Piedra Falls
- 1.0 mi
- round trip
- 113 ft
- climb
- 8,358 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Jul, Sep
- best months
Is Piedra Falls open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in San Juan National Forest. It doesn't name Piedra Falls, so check the source for the area it covers (3 listed).
Travel is not advised to the San Juan NF
Agency closure covering San Juan National Forest · USFS · San Juan National Forest
Closures and dangerous conditions on roads, bridges, and trails from flooding
Agency closure covering San Juan National Forest · USFS · San Juan National Forest
Multiple roads and trails damaged by flooding on SJNF
Agency closure covering San Juan National Forest · USFS · San Juan National Forest
Bear Activity High Across San Juan National Forest
Agency alert covering San Juan National Forest · USFS · San Juan National Forest
West Fork Road and Bridge Closure Order
Agency alert covering Pagosa Ranger District · Order 02-13-06-25-19 · USFS · Pagosa Ranger District
As of · Source: USFS · San Juan National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Piedra Falls is an easy hike of about a mile in the Pagosa Ranger District of the San Juan National Forest in Colorado, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is an out-and-back, with a low point of about 8,240 feet and a high of about 8,358 feet, and it gains roughly 113 feet in elevation. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 79°F with lows near 41°F, while September cools to about 70°F by day and 33°F at night. That station sits about 600 feet higher than the falls, so temperatures on the trail run a little warmer. The trail is natural-surfaced and allows bikes. Within a few miles you'll find the East Fork Piedra River for canoeing, the Upper Fourmile and Middle Fork hikes, and Bridge Campground for an overnight stay.
Local outfitters
- Crazy Horse Outfitters5 mi away
- Pagosa Pines RV Park15 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- East Fork Piedra RiverCanoeing1.4 mi
- Upper FourmileHiking3.1 mi
- Middle ForkHiking3.2 mi
- Middle Fork Piedra RiverCanoeing3.5 mi
- Bridge CampgroundCamping5.3 mi
Crazy Horse OutfittersCampingPhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)5.4 mi- Piedra River - Upper West aka Never MindRock climbing6.1 mi
- Piedra River - Lower WestRock climbing6.6 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
OverlookHiking · ~22 min drivePhoto: Dicklyon, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Windy PassHiking · ~22 min drivePhoto: Dicklyon, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Palisade MeadowsHiking · ~13 min drive
- Treasure FallsHiking · ~22 min drivePhoto: Dicklyon, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- AndersonHiking · ~9 min drive
- Middle CreekHiking · ~15 min drive
- Upper FourmileHiking · ~5 min drive
- Turkey CreekHiking · ~12 min drive
- Williams Fork LakeHiking · ~17 min drive
- OVERLOOKHiking · ~16 min drive
Best time to visit Piedra Falls
Best months: June–July and September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
34° / -2°
4 wet
Feb
38° / 1°
4 wet
Mar
45° / 11°
5 wet
Apr
53° / 20°
4 wet
May
62° / 28°
4 wet
Jun
74° / 34°
6 wet
Jul
79° / 41°
12 wet
Aug
76° / 40°
14 wet
Sep
70° / 33°
9 wet
Oct
59° / 23°
5 wet
Nov
47° / 11°
4 wet
Dec
35° / 0°
4 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Hermit 8 Se, CO, 18.7 mi away at 8,949 ft. The station sits about 600 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
