Bridal Veil Falls
Once again, Katherine and I ventured into Rocky Mountain National Park to do some hiking. We picked a less popular hike, although it was still very rewarding with the views when we reached our destination. The hike started at the Cow Creek Trailhead. The trailhead was right next to the McGraw Ranch, which is owned by the National Parks Service. What used to be a dude ranch in the early 1900's is now a research facility.
The hike was really nice, the first half of it was hiking through a meadow with lots of wild flowers, the second part of the hike was through trees and more meadows. The trail followed along side the Cow Creek, and we were on the northern side of Lumpy Ridge.
The hike was 6.3 miles round trip and took 3 hours and 19 minutes, including about 45 minutes that we were stopped at Bridal Viel Falls. It took an hour and 15 minutes to get to the falls, and the same amount of time to hike back out to the car. Total elevation gain was 1175 feet.
6.3 mi
3.3 hrs
8,815 ft
1,175 ft
Dirt Road
The first quarter-mile was an old dirt road.
Destination
I believe that the waterfall we hiked to is on the other side of this bluff, but it was so hard to keep track of all the mountain tops on either side of us as we hiked along the trail.
Fork
The trail had several turnoffs for camping sites and other trails. We took the trail to the right.
Weeds
There were a lot of flowers in the meadows as we hiked. There was a section of the trail with these weeds everywhere.
Waterfall #1
About 2.75 miles into the hike, we found this waterfall. I was excited because it looked perfect to photograph. The whole thing was in shadow, which allows me to take much slower shots capturing the flow of the water better, as well as not get harsh light reflecting off the millions of water droplets.
At the top
As you can see, this waterfall wasn't that large. But it made for a great place to stop and take some photos.
Short Drop
Cascade
We came across another waterfall that was more of a cascade than a waterfall.
Up the Rock
The trail was pretty undefined in some spots. We had to hike it up the side of this boulder!
Bridal Veil Falls
We made it!
We Made It!
Upper Cascades and Falls
If you hiked/climbed up just a little bit to the top side of the main portion of the waterfall, you found a gorgeous cascade and waterfall. The Bridal Veil Falls seemed to continue for quite a while.
At the Top
This photo was taken at the upper portion of Bridal Veil Falls.
Falling
Great Spot for a Snack
We sat here for about 10 minutes while we ate our snack and relaxed by the waterfall.
Long Drop
Bridal Veil Falls was about 25 feet tall. There wasn't a lot of water falling from the top, but it was just enough to get some great photos.
Tall Grass
Katherine in the meadow.
Post Bloom
This flower had already bloomed and lost all of it's seeds. I caught it just in time before it withered away and died.
McGraw Ranch
This is one of the original McGraw Ranch buildings. It's been restored by the National Parks Service, but they did a great job keeping the look and feel of the building.
