Best Dog Hikes Colorado by Emma Walker

Author:Emma Walker
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781493041305
Publisher: Falcon Guides
Published: 2019-04-09T16:00:00+00:00

FINDING THE TRAILHEAD

From I-70’s exit 90 for Rifle, head north on CO 13 through town. In about 4 miles, turn right onto CO 325 and drive another 4 miles to Rifle Gap Reservoir. Stay on CO 325, which turns right and goes over the dam. Drive another 5.6 miles to the Rifle Falls State Park entrance. Pay the fee here or at the self-serve kiosk. Turn left and drive 0.2 mile through the campground to the picnic area. Park here. A vault toilet and water are available. GPS: N39 40.58' / W107 41.92'

THE HIKE

Lined with red sandstone and limestone cliffs, Rifle Falls State Park is a showplace with a 60-foot triple waterfall, lush riparian and forested areas, wildlife habitat, and a nice picnic area and campground. Two trails, named after local inhabitants, wander through the park for a complete tour. Interpretive signs along Coyote Trail explain the natural and social history of the area.

The original configuration of Rifle Falls consisted of one wide sheet of water, with some early pictures showing multiple ribbons of water. In 1908 the Rifle Light, Heat, and Power Company was incorporated to provide electricity to the town of Rifle. This group built the first hydroelectric plant in Colorado by diverting part of East Rifle Creek through a pipe descending the cliff at Rifle Falls. As a result, Rifle Falls became two ribbons of water plus the pipeline. Thirteen miles of transmission cable linked Rifle with the power plant. In town, 8 miles of wires, twenty-five streetlights, and wiring for most buildings were installed. Rifle received its first electricity from the power plant on December 31, 1909. The company merged with Public Service Company in 1926. Public Service sold the property to the Colorado Game and Fish Department in 1959, at which time the plant was closed. The stone power plant was torn down in 1971. With the removal of the pipe, the falls have reverted to three streams of water.

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