Highly recommend stopping here for even a minute after seeing the sand dunes. Great way to cool off and see a beautiful waterfall! The water is shine height so we walked in our shoes in the river to the water fall, scaling the wall is slick and we had a change of shoes in the car. The water is cold so it's refreshing on a hot day! The hike from the parking lot is just 0.33 miles but it's uphill and rocky. Make sure you got good shoes and there benches for rest breaks. The walk down is much easier and goes quick. Our dog thought it was an easy hike and enjoyed the cold water too. The fall is right before you enter the sand dunes so no entry required and there are plenty of parking spaces. read more

See all

Amazing hike. Not super hard. Only 1 mile round trip. Amazing views of the waterfall and of the sand dunes read more

Zapata Falls - Local Flavor Near Me - Mosca, Colorado

Zapata Falls and the Great Sand Dunes were 2 things on our 2019 Colorado Roadtrip bucket list and we were excited that we could check them both off in one awesomely fun day! Getting to the Zapata trailhead is a challenge. We have a small AWD SUV and it made it with no problem, and frankly I think this could easily be done by a 2WD sedan! The road is very rocky and bumpy and bouncy BUT completely passable by any vehicle type. Many times on the road up we questioned whether it was worth it. Just take it slow knowing there's a great reward at the end. From the parking lot the hike to the falls is short. That said, it's a good incline for those unaccustomed to our altitude and the trail is fairly loose and rocky. Being from Denver we're used to this but if you're from out of state we have some tips below. When you get to the river you can hear the falls but you'll have to wade upstream and around a bend to see them. (And by "upstream" I do mean "in the stream".). All water in Colorado is cold, but this water at this altitude is particularly brisk. At the time we visited (July 2019) Colorado was experiencing record runoffs and the water was high and fast! It made for a thrilling experience getting to the falls! T I P S : - take mosquito spray! In early July, the mosquitoes were the worst we've ever witnessed in Colorado. We never use mosquito spray and didn't have any with us. We got about 30 feet into the hike before turning back to the parking lot to bum some spray off a sweet family we met who was also heading up. (They saved our hike! We were ready to call it off!) - wear water shoes/sandals that strap to your feet; no flip flops unless you want to hike back down with only one shoe after losing one in the current! - suck it up. I mean this in the nicest way. No one is a bigger wimp about cold water than I am, but I sucked it up and am so glad I did! We'd go about 15-20 feet in the stream, then stand on a rock while our feet thawed out, then go another 20' and so on. Trust me when I say this is a family hike we will never forget! - take a buddy. Don't be an idiot and try to cross the stream alone. B O T T O M L I N E : Worth it! A truly memorable hike. read more

Zapata Falls - Heading up stream toward the falls. - Local Flavor Near Me - Mosca, Colorado

See all

The hike up to the falls was pleasant and moderate. I recommend water shoes as you will have a water crossing.....and the water is COLD! I mean, COLD. However, it is well wort it, as you will be rewarded with a beautiful view of the falls upon getting across the water and entering the crevice. read more

I said yes for people that have no difficulty walking on a rocky trail. I could not do it without my walking sticks. When you get to the creek you have another challenge of walking in a rocky creek. We were too afraid of stepping wrong and going down to go any further. I hear it's beautiful. read more

My first review for 2017, let's go! [1/100] This waterfall may not be the biggest or most impressive throughout most of the year BUT let me tell you, in the WINTER, it is a SIGHT TO SEE! The waterfall turns into an ice sculpture and the river becomes a frozen pathway covered in snow. There is still the sound As previously mentioned, the hike is short. There is an incline and with the 30 degree weather plus the altitude, that was enough of a challenge for me. I really appreciated the short hike and it still got my heart rate up. A good layer of snow covered the ground but there were some rocks that surfaced through. There is no entrance/parking fee and the drive up is very rocky! I had an SUV which helped the drive up, especially on the ice and snow. There are plenty of signs that help designate where the parking and trail is. There was so much snow so I got a little confused as to where the trail started but it is right before the restroom! There is a map that shows the waterfall and the lake. The lake is a much further hike and more challenging. I drove 5 hours from Grand Junction and Zapata Falls made it worth it! The Great Sand Dunes are less than 2 miles away which is another plus! I highly recommend this hike, especially in the Winter time! Plan a visit! read more

