Rifle Falls

By Eilene Lyon

We recently took a scenic tour of the Rocky Mountains, with the Canadian Rockies as the apex of the trip. Total mileage: 4,400, very little of it on freeways. The only planned stop, and reserved camp site, was for our first night, at Rifle Falls State Park. The campground has a dozen RV sites and a few more for tents.

I had been to nearby Rifle Mountain Park—owned by the city of Rifle, Colorado—back in the 1990s. We did a drive through this scenic and popular rock-climbing destination before heading north the next morning. The dirt road is tightly constricted by canyon walls, trees, and East Rifle Creek. Check out the photo of “I am Not a Philistine (5.12c)” at EveningSends.com (about halfway down the page).

I had not been to Rifle Falls before, however. The site has been a tourist destination since 1884. Coincidentally, I had attended a talk about black swift research a month earlier. The falls have ideal habitat for these birds, and they do nest here. However, we did not see any, so they may not have arrived yet.

Except when breeding, these mysterious birds almost never touch the earth. You can watch a live-cam set up at the Box Canyon Falls in Ouray, Colorado. (When I checked, it didn’t seem to be sending live action.)

Rifle Falls may have originated from limestone built up behind a beaver dam. The waters of East Rifle Creek now plunge over a sandstone lip, depositing additional lime. Below the cascades are a series of small caves to explore. Originally there were two separate falls, but now there are three due to human modifications.

The park is small, but has some walking trails. You can go behind the falls and up above to view them from the top. Nearby is the Rifle Fish Hatchery, the largest state hatchery in Colorado, offering free tours in summer.

Rifle is located along I-70 east of Grand Junction. The parks are north of town along paved roads. This is a real “hidden gem” on Colorado’s Western Slope.