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All the United States Colorado Ouray Box Canyon Falls
AO Edited

Box Canyon Falls

A glimpse of a waterfall is reached by a steel catwalk along a slot canyon located in an Ouray city park.

Ouray, Colorado

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slgwv
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Thousands of gallons of water spill down this 285-foot waterfall, which terminates in a frozen wonderland.   Matt Payne
Looking up at the Ouray Perimeter Trail bridge from the catwalk.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
  breaingram / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
A glimpse of the falls at the end of the catwalk.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Looking out the slot canyon. Some ruins of mining waterworks can be seen.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Start of the catwalk.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
The catwalk. Looking upstream.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Glimpse of the falls.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Glimpse of the falls from the catwalk.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Stairway at the end of the catwalk, from below.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Close-up of the old mining equipment.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
The catwalk to the falls view, looking upstream.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
View upstream of Box Canyon from the Ouray Perimeter Trail bridge.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Looking downstream into Box Canyon from the perimeter bridge. Its shadow is clearly visible. Residential Ouray lies beyond.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Box Canyon, looking nearly vertically down from the Ouray Perimeter Trail bridge.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Box Canyon, looking upstream from the Ouray Perimeter Trail bridge.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
The falls. This is about the best view possible.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  rachelbaker1982 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Ouray, Colorado bills itself as the "Switzerland of America."

Several waterfalls and slot canyons surround the town, and one of them is right at the southwest edge forming the centerpiece of a city park: Box Canyon Falls (with "Canyon" often spelled "Cañon" in the Spanish fashion on park literature).

A trail starts near the back of the park admission building and quickly heads out onto a steel catwalk built inside the canyon along the left (looking upstream) wall. It ends at a viewing platform from which the falls can be seen.

The Ouray Perimeter Trail can also be accessed from the park, which crosses the slot canyon almost directly above the falls on a steel footbridge that provides stunning views of the canyon and Ouray.

Related Tags

Trails Natural History Nature

Know Before You Go

Take US 550 south and turn right on County Rd. 361, the Camp Bird Road, just after the first big hairpin on 550. Then turn right onto Box Canyon Road after about 100 yards. Stay on Box Canyon Road until the park appears on the left, after about 1/4 mile. Parking is on the right. As of 2021 admission prices were $5 (adults), $3 (children 4-17), and $4 (seniors 62+).

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slgwv

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Collector of Experiences, breaingram, colleencourtney c93b920e, rachelbaker1982

  • Collector of Experiences
  • breaingram
  • colleencourtney c93b920e
  • rachelbaker1982

Published

January 27, 2022

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  • https://www.uncovercolorado.com/waterfalls/box-canyon-falls/
Box Canyon Falls
30 Box Canyon Rd
Ouray, Colorado, 81427
United States
38.018805, -107.678244
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