Provided by Rachel Willams

Timberline Falls. Follow signs to the Loch Vale Trail.

Along the way, you will be passing other cascades of water as you make your way to “The Loch,” which you can look down on later when you reach Timberline Falls. Rather than a single waterfall, there is water spilling over the rocks like someone spilled a glass of water. Some hikers may want to continue on to Sky Pond, which requires a significant scramble up the side of the waterfall. from Old Fall River Road, but that’s not as much fun as hiking in. Plan to start at the Endovalley Picnic Area for this hike. If you park at West Alluvial Fan, the hike will be a total of 2 miles longer. Check the park’s website for road conditions as Old Fall River Road is a dirt road. (As of midapril, the road was scheduled to be closed until July.)

As with many trails in the park, it is recommended that visitors arrive early for parking spots. What makes this hike worth it is how different the waterfall is from others; Chasm Falls pinches through a narrow gap in the granite. There is an elevation gain of nearly 600 feet to reach the falls in just more than a mile, so it is steep.

It can be easy to forget that Rocky Mountain National Park has a whole other side with the small town of Grand Lake and hiking opportunities to the west. You’ll start this minihike at the East Inlet trailhead and go 0.3 miles on a well-worn dirt path that takes you through the forest and up a few stone steps. This isn’t just a single waterfall, but multiple threads of water rushing down and around the rocks with varying ferocity, depending on the season.

Given the minimal elevation gain (you’ll top out at just more than 8,500 feet above sea level and gain only about 100 feet while hiking), this is an ideal hike for people new to hiking and altitude. There’s a

For more information on all the trails, go to nps.gov/romo/index.htm or call 970-586-1206.