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LakeQuality

Updated July 2026

Box Canyon Falls

Ouray County, Colorado — about 285 ft, among the tallest.
Box Canyon Falls, a waterfall in Colorado
Box Canyon Falls, Colorado · Jaknelaps · CC BY-SA 3.0

Canyon Creek thunders through a narrow quartzite slot in Ouray; the main visible plunge is about 85 feet within a ~285-foot total drop, reached by a short metal walkway in Box Cañon Falls Park.

Height
285 ft
Type
Plunge
Access
Short Hike
Trail
0.5 mi out-and-back
Elevation gain
200 ft
Best season
Late spring to summer
Land manager
City of Ouray (Box Cañon Falls Park)
Watercourse
Canyon Creek

Before you go

Waterfalls are hazardous by nature — wet rock, cold water, and unstable edges — and flow varies enormously with season and recent rain. Trail figures here describe the route as documented, not conditions today. Check City of Ouray (Box Cañon Falls Park) for closures and current conditions, and confirm land status before setting out.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Box Canyon Falls drops about 285 feet. That makes it the 50th-tallest documented waterfall in this inventory, taller than roughly 93% of the falls listed here. Height comes from published land-manager and survey records, not from our own measurement.

The Falls Trail / High Bridge Trail reaches it about 0.5 miles (out-and-back) with roughly 200 feet of elevation gain, rated easy. The nearest town is Ouray. That describes the route as documented, not conditions on the day — check with City of Ouray (Box Cañon Falls Park) for closures and current conditions.

Late spring to summer. Waterfall flow swings enormously with snowmelt and recent rain, so a fall that roars in spring can be a trickle by late summer.

More Colorado waterfalls

Sources

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