Entry No. 49 — the Colorado Springs file — filed under: outdoor
Paradise Cove / Guffey Gorge Swimming Hole
Most people blow right past the Guffey turnoff on the way to somewhere flashier, which is exactly why this works. A half-mile in, the pine-and-meadow trail tips over the lip of a hidden gorge and drops you into Paradise Cove: a deep green pool walled in by granite cliffs that climb close to 85 feet, fed by a small waterfall, with rock ledges that locals use as cliff-jumping platforms. The hike is almost comically short for the reward. You go from "are we even in the right place" to a secret swimming hole that feels like it was carved for a movie set, all in about fifteen minutes of walking.
The move: The walk IS the date: a tiny ten-to-fifteen-minute hike that detonates into a secret cliff-ringed swimming hole. Pack a swimsuit, a towel, and something to split on a warm rock, then drive out together with no real idea what you're about to see. The reveal does the heavy lifting. Wade into the cold pool, sit under the little waterfall, dare each other onto the lower jumping ledges (or just watch and judge), and let the granite walls make everything feel a little unreal. Go on a weekday so it's actually yours.
📍 Before you go Roughly 1.0 mile round trip, out-and-back, with only about 147 feet of elevation gain, so it's short and rated easy-to-moderate; the catch is the steep, loose final descent into the gorge, which demands careful footing (and a careful climb back out) and isn't wheelchair-accessible. Best May through September, when the road and trail are snow-free and the water is swimmable. This is BLM day-use land with a small per-vehicle fee in season; the gravel lot is tiny and fills fast on warm weekends, parking on the county road is prohibited, and there are no lifeguards. Conditions caveat: high-country afternoon thunderstorms roll in fast, the access roads are unpaved and can be rough or muddy after rain, and cliff jumping is genuinely dangerous here because water depth varies with the season and shallow water has caused serious injuries. About 1.5 hours from Colorado Springs.
- 📍 Guffey / Cripple Creek area (south of Divide), Colorado
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Guffey Gorge / Paradise Cove trailhead off Teller County Road 112, about 12 miles from Guffey. From Colorado Springs: US-24 west through Woodland Park to Florissant, south on Teller CR 1, right on CR 11, then right on CR 112 to the gravel day-use lot; cross the county road to the trailhead. Map coordinates approx. 38.7686, -105.3356.
Hours: Day-use, free. Best season: May through September. Confirm trail & road conditions before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4
last checked: 2026-06-10