Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
Forty rough steps lead to Fall River's narrow granite chute.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Rocky Mountain Tour Guide
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
Chasm Falls: Steps into the Granite Gorge“You're nearing the Chasm Falls pullout, where a short walk leads down to Fall River squeezing through a narrow granite cleft.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Rocky Mountain Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“…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
Chasm Falls is a 0.1-mile out-and-back from the pullout on Old Fall River Road. About 40 dirt-and-rock steps descend to a viewing platform over Fall River, where the water drops about 25 feet through a narrow granite cleft. Allow about 15 minutes for the descent, a look at the falls, and the climb back. It is a short roadside walk, not a big hike.
The trail starts at the Chasm Falls pullout. Old Fall River Road is a one-way uphill dirt road from Endovalley and typically opens to vehicles from early July into mid-October. The 2.8-mile round trip sometimes quoted from Endovalley includes the longer road approach; it is not the spur’s length. Check current park access and timed-entry requirements before driving. Pets are prohibited on park trails.
From the platform, look into the granite cleft and down the Fall River channel; it is the closest view of the waterfall’s narrow rock walls and plunge pool. Old Fall River Road was Rocky Mountain’s first cross-park road, built between 1913 and 1920 and dedicated in September 1920. This is a worthwhile stop if you are already driving the road; seasonal vehicle access is the main constraint.
Wildlife
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.
Keep exploring
EasyHidden Valley Nature Trail0.5 mi · 30 min · 1.9 mi awayTwo footbridges make this short creekside loop worth a stop.
EasyAlluvial Fan Trail0.4 mi · 30 min · 1.9 mi awayA bridge and waterfall on a trail shaped by a 1982 flood.
ModerateUte Trail East to Timberline Pass3.9 mi · 2 hr · 2 mi awayLong tundra views on a gentle trail to Timberline Pass.
EasyBeaver Ponds Boardwalk0.2 mi · 15 min · 2.1 mi awayA short boardwalk into a wetland shaped by old beaver dams.
ChallengingLawn Lake Trail12.4 mi · 5.5 hr · 2.6 mi awayA hard climb to a lake in a valley remade by flood.
ChallengingCrystal Lakes Trail15.4 mi · 10 hr · 2.6 mi awayTwo alpine lakes below Mount Fairchild make for a very long day.
ChallengingYpsilon Lake Trail9 mi · 7 hr · 2.6 mi awayA long climb to a lake beneath Ypsilon's snow-filled couloir.
ChallengingThe Saddle via Lawn Lake Trail16.7 mi · 9 hr · 2.6 mi awayA high saddle beyond Lawn Lake makes this a full-day climb.
Sight · At the trailheadChasm FallsA short walk to a waterfall tucked into a granite cleft.
Picnic area · 0.8 mi awayEndovalley Picnic AreaA shaded picnic loop by the river at Old Fall River Road.
Sight · 1.3 mi awayRainbow Curve OverlookA quick stop above Horseshoe Park's broad, glacial valley.Sight · 1.9 mi awayHidden ValleyEasy sled runs on a former ski hill, plus a creekside walk.Sight · 2.1 mi awayBeaver PondsA short boardwalk into a wetland shaped by old beaver dams.
Sight · 2.2 mi awayAlluvial FanSee the 1982 flood's boulder fan break into a rushing cascade.
Sight · 2.6 mi awayForest Canyon OverlookFive minutes of walking reveals a canyon carved by ice.
Scenic pullout · 2.7 mi awayWest Horseshoe Park PulloutA quick stop for meadow views beneath the Mummy Range.Parkwolf’s Rocky Mountain ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
