BOULDER, Colo. — Access to view the popular Boulder Falls will return, in a new way, after the trail to the waterfall was significantly damaged by rockfall in late 2024.
The trail to Boulder Falls — the second-most popular trail in Boulder — closed in mid-November 2024 after "catastrophic" rockfall created "very unstable and dangerous" conditions along the trail to the waterfall, Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) said.
By July 2025, OSMP said the area would remain closed for the foreseeable future. A consulting engineering team assessed the situation to see if Boulder crews should try to repair the trail or rebuild visitor access in a different way.
OSMP examined several angles to this project, including the safety analysis, community use in the area and discussions with the Open Space Board of Trustees.
On Friday, the City of Boulder announced it will design a new way for visitors to enjoy the popular waterfall: a viewing platform.
The platform will allow visitors to see the waterfall from a safe distance while also avoiding any other infrastructure damage or safety concerns within the narrow canyon. It will be about 700 square feet, said Hilary Dees, visitor infrastructure senior manager in Boulder.
“We are excited to get visitors back to Boulder Falls as soon as possible since it is so important to our community," said OSMP Director Dan Burke. "This option will really be the best of both worlds to protect visitor safety while enjoying this unique resource responsibly."
Studies for design options will begin this year. There is no estimated timeline for this, and the area remains closed to visitors due to safety concerns.
Engineers determined that the damaged pathway to the waterfall has a "very high risk" of future rockfall, including large-scale incidents that could hurt or kill people in the canyon, OSMP said. It already has a history of frequent closures due to rockfall and flooding damage. Maintaining visitor safety on the old trail was costly and difficult, OSMP said.