Zapata Falls - IG: pachichai_wanders - Local Flavor Near Me - Mosca, Colorado

A 3 mile drive up a rocky path to get to the falls parking area. It took us ~20 minutes to drive this in a 2 wheel drive vehicle. Zapata falls is a shorter hike that you have to walk through water to view. The falls are beautiful and peaceful once there. You might see quite a few hikers depending on the time you go. We didn't make it to the lake, but hiked about an hour in that direction. You can see the sand dunes NP along the way. We camped overnight (campsites were filled by 1pm the day we arrived-on a Saturday) and had a wonderful place to set camp with a great view of the sunset/sunrise. read more

See all

We were leaving the sand dunes and wanted to check out the falls. It is only three miles off of the main road leaving the dunes. Wow, it is a very rough three mile curvey, bounxy road. We were in a big truck but this maybe very tough in a smaller car. Once you get to the parking lot it is a half mile trek to the base of falls. It sounded easy enough but was a rocky and uphill climb for this Floridian. The altitude made it challenging. When you get to the end of the trail you have to walk through frigid water and slippery rocks through a crevice ti see the falls. I wasn't able to make it to see the falls and was disappointed. I am having knee surgery in a week and didn't want to risk falling. My older kids loved seeing the falls. This is not easily accessible for older people. DAMN!! Just a heads up to others who are interested. read more

Nice little hike to the falls, but it is mostly hidden water fall once you get there. Probably better at different times of the year, when there is more snow melt going on. read more

The Falls were AMAZING. You might have to get a little wet in order to see the real glacier path. We went on to find the lake, which seemed impossible. We hiked to the end of the path and climbed through rocks for about 2 miles and the lake still seemed to be far. This hike is intense and not for the faint of heart, though the views are beautiful and rewarding. It was also difficult for a small car to climb the driveway, but not impossible. It's recommended for a higher clearance vehicle to drive to the top. The camp sites fill up fast in the summertime, so plan ahead! read more

While they might not be the biggest falls around. I did love the hike in and up thru the water into the cavern. The water was so cold but I had a spare pair of dry shoes in the car so it all worked out. I would recommend. read more

See all

My opinion "skip it". Hey, I'm all about water falls, but Zapata Falls is not very high on my risk/reward scale. You must travel up a steep, rocky, washboard road off the main highway which takes about 1/2 hour to go the 3.5 miles - unless you want to shake your vehicle and your teeth to death. Then you park your vehivle and hike in about 1/2 mile up an even rocker path, and wade in a fast moving (in June) extremely cold and pretty trecherous stream to get to the entrance of the cave where the falls are located. At this point, the water is almost knee deep and even faster moving. Wade some more through the extremely cold water and around a bend to see the falls, which are more like a water shoot, than what you typically think of as water falls. Here's the description from the .gov website: However, the hike to the falls requires wading over slippery rocks into a rock crevasse. From the Visitor Center, drive south about 8 miles, then turn left (east) onto a dirt road. Drive about 3.5 miles to the trailhead. To view the falls, hike about 1/2 mile, cross the creek, then scramble up the rocks and stream into a crevasse where the 25 ft. high falls cascade onto a ledge. Caution: Rocks are slippery. Water may be deep and swift in early summer during snowmelt, or during heavy thunderstorms. Rarely, rocks may fall from above into the crevasse. In winter, the falls freeze, creating an icy sculpture. Ice and snow may make the hike very slippery. Falling ice may be a hazard in spring. read more

Good beginner hike, but need to get your feet wet to catch the bed of the waterfall. Well worth it. Rocky road to get to the trail

