Cataract Falls

Hiking to Cataract Falls

Cataract Falls is located in the Handies Wilderness section of the Gunnison National Forest near Lake City. A series of steep switchbacks and small waterfalls and cascades lead up to an impressive tiered waterfall complex with some of the most beautiful scenery that Colorado has to offer. Here are my thoughts on hiking to Cataract Falls!

Getting Started

The Hike to Cataract Falls starts at the Cataract Gulch Trailhead just outside of Lake City, Colorado. The trailhead is located near some campsites on County Road 30. This whole area is really big for recreation, especially off-roading and ATV’s. The Cataract Gulch trail continues on to Cataract lake and deeper into the Gunnison National Forest. This area is also popular to hunters in season. The trail begins by crossing a small bridge over Cottonwood before heading up a series of switchbacks.

The Switchbacks

After crossing over the main bridge, there will be a couple of more log bridge to cross before making the trail edges up to the cascading creek that flows down the Cataract Gulch. This water will be close by for a majority of the hike and has several spots that it is cascading or has small falls. The sound of the water running makes for an excellent hike!

After you first make contact with the creek, the trail will begin a series of switchbacks that bring a about 400 feet of elevation gain over a half mile. These alternate between a steep section and a flatter section with the steeper sections being a consistent 15% grade.

After the switchbacks there is about a mile long stretch of steep and rockier terrain. This stretch hits 20% in grade for a lot of the time and the dirt trail changes to rock. It is also gets a bit harder to keep track of the trail as there are several social trails leading to sections of the water. A few more cascades and small falls highlight this steep section of trail before it finally opens up a bit into a meadow.

Meadow

Clearing the switchbacks and wooded inclines will bring you to an opening and a really nice open space. The meadow sits between to walls of high cliffs and is full of bushes and grasses. Through the middle is the creek that you have been following and when you look behind you, the following postcard view is there to enjoy.

This might be one of the prettiest spots that I have found in all of my hiking around Colorado! There is something amazingly peaceful with the water running across the bottom, the trees standing up to the cliffs and the mountains in the distance. I sat here and had a snack and just took it all in for a quite a few minutes before heading on to the main falls.

The other nice part of the meadow is that the trail flattens out considerably as you make your way through the open air. It does cross over the little creek and the ground got a bit muddy but otherwise it is a really nice place to hike after the big inclines from earlier. However, there is a bit of an uphill hike to make it to the falls.

Cataract Falls

After leaving the meadow and making it back into some tree cover, the falls can be heard before seen. As you approach you are on a lower level that slowly reveals a multi-tiered fall system that is stunning. The top layer is more of a flat fall that then cascades down over several rocks that redirect and pool the water and make for a magnificent water feature.

The trail stops off at the lower section and then has a good viewing spot closer to the upper section as well before continuing on a few more miles to the lake. I decided to end the hike at the falls because they were just stunning. As the water exits this series of falls, it feeds the small creek down that flows down the gulch and that you followed up the trail to this point.

If you turn around at the falls like I did you get to follow the water from the falls back into the meadow. I had a greater appreciation of the water flowing down this mountain after seeing its origin story. The meadow was a little prettier and the switchbacks weren’t as challenging. The water kept me motivated though one of the more beautiful hikes I have done in Colorado!

Video of the Cataract Falls Hike

I have created a time-lapsed video of the Cataract Falls Hike to give you a feel for what it is like. I call these time lapsed versions of the hikes my hikers edits. If you enjoy the video, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel. It is free to subscribe and you will get the latest updates.

Distance and Elevation

If you don’t have the AllTrails app you might want to check it out, I really love mine. It records your progress and is a great way to search for hikes that are nearby and gives you difficulty measurements. According to AllTrails today’s hike was around 4.85 miles and had a total elevation gain of about 1565 feet including undulations. That put the high point at around 11,167 feet. I was also moving for a total 3 hours and 3 minutes.

I am a Pro member of AllTrails and love it. If you are interested in the platform, please consider using my affiliate link for AllTrails. It gives me a small commission with no extra cost to you.

Effort

This was a way harder hike that I thought it was going to be. There are no real extreme elevation gains but more of a consistent 15-20% grade that takes you up to the falls. It is the constant uphill that never really gives you a break that makes this hike so challenging. I am going to call this a hard hike.

Terrain

The terrain on the Cataract Falls hike is really broken down by section. The lower section of the trail has a narrow trail but is easy to follow and doesn’t have too many rocks or roots. As you get towards the middle section of the trail, the trail becomes rockier and more challenging to get footing. The end of the trail includes crossing the creek and heading towards the falls and gets a bit muddy but pretty easy to follow. I would definitely suggest a good pair of hiking boots to deal with the terrain.

Access to the Cataract Falls Hike

The hike to Cataract Falls starts at the Cataract Gulch Trailhead. This is located on County Road 35. From Lake City take 149 to County Road 30. County Road 30 for 12 miles till County Road 35 to the trailhead. The area is very popular with ATV’s and dirt bikes so make sure to keep an eye out. There is also a lot of private property near the road so be respectful of that.

The trailhead has some roadside parking and a pit toilet available.

Wrapping up the Cataract Falls Hike

This was one of the prettiest hikes I have done in Colorado! The start was more challenging as there is a lot of incline. However, the water that you follow up that has several falls makes for a wonderful experience. Once you make it to the clearing in the middle the views are some of the best around. Add in the amazing waterfall system at the top and this is definitely in one of my top 10 hikes around!

On a personal note, the hike to Cataract Falls is located in Hinsdale County. Because This was my first time hiking in Hinsdale County, that makes my 45th of 64 counties in Colorado that I have hiked in on my quest to hike in each county! In Fact, Colorado is a beautiful state and I love exploring all of it!

I have added this hike and all of my hikes to my interactive map page that you can find here. If you have a suggestion or comment you can email me at fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com. Or follow me on any of the below social media platforms. Happy Hiking!

Gallery of the Cataract Falls Hike