Colorado's Iconic Waterfall Trail Is A Tough Telluride Hike Full Of Majestic Rocky Mountain Scenery

Telluride, Colorado, boasts front-row views of the state's iconic Rocky Mountains just walking down the street, but if you want to see the very best this incredible place has to offer, you'll want to get out of town and do some hiking. Spectacular views might just be found along the convenient and incomparable Bear Creek Trail. This route is a consistently steep trek on a dirt path for about three hours. It can be tough for some hikers, but you'll be rewarded with truly staggering views. The highlight of this trail is Bear Creek Falls, a gorgeous 70-foot-tall cascade pouring down a sheer rock face, but you'll be treated to incredible natural sights all along the trail.

For a relatively short trail, this one takes you to see some truly remarkable sights in the Rockies. Starting at one of the most breathtaking mountain towns in America, the trail takes you through the Uncompahgre National Forest and into the heart of the small but wild Bear Creek Preserve. Along the way, you'll walk through aspen groves that turn a vibrant yellow in the fall. Not only do you get to walk between these glorious trees, but when you can get glimpses of the landscape beyond, you can see bursts of color, the brilliant yellow aspens, between the dark green pines. Above the trees, you can see the Rockies rising up to brush the clouds.

In the summertime, when Telluride is packed with visitors, parking can be difficult to find. If you happen to be staying in one of the town of Telluride's resorts, however, you're in luck. You can probably just walk to the trail. The trailhead for the Bear Creek Fall Trail can be found at the end of Telluride's South Pine Street.

Early on in your hike, you'll find yourself climbing higher, out of a canyon, through some pretty meadows, and along the creek that gives this trail its name. The farther you go, the more lush and verdant the landscape becomes, the plant life nourished by the stream. Finally, you will come to the beautiful falls.

How convenient this hike is to the town of Telluride makes it tremendously popular — but don't underestimate it. While some experienced hikers might see this route as relatively easy, there is a fair amount of physical exertion involved in reaching the top. There's more than 1,000 feet of elevation gain over the path's 2.3-mile one-way length. Reviews on TripAdvisor show plenty of accounts from hikers who found the trek more challenging than they expected, even if the payoff was beautiful. One reviewer said, "Rated as intermediate, I'd say it's a bit tough due to the length and incline along the way as well as adjusting to high altitude."

If you are looking to spend all day out on the trails exploring the Rockies, however, there are plenty of ways to extend the journey. Along the trail, you'll find branches that take you to other nearby spots, like what was once the entrance of Canton Mine. If you're looking for a true endurance challenge, turn onto the Wasatch Trail. It branches off the Bear Creek Trail, but can be tricky to navigate from there. It's a very tough route to hike, but it does have some great views of the mountains and is a mesmerizing place to see blooming wildflowers if you come in July or August.