Hiking Zapata Falls

We loved hiking Zapata Falls! It is a great adventure for very little effort. You have to drive up a 3.5 mile dirt/gravel road that is pretty bumpy. We asked at the visitor center about the road condition and were told it was fine for all vehicles even RVs. As a result we were a bit surprised at the roughness. However, if you go slow it is fine. At the top there is a campground, picnic area and parking lot.

From the parking lot you go up a rocky trail. There are benches placed along the way for those from out of state who aren't used to the altitude.

It is pretty rocky but we were fine in our river sandals. I think flip-flops would be too flimsy. We saw people in tennis shoes.

After about a half mile you come to the entrance to the stream. The fall colors made it very pretty.



Blossom plunged right in.

A look upstream shows the path we are about to traverse. You start out going along the shoreline on the right.

But then the shoreline ends so you walk in the river, either on the stones or not, as available.



In a short while you go in between some tall rocks.

Then you see the falls!

It's tough to get a picture of both the upper and lower falls at the same time as they are so tall.

Blossom wants to climb them! We get spray on the cameras as the water is thundering down around us.

The canyon is stunning.

We don't stay very long since the dogs are standing in the cold water.



The view going back out is equally as pretty.



The river wasn't flowing very high while we were there so it was an easy and fun hike.

If you are in the area of the Great Sand Dunes National Park I highly recommend hiking Zapata Falls.