DIRECTIONS:

From I-70, take exit 180 onto Bighorn Road and turn south. On the south side of I-70 look for the Gore Valley Trailhead parking lot. Follow the directions in the hike description below to find the trail and open space park.

HIKE DESCRIPTION:

The hike to East Vail Falls is one of those choose your own adventure type of hikes. At it’s simplest, it’s an easy walk to the base of the falls. However, if you want more adventure, and the conditions are right, you can climb up the trail through and around the falls. When I visited the falls, I was only looking for a short easy hike and it was raining which made climbing up the steep muddy trail infeasible. The falls are beautiful and iconic as you can see them from I-70 when you drive through town and visiting, even the base of the falls is well worth your time.

Accessing the trail to the falls does require a bit of knowledge since there is no parking in the neighborhood surrounding the open space. Park at the Gore Valley Trailhead on Bighorn Road, south of I-70. Cross the street and walk east along the Gore Valley Trail for a few minutes to Bridge Road. From here, you need to walk along neighborhood streets so please be safe and respect people’s private property. Walk south on Bridge Road across Gore Creek and turn east (left) onto Lupine Drive. Walk along Lupine Drive for a few minutes and you’ll see the falls and the open space on the right. Once you find the park, the trail is obvious.