How to Get to Bridal Veil in Telluride – Hiking Tips

What You Can See Hiking to Bridal Veil Falls

When you are looking towards Ingram Falls in the heart of Telluride, you cannot see Bridal Veil Falls. This is because this waterfall is nestled inside the rocks just to the right of the falls you see from town.

But while you cannot see this particular waterfall from Telluride or even inside Town Park, it is worth visiting for one particular reason- it is considered to be the tallest free-flowing waterfall in Colorado with a 365-foot drop. An important distinction should also be made here- Bridal Veil Falls is not the tallest waterfall in Colorado overall, but the tallest falls where the water comes down as a cascade without touching rocks along the way.

It is also beautiful, and a must-see when in the area. So it should be no surprise it is often at the top of many hiking lists when in Telluride.

As you depart town, you leave the expensive houses behind (okay, fine, you do pass some stunning mansions in nature along the way) and get impressive views of the canyon and surrounding mountains. If you are walking from town, you’ll follow the San Miguel River past some old industrial operations (Pandora Mill), before reaching the trailhead for a climb up through the mountains.

Although the goal is Bridal Veil Falls, along the way you may notice some detour signs with arrows pointing to a waterfall to the right and an arrow to the left which is a bit confusing since both directions go to waterfalls. The lower cascades are worth a detour here, and we had several hikers asking us on our way out if that was Bridal Veil Falls to which we told them to keep going for the famous view. (That said, we did tell them to take the detour, as the temperature near the waterfalls felt like it dropped several degrees- it makes for a refreshing break on a hot day.)

As you rise higher and higher, gaining about 2,000 feet in vertical elevation, more of the canyon opens up through the trees as well as with Bridal Veil views becoming more prominent until you reach the base of the waterfall which is home to a viewing platform as well (you may get some light spray on you here, but if you visit on a hot day like we did, it is quite welcomed).

Here, you simply need to stand back, gaze up at the waterfall and above power station, and soak in the beauty!

We, admittedly, turned around here as we had to get back to the bluegrass festival for a favorite act, but if you have more time you may consider hiking up the switchback road to the power station itself, or continuing onward for more trails in the region. But for a quick morning hike, turning around at Bridal Veil Falls lower viewing platform is a great choice.

• Note: The trail to Bridal Veil Falls is often covered in snow from early fall to late spring, and the waterfall itself is typically frozen in winter and is popular for ice climbers. If visiting outside of summer, it is best to take a tour.

How to Reach Bridal Veil Falls in Telluride

To reach Bridal Veil Falls, you have a few options, which are, for the most part, fairly easy and really only depends if you’re going on foot, have a car, or have a four wheel drive vehicle.

First, you can walk. There is a walking path heading east from Town Park alongside the main road and the San Miguel River that will take you to the climb to Bridal Veil Falls in about 30 minutes of walking. It is, to be quite honest, pretty hard to miss as it follows the main road out of town. If the road is on your left and creek/river is on your right, and you’re heading east, you’re heading in the correct direction.

Second, you can drive. If you are visiting Telluride with a car, you can easily drive to the lower trailhead for Bridal Veil Falls which has a large parking area (admittedly, it does fill up early during festivals). This will cut out about a half-hour walk each way, which, albeit beautiful, can free up some of your day to explore more of the region.

Third, if you have a four-wheel drive vehicle, you can drive to the falls themselves. The road between the parking lot at the trailhead and the falls is quite rugged and best for only vehicles that can manage more off-road conditions. We saw several tour vehicles come up here and were decked out, off-road vehicles, so honestly, we would still recommend parking at the trailhead all the same.

For those who take the first or second options, which should be just about everyone, once you get to the parking lot with the trailhead, you will then be taking a slight climb uphill to reach the falls. Most of this section of the hike is lined with trees for shade (while walking from town to the trailhead has elements that are exposed to the sun), but you will still be climbing upwards of 2,000+ additional feet above sea level all the same.

Yes, Bridal Veil falls is located at over 10,000 feet above sea level!

While the climb itself isn’t terribly difficult by most hiking standards, it is rocky and, of course, has that vertical gain at altitude, but as long as you have decent footwear, water, and take things slow, you should be able to reach the waterfall in under an hour from the parking lot.

Truly, the biggest risks when hiking to Bridal Veil Falls in Telluride are extreme heat/UV in the summer and possible snow in late spring or early fall. During our June hike, for example, there was not a single cloud in the sky and made for a rather hot hike whenever we were exposed- so be sure to wear sunscreen, take ample water, and cool off in the lower waterfall pools if needed.

We say this in all of our Telluride posts, but 60°F and full sun at 8,000+ feet is intense and often feels like 80°F elsewhere. Do not underestimate the weather forecasts if there is no cloud cover as the UV intensity at altitude is serious business.

All told, the hike out of town, to Bridal Veil, and back takes about three hours- less if you drive up to the parking area at the upper trailhead, and also less if you get a ride back into town with a friendly stranger as we did during the bluegrass festival.

So whether you walk, drive, or take a tour, do not overlook a trip to Bridal Veil Falls in Telluride!