South Mineral Creek Falls

From Silverton, follow the Million Dollar Highway (US 550) north toward Red Mountain Pass and Ouray for 2 miles, then bear left onto Road 7 and follow it for 4.6 miles to the crossing of Clear Creek (in a culvert, not a bridge) and park where space allows. If there is no room at the bridge, backtrack for 1/8 mile to the Ice Lakes Trailhead (opposite the Mineral Creek Campground) and park there. Find the unsigned trail on the west side of Clear Creek and follow it toward Mineral Creek, then upstream along Mineral Creek for a total of 1/5 of a mile to the base of the upper tier of the falls.South Mineral Creek Falls is a scenic two-step waterfall along the South Fork of Mineral Creek, located a short distance upstream from its confluence with Clear Creek. The falls drop a total of approximately 55 feet, the upper tier falling about 35 feet into a large blue pool, and then the lower tier dropping another 20 feet in a narrow gorge about 100 feet further downstream. Trees lining the creek partially obscure totally clear views of the two tiers of the falls collectively, but both tiers can be seen together through a bough-framed view from the trail. The South Fork of Mineral Creek drains from a basin encompassing approximately 9 square miles, all of the area falling at or above the 10,000 foot elevation level. Though there are no lakes feeding into this branch of Mineral Creek, the high elevation ensures that significant winter snow fall will keep the volume of water in the creek consistent for most of the year, and periodic shoulder season snow will keep the stream flowing during the warmer months when the weather is cool enough to allow it.