Entry No. 171 — the Denver file — filed under: outdoor

Forsythe Canyon Waterfall Trail

Everyone funnels into Boulder's marquee trails and never turns up Magnolia Road, which is exactly why this one stays quiet. You drop into a shaded conifer canyon and walk alongside Forsythe Creek as it tumbles over granite into a string of small waterfalls — loudest and most dramatic during spring snowmelt. A short rocky scramble takes you to the base of the main falls, and if you keep going the canyon opens onto the blue sprawl of Gross Reservoir. It's a creek-side walk that feels secret: mossy rock, rushing water, and a lake terminus, all hidden behind a dirt road most Front Range day-trippers won't bother driving.

The move: Make the drive the date: load up coffee, point the car up Magnolia Road, and let the dirt-road climb out of Boulder be the part where you actually talk. Then wander the canyon together to the falls, sit on a rock where the creek drowns out everything else, and push on to the reservoir to watch the water if the day's holding. A small, earned, off-the-map afternoon — not a scene, just the two of you and a creek nobody else found.

📍 Before you go About 2.9 miles round trip to Gross Reservoir with roughly 396 ft of gain — mostly easy, near-flat creek-side walking, with one short rocky scramble down to the base of the falls (the only technical bit). The falls are at their best in late-spring/early-summer snowmelt; the trail itself is generally accessible roughly May through October. It sits in Roosevelt National Forest — no fee or permit to hike (fishing the reservoir needs a valid Colorado fishing license). Getting there means several miles of dirt road: a 4WD/high-clearance vehicle isn't required via Magnolia Road, but the approach has steep grades (14%+ descents where drivers report overheating brakes), so go slow and gear down. In winter the road is gated 2 miles earlier at Magnolia/CR 68, which stretches the round trip to about 6.2 miles. This is high country (~8,000 ft) — afternoon thunderstorms build fast in summer, so start early, carry layers and water, and turn around if the sky darkens. The lot is small and fills on weekends.

• 📍 Nederland / Gross Reservoir (Boulder County)
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: Forsythe Canyon Trailhead, off National Forest System Road 359 in Roosevelt National Forest. From Boulder, take Hwy 119 (Canyon Blvd) toward Nederland, then Magnolia Road (CR 132) west about 6.6 miles to County Road 68; follow CR 68 roughly 2 miles to the gravel parking lot (restroom, wooden fence) just before the gate on NFSR 359. Reach Magnolia Road from Boulder rather than Lakeshore Road — it is the easier approach.

Hours: Day-use, free. Best season: Late spring / early summer (peak snowmelt for the waterfalls); trail generally accessible May–October. 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

last checked: 2026-06-10