Parking
Use the small roadside parking area on McGraw Ranch Road before the no-parking sign. Walk down to the fork and turn left through the signed gate for Cow Creek Trailhead. Spaces are limited; park only in designated areas.
Overview
About Bridal Veil Falls Trail
Why go
- Open meadows, aspen and creek cascades vary the long approach.
- Bridal Veil Falls rewards the steeper final climb.
Heads up
- The last stretch is steep and rocky.
- The 3.1-mile return repeats the same trail.
Bridal Veil Falls Trail is a 6.2-mile out-and-back from Cow Creek Trailhead to the waterfall, with about 990 feet of climbing. The first miles cross open meadows before the route enters aspen and conifer forest, then finish with a rocky climb beside Cow Creek. This is a satisfying longer hike, not a quick waterfall stop. Allow about four hours; the mapped three-mile line is the outbound leg, and you return the same way.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Rocky Mountain map
Full mapElevation7,818–8,780 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Rocky Mountain alerts
- ClosureOld Fall River Road closed to vehiclesOld Fall River Road is closed to motor vehicles for the season.Official details
- ClosureSun Valley burn-area access remains closedThe area and trail west of Sun Valley Trail remain closed, including the route used for angler access to the Colorado River, because of impacts from the 2020 East Troublesome and Cameron Peak Fires;…Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Rocky Mountain Tour Guide
Your drive to Bridal Veil Falls Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Rocky Mountain National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Rocky Mountain audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Cow Creek: The Hike to Bridal Veil Falls0:00 / 0:26
“Up ahead is Cow Creek Trailhead, the start of a half-day hike to Bridal Veil Falls. Allow about four hours for six point two miles round trip and roughly a thousand feet of climbing.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Rocky Mountain Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- How Lumpy Ridge Got Its Boulders
- McGraw Ranch's Second Life
- Lumpy Ridge: The Climb to Gem Lake
- Fall River Visitor Center: Planning and a Meal
- 79 audio storiesacross Rocky Mountain’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Elk, Moose, Mountain Goat, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 136 trails, 88 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…No cell service for majority of the day but had continuous access to the app - the maps, the tour guide as you drive is amazing. Highly recommend purchasing the subscription.”
Trail guide
Hiking Bridal Veil Falls Trail
Keep to the falls routeAt about 1.
At about 1.2 miles, continue straight where a side trail leads toward Balanced Rock and Gem Lake; pass the Rabbit Ears campsite spur around 1.3 miles. At the Dark Mountain junction, just beyond 1.9 miles, take the right branch for Bridal Veil Falls. Near 2.9 miles, pass the small cascade on your left and stay right by the horse hitching post. Rock steps mark the steep final climb; the main falls are about 3.1 miles from the trailhead.
The open approachThe walk begins on an old gravel ranch road for roughly 0.
The walk begins on an old gravel ranch road for roughly 0.6 mile, then becomes a narrower dirt path. It crosses open grassy meadows along the north side of Lumpy Ridge before aspens, ponderosa pines, blue spruce and other conifers close in. The early miles are relatively level, so save energy for the rougher finish.
The climb and the fallsPast Dark Mountain, the grade gets steeper and the path rougher underfoot, with rocks and roots…
Past Dark Mountain, the grade gets steeper and the path rougher underfoot, with rocks and roots near Cow Creek. The last tenth of a mile gains more than 125 feet over rock steps. Bridal Veil Falls drops about 20 feet from a rock ledge; flow is strongest after spring snowmelt and varies with summer moisture, so the waterfall may be smaller later in the season.
Parking and rulesUse the small roadside parking area on McGraw Ranch Road before the no-parking sign, then walk…
Use the small roadside parking area on McGraw Ranch Road before the no-parking sign, then walk down to the fork and turn left through the signed gate for Cow Creek Trailhead. Spaces are limited; park only in designated areas. Rocky Mountain National Park requires an entrance fee or pass, and dogs are prohibited on park trails.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Rocky Mountain
3,124 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
1,601 sightingsMooseMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
19 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
19 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
30 sightingsGolden EagleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
270 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Rocky Mountain. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