Accident at Zapata Falls Dec 2018 (located on US Bureau of Land Management) Not Well Maintained at all. Pre-injury plans and History: We are couple from Atlanta who loves to Hike and visit places. We planned to start our trip on December 5th 2018 to Boulder, CO. Plan was to explore places around Denver till December 19th 2018 and fly to las Vegas, then visit grand canyon, Antelope canyon and drive to Los Angeles on December 23th 2018. Planned to explore Los Angeles till Jan 31 and fly back to Atlanta from Las Vegas on Jan 31th night. On Day of Injury: As part of our plan, on December 15th 2018 we drove to Zapata Falls, CO. Before starting our trip to Zapata Falls from Boulder CO, we checked and made sure Zapata Falls hike Trails are open to public. We reached Zapata Falls Campgrounds around 1 pm MST, parked our car at Campground and hiked way up the trail. Trail was covered with Snow although it was sunny day. It's a 1 mile hike up to Zapata Falls from Camp grounds where we parked our Car. After 1 mile hike me and my wife reached Zapata Falls around 2 pm MST, we took some pictures and started to head down to camp ground where our car was parked. At Zapata Falls, there was ice formation below which is completely covered with Snow, despite being careful at Zapata Falls, my wife slipped on ice, lost balance and broke her ankle at Zapata Creek. Injury was quite severe, her ankle bone was broken on both sides, and her left foot was dislocated and twisted. It was impossible for her to take a single step after injury. At the time of injury there was nobody there to help us, but few minutes after injury, there were 4 people who came to incident location. While they were taking care of my wife, I hiked back to camp ground and found a volunteer who works for Zapata Falls with 4X4 ATV. He drove me to Zapata fall (injury location) along the trail, we got my wife in ATV with People's help and Volunteer dropped us at our Car. He mentioned closest hospital was in Alamosa and he said he would also call Sheriff and Hospital personnel to expect us. After injury: We drove to Emergency ward in SLVRMC hospital in Alamosa and doctors admitted my wife, did X-Ray of her left Ankle and confirmed she fractured her left ankle. They said we must wait at least 5 days for inflammation to come down before they do a surgery to reconstruct her left ankle. They also recommended Surgery is needed no later than 10 day once the inflammation in ankle has reduced. Doctor aligned her dislocated foot and put a splint on her foot, so it does not move till surgery. After that she was discharged, and we drove back next 4 hours to Boulder,CO . After First Medical attention: On Monday December 17th, started doing our search to get best treatment around Denver for her surgery. We found Dr Thomas Clanton MD, at Steadman clinic Vail CO, has most experience in ankle and lower foot. We got appointment with Doctor on Tuesday December 18th. His team X-rayed her ankle again to see if it was in place, checked my wife's ankle inflammation and said the surgery can be performed on Wednesday December 19th, 2018. We of-course cancelled all our plans of vacation and now hoping that my wife will have a fast-complete recovery. Surgery day: On December 19th 2018 Wednesday, At 3 PM MST my wife was taken to operation room at Vail Valley surgery Center in Edwards CO. Surgery was performed till 7 PM MST. Doctor said they reconstructed her left ankle with Screws and plates as necessary. They said it would take 4 months for her to just start to put weight on her left leg. She must take complete bed rest till 3 months. After 4 months, with help of physiotherapy, it could take any where between 7 to 10 Month for my wife to start walking. After 1 year she could get back to her daily activities as usual and there is a slim chance of her hiking like before again. Plans after Surgery: We stay Boulder CO for 10 days till December 28th, 2018 allowing my wife to heal a bit and then have a follow up session on December 28th Steadman clinic Vail CO to make sure things are fine after surgery. After it planning to Fly back to Atlanta. What to get from this? We Recommend, even if Parks are open to Public, if you think Icy or unsafe Conditions may exist, don't go. Parks Owned government entities should take extra measures to close trails which might be un safe for public to visit. In this case it was open to Public. Be extremely careful, when walking on ice. One slip could wipe away smiles in your life. Family is most important, and everything comes next. Stay Strong when in Problems or in Pain. Let your Painful Experience be a lesson or Precaution to Others. read more