Bear Creek Falls

Bear Creek Falls is found immediately below the Million Dollar Highway as it crosses Bear Creek. From downtown Ouray, follow the Million Dollar Highway (US 550) south toward Silverton for 2-3/4 miles to a large turnout at a sharp bend in the road with a rock wall lining the edge. A viewing platform extends out from the parking area to provide a view down on the falls plunging into the Uncompahgre Gorge.Bear Creek Falls is one of the most prominent waterfalls found in the Ouray area, plunging a sheer 200 feet into Uncompahgre Gorge just outside of town. The Million Dollar Highway, itself an attraction worthy of a visit, crosses over the top of the falls between sections of road blasted into the side of cliffs. Immediately upstream of the road, Bear Creek flows down a narrow canyon with sheer walls rising hundreds of feet up from the stream. The creek then plunges into the depths of the canyon to join the mineral-stained Uncompahgre River immediately below the road.
Directly across the Uncompahgre Gorge from Bear Creek Falls a tall shoestring-like waterfall can be seen dropping several hundred feet into the canyon along seasonal Ralston Creek. When we surveyed the site in October 2017, Ralston Creek was dry and thus we were not able to obtain enough information to add a full report to the database.
Bear Creek drains from a basin covering an area of approximately 13 square miles, however there are no lakes, glacier, or permanent sources of water found in the basin to sustain a consistent flow. This results in the volume of water present at the falls shifting considerably throughout the year. During the spring and early summer months the creek will swell to boisterous levels and escalate Bear Creek Falls to one of the best waterfalls in Colorado, but by the late autumn months the volume will diminish considerably, resulting in the falls appearing considerably less impressive. During the winter the falls will freeze over entirely.