This beautiful hike is a Grand Lake favorite. The trail starts out wide and flat as it ambles through panoramic meadows dotted with wildflowers and willow bushes–a popular hangout area for moose–before narrowing to hug the curves of a slow moving creek. After a gradual climb to the top, find a shady spot to rest along the water’s edge to gaze at the falls and have a picnic. From here you can return downhill to the trailhead, or continue on several more miles to a series of remote alpine lakes.
Turn left from Portal Road in Grand Lake at the last left turn before the bridge and you’ll be at the trail head for the North Inlet. The first parking area can fill quickly, so make sure to check the second, larger parking area over the one way bridge. Once on the trail you’ll be delighted with views of the Colorado River, soaring rock formations and the raging Cascade Falls.
This trail was impacted by the East Troublesome Fire in October 2020. Please make sure to stay on the trail in the burn scar so the delicate surrounding nature can regrow.
