2.00 for children (5-12 years) and $3.00 for seniors (65+). The trails and visitor’s center will be open daily through October, and the hours are 9 am to 6 PM in May, 8 am to 8 pm daily from Memorial Day week-end through Labor Day week-end , and 8 am to dusk after Labor Day.

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 6th, 2012 at 10:40 am and is filed under Chipeta, Featured . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.