Parking
Use the Wild Basin Trailhead lot off Wild Basin Road, reached from Colorado 7. The final approach is a narrow gravel road and the lot has limited spaces; an early arrival helps.
Overview
About Calypso Cascades Trail
Why go
- Lower and Upper Copeland Falls add worthwhile stops before the main cascade.
- A multi-tiered waterfall tumbles over boulders and fallen logs in a forest setting.
Heads up
- The 3.6-mile round trip is longer than a quick waterfall stop.
- The narrow gravel approach and limited trailhead parking complicate arrival.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Rocky Mountain map
Full mapElevation8,514–9,131 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 Calypso Cascades 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
Wild Basin: A Short Walk or Ouzel Falls0:00 / 0:28
“The Wild Basin trailhead is ahead, with a choice of creekside waterfall walks. Lower Copeland Falls is the quick option: about six-tenths of a mile round trip from the summer trailhead.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Rocky Mountain Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Finch Lake Trailhead: The Long Walk to Pear Lake
- Sandbeach Lake Trailhead and a Copeland Lake Picnic
- The Fire That Turned Toward Allenspark
- Longs Peak Trailhead: Lake or Summit
- 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 Calypso Cascades Trail
A longer waterfall walkCalypso Cascades Trail is a 3.
Calypso Cascades Trail is a 3.6-mile out-and-back from Wild Basin Trailhead to a tiered waterfall in the forest. The falls sit about 600 feet above the trailhead. Lower and Upper Copeland Falls and an unnamed waterfall break up the climb. It suits a half-day walk with several water features; for a quick waterfall stop, this is a long approach. Published mileage varies, so plan for about 1.8 miles each way.
Two falls come firstFollow the dirt Wild Basin Trail through the forest.
Follow the dirt Wild Basin Trail through the forest. A short parallel spur reaches Lower Copeland Falls, then Upper Copeland Falls about a tenth of a mile farther, before rejoining the main trail. Beyond them, cross Sandbeach Creek. At about 1.3 miles, stay left at the campground spur to keep heading toward Calypso.
Keep going past the unnamed fallsAt roughly 1.
At roughly 1.6 miles from the trailhead, you reach an unnamed waterfall; Calypso is another two-tenths of a mile along. The roughly 200-foot cascade steps over boulders and fallen logs. Spring runoff usually gives it more volume than early September. From below, keep some of the boulder-and-log channel in the frame to show how the water breaks into tiers.
Effort and accessAllow about two to three hours, including time at the falls.
Allow about two to three hours, including time at the falls. The trail climbs from roughly 8,500 feet to about 9,100 feet; the dirt path has rocky, sometimes wet footing near creeks and waterfalls. Wild Basin Trailhead is reached by a narrow gravel road, and parking is limited. The park's timed-entry rules are seasonal and change; check what applies on your date. Pets 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.
