Bridal Veil Falls Telluride Hike Guide
Bridal Veil Falls Telluride is a staple hike of the small mountain town and southern Colorado. Although not technically challenging or particularly beautiful, the falls themselves are quite breathtaking. This is a family friendly hike and one that is suitable for all hiking levels, just be prepared to gain some elevation along the way.
Bridal Veil Falls Telluride Quick Facts
Bridal Veil Falls Rating: ★★★ (3/5 Stars)
Distance: 3 Miles RT
Elevation Start: 9,000 ft
Highest Point: 9,800 ft
Total Elevation Gain: 800 ft
Estimated Time to Complete: 1-2 Hours RT
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate What does this mean?
Class: Class 1 – What does this mean?
Season: Year Round: Expect Snow/Frozen Falls November – May
Directions to Bridal Veil Falls Telluride
Trailhead: Bridal Veil Falls
Getting Here: From Telluride, head through town until you reach a private mining company. Continue past the mining company to reach the lower parking area. If you have a higher clearance car, you should be able to make it to the upper “parking area” which is much smaller.
Fees: None
Parking: There is a small lot at the bottom of the 4×4 road which can fit about 30-40 cars. If you can continue up the road, you will find several pull offs and eventually a smaller parking space underneath Bridal Veil Falls that can fit 5-6 cars. There are no bathrooms anywhere along the way.
Summary
Camping: Bridal Veil Falls in Telluride does not offer camping in the vicinity of the hike, seek alternative lodging.
Dogs: Bridal Veil Falls is a dog friendly trail.
Make it a Loop: Bridal Veil Falls is an out and back hike, but you could easily hike up higher to explore the abandoned mine, neighboring waterfalls and check out the start of the via ferrata.
Trail X Factors: 4×4 Road, Crowds
The biggest x factor of Bridal Veil Falls is how high you are able to park and drive up towards the falls. If you can drive up to the base of the falls, this hike will turn into a very small walk. If you plan on visiting the falls during spring or summer months, be sure to get an early start to avoid a parking CF and lots of crowds along the dirt road. In addition to Bridal Veil Falls, this road also serves as an access point to 4x4ering and popular Telluride Via Ferrata.
Hike Tip(s): If you are looking to get some additional views of the falls, hike another .25 miles past the lower area to gain additional views. I wouldn’t recommend hiking all the way up to the old power station (white building) as there really isn’t much to see up there.
Best Views: Bridal Veil Falls Telluride offers great views from the time you leave your car until you get to the base of the massive waterfall. If you are looking for additional photo angles, be sure to hike about .25 past the lower area to gain a different angle and views into the valley.
Bridal Veil Falls Telluride Hike Route
Gear Needed
- Mickey’s Mountain Kit
- Optional: Camera
- Optional: Tripod
- Optional: Camera Filters for long exposure
My Trip to Bridal Veil Falls: May 2018
The hike up to Bridal Veil Falls is very short and fairly uneventful so I will skip my trip summary. I will say that as of May 2018, you were not allowed to hike up to the base of the falls which is quite disappointing. I would highly recommend exploring the area around the falls to take in all the views of the hike.
Coyote near the trailhead, very cool! 
A full look at the entire valley near the falls. 
Lots of cool spots to take some photos. 
Looking down into the valley from above the falls. 
An alternative look at the falls from a little hike above. 
A closer look
