Bridal Veil Falls, Colorado

If you enjoy four-wheel driving and are a fan of waterfalls, then while you are in the Telluride area, you definitely need to take the trip up to Bridal Veil Falls. The Falls is easy to find, but traveling on the road does require some experience in four-wheel travel as the road is not paved and has numerous switchbacks.

To get to Bridal Veil Falls, take the Main Street of Telluride eastward, all the way through town , pass the Pandora Mine. Continue on this road toward the top of the mountains. If you prefer, you can park your vehicle along the way and hike the remainder of the distance to the Falls.

Bridal Veil Falls is a large, two-pronged waterfall that is the highest waterfall in Colorado having a height of 431 feet. As the waterfall is fed by spring snowmelt, the flow of the Falls is dependent on the previous winter's snowfall and the rate at which it melts. In the early spring, the water tumbles in great torrents down the mountain edge. In the fall, the water flow is low, so the water tends to hug closer to the cliff.

The historic structure, which you will see between the two water flows, was previously the Smuggler-Union Hydroelectric Plant, which provided electricity to Telluride from 1904 to 1954. It is now a private residence with an unsurpassed view of the San Miguel Valley and the town of Telluride.