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LakeQuality

Updated July 2026

Bridal Veil Falls

San Miguel County, Colorado — about 365 ft, among the tallest.

Colorado's tallest free-falling waterfall, plunging 365 feet from a box canyon above Telluride, crowned by the historic 1907 Smuggler-Union (Bridal Veil) hydroelectric power plant.

Height
365 ft
Type
Plunge
Access
Moderate Hike
Trail
3.6 mi out-and-back
Elevation gain
866 ft
Best season
Late spring to early summer snowmelt (May-Jun)
Land manager
Idarado Mining Company (private easement) / Uncompahgre National Forest
Watercourse
Bridal Veil 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 Idarado Mining Company (private easement) / Uncompahgre National Forest for closures and current conditions, and confirm land status before setting out.

Graded lakes within 25 miles

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Frequently Asked Questions

Bridal Veil Falls drops about 365 feet. That makes it the 35th-tallest documented waterfall in this inventory, taller than roughly 95% of the falls listed here. Height comes from published land-manager and survey records, not from our own measurement.

The Bridal Veil Falls Trail (Bridal Veil Road) reaches it about 3.6 miles (out-and-back) with roughly 866 feet of elevation gain, rated moderate. The nearest town is Telluride. That describes the route as documented, not conditions on the day — check with Idarado Mining Company (private easement) / Uncompahgre National Forest for closures and current conditions.

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

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Sources

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