Hike to Mystic Falls, CO

Jessica Simon

Hike to Mystic Falls, CO

09/27/20

It’s a tricky hike, it’s hard to find, it’s a very fragile ecosystem, and it was a secret until people posted directions like this on public forums. Now this place has been crawling with out-of-place tourists fumbling around to find it, leaving trash and dropping their Covid masks, and many do find it since directions were posted, and now there are always people down there whereas it used to be a magical respite. Some things should be sacred. If you go and find it, PLEASE don’t post about it all over the internet, and don’t be shocked if you get stink eye from the locals. Above everything, please be gentle and leave no trace. High alpine wetland areas are really fragile and we will all lose access if we don’t respect the land. Another overly publicized hike in Telluride is being closed because people talked about it online and hundreds of people damaged the wetland trails by which it was accessed. No joke...too many people = trails being closed to everyone.

1.0

Michael Morse

Hike to Mystic Falls, CO

07/01/18

First of this place is amazing! I read the directions very carefully and still got lost despite my efforts to be precise. I met a very cool cat named Chris who helped me find the fall and has a home in the hood. I also found a note after my amazing experience at the falls full of exclamation marks "in my car" about no hiking!!!! ect.... This very brash and bold resident felt it was ok to get into my car, move things around and leave a mean spirited note for me. I had a polarizing experience with such kind people like Chris and then aggressive people like the un named note writer. This is a beautiful and tricky spot.

5.0

Jacqueline Tarleton

Hike to Mystic Falls, CO

06/08/18

The truth is that hikers - real hikers typically practice “Leave no trace” principles. Please don’t confuse real hikers with local kids who trash your n natural areas. The real reason to keep this location a secret? Bad guys ruin good things. It’s not the hikers. It’s the locals. Happy hiking and don’t forget the biodegradable sunscreen and nature friendly insect repellent. The regular stuff kills the living things in the water and soil. I don’t work for REI - but REI has the biodegradable products and can be ordered online. If you don’t know what Leave No Trace means - just do an Internet search and you will see that in the end - no one should know that you were ever in a place. Not even your footsteps. Keep hiking.

5.0

Caitlin Steva

Hike to Mystic Falls, CO

06/14/16

We attempted to follow these directions in early June and found the creek above the falls completely uncrossable. However, we bumped into a friendly local who gave us an alternate route. If you park at the cabin on the way up the road, there is a tiny trail on the east side of the cabin. This trail will lead you through an aspen grove, down a gully (you'll know you're on the right trail if you go down two rappelling ropes). Once you're at the bottom of the gully, walk parallel to the stream until you get to the end of the island separating the two streams, then cross. Head up the hill and you should see a cabin to your right and a stack of rocks. Head north west (pretty much straight) from here (Turning left/east at this point will take you up to the top of the falls where you would have ended up if you took the OP's route). Keep left on the trail, as there are one or two spurs to the right, and soon you'll be at the base of the falls. The whole hike is quite short- maybe a mile max) This time of year the water was quite high, but you could get a good view of the falls and they are really magnificent.

5.0

Alex Burke

Hike to Mystic Falls, CO

10/29/15

I agree that this waterfall is absolutely amazing, but we should all keep in mind that one of the reasons it's so wonderful is because no one knows about it. Without a proper trail, this location could be subject to severe land erosion if there's additional foot traffic, along with the fact that there's no room to park additional vehicles. So yes, by all means enjoy the place if you get the chance but please respect this land and the land of the private residences around these falls. The last thing we want is the place getting shut off because of excess traffic and visitors that don't follow leave no trace principles. While I wish places like this would remain quiet and reserved for those who found out by old fashioned methods like word-of-mouth, I also understand the desire for bragging rights to be the first to write a detailed blog post about it. Well the cat's out of the bag now, so the best we can do is give our utmost respect to this beautiful location and treat it delicately. Let's keep Mystic Falls beautiful!

5.0