Rifle Falls State Park, run by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, is built around East Rifle Creek, which the park describes as flowing over a travertine dam of calcium carbonate in spectacular falls; smaller caves are accessible to visitors, and a 1910 hydroelectric plant changed the creek's flow from one wide waterfall into the three falls seen today. The park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. A daily vehicle pass is listed at $10-$12* with Colorado plates and $15-$17* with out-of-state plates, and an individual daily pass for entry on foot, bicycle or horseback is $4*, although the summary line at the top of the same page shows the vehicle pass as $10-$15*. The park's directions from I-70 take Exit 90 (Rifle), go north on Colorado Highway 13 for four miles through Rifle, then turn right onto Highway 325 for 9.8 miles.
*Fees subject to change, please check cpw.state.co.us for updated information.
Nearest Airports
Straight-line distance from Rifle Falls State Park, not drive time.
- Garfield County Regional (RIL) — 10 miles
- Eagle County Regional (EGE) — 42 miles
- Aspen-Pitkin County Airport (Sardy Field) (ASE) — 54 miles
Live Conditions
Wildlife Spotted Nearby
We checked opening hours, fees and closures on 2026-10-14. These change without notice — confirm with cpw.state.co.us the week you travel.
Sources — 5 claims, 5 checked against the source
| Claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| East Rifle Creek flows over a travertine dam of calcium carbonate; smaller caves are accessible to visitors; the town of Rifle built a hydroelectric plant at the falls in 1910 that changed the creek's flow into the three falls seen today (checked 2026-10-14) | Colorado Parks and Wildlife - Rifle Falls State Park | Checked |
| Park hours: daily, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (checked 2026-10-14) | Colorado Parks and Wildlife - Rifle Falls State Park (hours) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| Fee table: daily vehicle pass $10-$12 (Colorado plate), $15-$17 (out-of-state plate); individual daily pass $4. The page's summary line at the top lists the daily vehicle pass as $10-$15, which does not match the table (checked 2026-10-14) | Colorado Parks and Wildlife - Rifle Falls State Park (fees) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| Closures section reads: no closures at this time (checked 2026-10-14) | Colorado Parks and Wildlife - Rifle Falls State Park (closures) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| From I-70 take the Rifle exit (exit 90), north on CO Highway 13 for four miles, right onto Highway 325 for 9.8 miles (checked 2026-10-14) | Colorado Parks and Wildlife - Rifle Falls State Park (directions) | Checked |