Hike up Cascade Falls Trail
to Chief Ouray Mine
August 25, 2001
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Cascade Falls Trail is part of an interconnecting system of trails in the basin below the amphitheatre rock formations surrounding the eastern side of the city of Ouray, Colorado. The trailhead starts from the Amphitheatre Campground. Walking time to the Chief Ouray mine is 2 to 3 hours. The last half mile of trail crosses the rock faces above town. Scenic views of the overall Ouray area and the upper Cascade Falls make the steep hike well worth the climb!
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TRAIL BEGINNING: Cascade Falls - Portland Trail Head located in Amphitheatre Campground at 8,440 feet.
TRAIL ENDING: Chief Ouray mine in upper Cascade Creek at 10,000 feet.
LENGTH: 2.5 miles
ACCESS: Take U.S. Hiway 550 one mile south of Ouray to Amphitheatre Campground turnoff (next switchback after Box Canyon). Follow paved road into campground. Keep left to cul-de-saq parking area and trailhead.
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
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Walk about .25 mi from the parking area to the junction of the Cascade Trail and Portland Trail.
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The Cascade Falls Trail provides the hiker many excellent vantage points to view Ouray, Canyon Creek, and the Sneffels Range to the west. Where the trail crosses Cascade Creek are water falls both above and below the trail. Just beyond the falls are the old steel sided boarding house and machine shop of the Chief Ouray mine.
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Hiking up you get views of the Amphitheatre and the still working mine - Portland Mine. Those are mine buildings you see in the distance.
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Here's Red Mountain to the south. The Million Dollar Hiway (550) winds that direction to Silverton.
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After the junction with Portland Trail, Cascade Falls Trail winds up 11 steep switch backs. Here Lucy crosses a skree slope where the trail hugs the rock.
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Finally you reach the end of the switchbacks and get quite a view. Behind Lucy, in the distance, is the Grand Mesa to the north. On the far right you can finally start to see Chief Ouray Mine tailings.
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Across the creek (far below) you can see the boarding house that remains from the old mine.
The trail hugs the hill as it enters the boarding house, then continues out the back door to the mine mill building.
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From here the trail is downhill to Cascade Falls, where Lucy cooled off in the stream. |
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Here the trail crosses the stream with Upper Cascade Falls above you and another waterfall falling off the edge of the trail. |
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Continuing past the waterfalls to Chief Ouray Mine you get a great view across Ouray and can see Camp Bird Mine off in the distance.
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Camp Bird sits under United States Mountain, with Potosi Peak off to the right. From here you can see down to hiway 550 and where you turned off to the Amphitheatre Campground. It's been quite a climb up to 10,000 feet!
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The trail takes you into the front door of the old boarding house...
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...and right out the back door around the corner to the old mill. Trail gets a little rough through here.
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From here you get a great view of the city of Ouray below.
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From the end of the trail at the old mill you can see the original Chief Ouray mine shaft just below.
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Heading back down the trail with the Amphitheatre wall ahead...
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This time at the junction, Lucy decided we should head right, down to the scenic overlook.
From there we had more views of the Amphitheatre and the Portland Mine.
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We completed the loop, taking the Portland Trail around and back up to the Amphitheatre Campground trailhead.
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If you want to hike the entire loop, it's worth the views, but be sure to carry plenty of water. Lucy and I were relieved to see we only had a 1/2 mile left since we were tired and running out of water.
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It was a great hike! Five hours later, we returned to where we parked the truck. Lucy ducked under the truck ready for a big drink of water and a long nap.
We can't wait to try out another great hike in Ouray County soon!
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