.jpg/1920px-Fern_falls_(36961813650).jpg)
Fern Falls Hike
Waterfall · about 60 ft high | Colorado
5.2 mi round trip
700 ft
Moderate
Fern Falls Hike at a Glance
The Fern Falls hike via the Fern Lake Trail is 5.2 mi round trip with 700 ft of elevation gain.
| Falls height | About 60 ft |
|---|---|
| Elevation at the falls | ≈ 8,790 ft |
| Trail | Fern Lake Trail |
| Distance | 5.2 mi round trip |
| Elevation gain | 700 ft |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
Your time: about 2 h 5 min of moving time at Naismith pace (3 mph plus 1 hour per 2,000 ft climbed); about 2 h 35 min at a relaxed pace. A 160 lb hiker with a daypack burns roughly 1,180 kcal.
Adjust for your pace and breaks →Route line not shown. The 5.2 mi distance and 700 ft of gain for this hike are verified (rockymountainhikingtrails.com), but we don't yet have a trail track we trust, so the map shows only the destination. Carry an official map.
About Fern Falls
Fern Falls is a waterfall in Colorado, about 60 feet high, on land managed by Rocky Mountain National Park. Its height is from rockymountainhikingtrails.com.
The Hike
The hike to the falls follows the Fern Lake Trail: 5.2 miles round trip with about 700 feet of elevation gain, from Fern Lake Trailhead. Distance from rockymountainhikingtrails.com. By the National Park Service difficulty formula (distance against climb) that puts it at Moderate.
Before You Go
- Rock around waterfalls is slick when wet; stay on the trail and back from the edge.
- Check Rocky Mountain National Park for current conditions, closures and parking before you go.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the hike to Fern Falls?
The Fern Lake Trail to Fern Falls is 5.2 miles round trip with about 700 feet of elevation gain.
Where does the Fern Falls hike start?
It starts from Fern Lake Trailhead.
How tall is Fern Falls?
Fern Falls is about 60 feet high.
Safety Information
Current Hazards
- Slippery wet rock near the falls
- Fast, high water after rain or snowmelt
- Check weather before departure
Turn-Around Time
1:00 PM (2:00 PM summer)
Plan to reach the falls by this time so you are back before dark.
Essential Gear Checklist
* Critical items - do not hike without these
Emergency Contacts
Emergency / Search & Rescue
911Point Forecast
NWS Point Forecast →In most of the US, backcountry search and rescue is dispatched through 911 — tell the operator you have a hiker emergency and your GPS coordinates.
Downloads
Sources for The Fern Falls Guide
Where the trail data, elevation and route line on this page come from.
- Verified against
- rockymountainhikingtrails.com
- Distance
- rockymountainhikingtrails.com
- Falls height
- rockymountainhikingtrails.com
- Falls location
- en.wikipedia.org
- Elevation
- ≈ Copernicus GLO-90 elevation model at the falls coordinates (via Open-Meteo)
Conditions change. Check the land manager for closures, fees and weather before you go.
Nearby Hikes
Other hikes within 30 miles of Fern Falls.