Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0North Clear Creek Falls
Worth the drive
Is it plungeworthy?
A horsetail on North Clear Creek.
The details
- Type
- Horsetail
- Watercourse
- North Clear Creek
- Coordinates
- 37.84951, -107.15041
About North Clear Creek Falls
North Clear Creek Falls is a 100-foot horsetail in Colorado, on North Clear Creek.
Fed largely by snowmelt, it runs hardest in late spring and early summer and can thin to a trickle by late season.
Plungeworthy rates North Clear Creek Falls 8.3/10 — worth the drive. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.
What you'll find
The great surprise of the Silver Thread byway: a placid meadow creek that suddenly drops a hundred feet into a volcanic-tuff box canyon. Railed, ADA-accessible viewpoints steps from parking — the most waterfall Colorado offers for zero effort.
Getting there
- Trailhead
- North Clear Creek Falls Observation Site, off CO-149, ~26 miles west of Creede
- Parking
- Big paved lot, RV-friendly
- Road
- Paved highway + short paved spur
- Hike
- 0 mi round trip (easy)
- Heads up
- Restroom, picnic tables, interpretive signs — a built overlook, not a hike.
When to go
June through September; the road snows shut December through April and becomes snowmobile country. June snowmelt is the thunder window.
Rules & fees
- Fee / pass
- None — free
- Dogs
- Leashed or under voice control
- Hours
- Dawn to dusk in season
- Camping
- USFS camps along the CO-149 corridor
- Warnings
- Stay behind the rails — the canyon rim beyond is genuinely dangerous.
Researched from USFS — North Clear Creek Falls Observation Site · Wikipedia — North Clear Creek Falls. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to North Clear Creek Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.
Where it is
Before you go
The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.
Common questions
How tall is North Clear Creek Falls?
North Clear Creek Falls drops about 100 feet, in Colorado.
Where is North Clear Creek Falls?
North Clear Creek Falls is a waterfall in Colorado, at 37.84951, -107.15041.
Is North Clear Creek Falls worth visiting?
Worth the drive — Plungeworthy rates it 8.3/10.
Gear for the trip
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