South Willow Falls

Start at the Willowbrook Trailhead. You’ll hit a “Y” in the trail pretty quickly - go left and you’ll soon be at the first log bridge. There are quite a few water crossings on the trail, but they are easy to maneuver.

After hiking in the Willow Creek Open Space for a bit, you’ll enter Eagle’s Nest Wilderness and cross two more bridges as you head deeper into the forest. After a couple of gentle inclines, the trail flats out as you head into a meadow. It's wildflower wonderland in the meadow, with an incredible view of Buffalo Mountain.

After the meadow there is a gradual incline that passes a boulder field, a giant rock, and a small pond surrounded by ferns, that looks just like a fairy pond.

It’s only about 15 minutes from the pond to the falls. You can hike up the side of the falls for a close up view, or enjoy some time relaxing on the rocks below the falls. South Willow Falls is a tiered cascade tucked away in a thick pine forest. The upper falls plunge into a shallow pool and the lower part of the falls drops through a granite chute. It’s a great spot for lunch with a view.

Getting there: The Willowbook Trailhead is in the Wildernest subdivision of Silverthorne. The subdivision is north of I-70 and west of Highway 9.

If you want additional mileage, you can start from the Mesa Cortina Trailhead (~8.7 miles roundtrip).

Please Note: Parking at the Willowbrook Trailhead is limited, but there is overflow parking at the bottom of the subdivision (1.1 miles from the trailhead). No on-street parking is allowed near the trailhead or anywhere in this neighborhood. The streets have signs stating this and violators will be ticketed.