DISTANCE:

From Fort Collins, head north out of town on Hwy 14 towards Livermore. At Livermore, turn left onto Red Feather Lakes Road (74E). Follow this road into Roosevelt National Forrest towards Red Feather Lakes. Before you reach the lakes turn south on County Road 68C, a good dirt road. After about 4 miles you’ll arrive at the Elkhorn Creek Trailhead. Be sure to start on the Lady Moon Trail behind the information sign, not the trail at the west end of the parking lot.

HIKE DESCRIPTION:

Luckily, this waterfall is not well named…. I assumed that the waterfall would just be a trickle or maybe a cascade that barely had a drop. However, Disappointment Falls does not disappoint. It is a nice cascade waterfall and in the early summer it has plenty of flow to be exciting and scenic. The hike to the waterfall is equally scenic and a fairly easy hike manageable by hikers of all skill and fitness levels.

Like most hikes in the Red Feather Lakes area, the trail spends most of the time weaving through pine forest, across meadows, and along the base of rock formations. Your only obstacle on this hike is a creek crossing early on that may be difficult in the early season. There is an obvious detour and a footbridge if you know to look for it. The other trick for this hike is that once you reach the large meadow a well established social trail will split off to the left. This trail skirts the creek and cuts across the meadow. I didn’t realize this was not the official trail until the way back but it is a bit of a shortcut. If you want to stick to the official trail system then head north along the main trail to the official intersection. Following the main trail only adds a few minutes of hiking.

After the meadow, the trail visits some nice aspen groves and enters dense pine forest until you reach the waterfall. The waterfall is impressive and there are plenty of areas to relax on some rock until you are ready for the quick return hike. There is a trail that leads up-river of the falls and it may be worth some exploration. The return is an easy hike back the way you came. You can also add a hike along the Lady Moon Trail to the north for more distance and more adventure.

For a short easy hike to a nice waterfall, this trip should prove to be anything but disappointing.