How to Hike to Ouzel Falls + Tips & FAQs

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Looking to take on the Ouzel Falls hike in Rocky Mountain National Park?

On our first visit to Rocky Mountain National Park, Daniel and I were looking for a chill hike where there wasn’t a ton of snow during the month of May. After doing plenty of research on AllTrails, we found the hikes to Ouzel Falls in the Wild Basin Area of the park–and it was the perfect trail for a lazy Sunday.

Along with the stunning falls at the end of the hike, there are also a number of smaller cascades along the way, which are all worth stopping at and taking a photo of. We also found that while this trail was busy, it definitely was not as crowded as many of the other hikes within other areas of the park.

I highly recommend taking on this trail if you want a relaxed hike with plenty to see along the way. However, getting there and knowing what to expect can be a challenge–we had difficulty finding information on the hike so we were prepared going into it.

In summary: This guide covers everything you need to know when it comes to hiking to Ouzel Falls, as well as some tips I personally found helpful and FAQs to help you plan.

Quick tip: Even though it’s not as busy as many of the hikes in the park, I still recommend that you get there fairly early to make sure you get a parking space in the small lot.

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How to hike to Ouzel Falls

The hike begins at the Wild Basin Trailhead, which is accessed from the southeast corner of Rocky Mountain National Park. Unlike the busy Bear Lake Road Corridor, Wild Basin tends to be quieter, which I absolutely love. Even on a spring weekend, we found parking easily in the main lot.

Do keep in mind that you will still need a reservation in order to access this area of the park from the months of May or October. Since there is no kiosk, you will need to print out your reservation and place it on the dashboard of your car if no park ranger is at the entrance.

The trail starts by following North St. Vrain Creek, and the sound of rushing water accompanies you for most of the hike. About 0.3 miles in, you’ll reach Lower Copeland Falls, followed shortly by Upper Copeland Falls. These smaller waterfalls are just a taste of what’s to come, though in May, we found the viewing areas quite icy.

Continuing on, the trail climbs gradually through a beautiful forest of lodgepole pines and aspens. When we hiked this in May, this section had patchy snow that made the trail a bit tricky to follow at times. I definitely recommend downloading an offline map–we used AllTrails to stay on track when the trail disappeared under snow.

At about 1.6 miles, you’ll reach Calypso Cascades, a stunning series of waterfalls tumbling down the mountainside. The wooden bridge here offers great views, though we found it pretty slippery with ice. The cascades were absolutely roaring with spring runoff, creating quite a spectacular show!

The final stretch to Ouzel Falls was the most challenging part of our hike due to deep snow. The trail climbs more steeply here, gaining about 250 feet in elevation over the last 0.7 miles. In May, we actually lost the trail completely at points and had to follow other hikers’ footprints in the snow.

After 2.7 miles of hiking, you’ll reach Ouzel Falls–it’s definitely worth the climb to get up there! The 40-foot waterfall crashes down through a narrow rocky gorge, and in spring, the volume of water is impressive.

Looking back, while the waterfalls were spectacular with spring runoff, I probably wouldn’t recommend hiking to Ouzel Falls in May unless you’re experienced with snow hiking and have proper gear. We really should have brought microspikes–regular hiking boots weren’t quite enough for the icy conditions we encountered.

Once you have had your time at the falls, you head back the way you came to the parking lot.

Map of the Ouzel Falls hike

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Tips for hiking to Ouzel Falls

Here are some tips I found helpful for hiking to Ouzel Falls.

• Remember you need a reservation: Even though the trailhead is located in the Wild Basin area of the park, you will still need a reservation through the months of May through October.
• Drive through the parking lot slowly: There are a ton of potholes in the parking lot driving to this trailhead, especially in the spring after the snow has melted. I highly recommend that you use a four-wheel drive in order to get there to avoid bumps and scrapes.
• Take breaks along the way: To be honest, my favorite parts of this hike were the chances to stop and enjoy several of the cascades along the way–almost more than Ouzel Falls themselves! I definitely feel as though you would be missing out if you push through it too fast.
• Be on the lookout for wildlife: We saw a bunch of curious chipmunks on the trail. Watch your pack if you set it down–they’ll try to steal it looking for their next lunch opportunity.

Ouzel Falls FAQs

Here are some common FAQs I get about hiking to Ouzel Falls.

Conclusion

If you are searching for a peaceful hike that takes you through some of Rocky Mountain’s lesser-known scenery, then this is a great option! I hope this has given you the information you need in order to plan your hike to Ouzel Falls, as well as answered any questions you might have adding this to your Rocky Mountain itinerary.

Have any questions about hiking to Ouzel Falls? Let me know in the comments!