Ouzel Falls via Wild Basin Trail Hiking Guide
Wild Basin is the quieter southeast corner of Rocky Mountain National Park, reached from Highway 7 rather than through Estes Park's main entrances, and Ouzel Falls is its signature day hike. The trail follows North St. Vrain Creek past Copeland Falls and Calypso Cascades to a waterfall dropping out of the trees. Here is the mileage, the road in, and what changes when the winter gate goes up.
Permit: Rocky Mountain National Park requires an entrance pass at every hour of the year: $30 per private vehicle for one day or $35 for 7 days, $25 or $30 per motorcycle, $15 or $20 per person on foot or bike (16 and older), the $70 park annual pass, or an America the Beautiful pass. Non-US residents 16 and older pay an extra $100 each unless entering on an annual or America the Beautiful pass. Entrance stations take cards only. From late May to mid-October you also need a Timed Entry reservation to enter the park between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. (May 22 to October 12 in 2026), even at Wild Basin; it costs a $2 Recreation.gov fee per vehicle, and you print it for the dashboard. No permit is needed for the day hike.
Three Waterfalls on One Trail
AllTrails lists the out-and-back at 5.5 miles with 918 feet of gain. The park's figures are 2.7 miles and 950 feet one way from the Wild Basin Ranger Station at about 8,500 feet. Copeland Falls comes almost immediately, 0.3 mile in on a short side path with upper and lower drops. Calypso Cascades, a long, broken slide of water, is 1.8 miles from the start, and Ouzel Falls is the last climb beyond it.
On the Trail
The path stays close to North St. Vrain Creek for the first stretch, climbing gently through forest, then climbs more steeply to Calypso Cascades. From the cascades it's a further 0.9 mile and about 250 feet by the park's numbers to Ouzel Falls. Backcountry campsites line the route, and AllTrails warns that cell service is unreliable, so download a map.
Getting to Wild Basin
The Wild Basin Entrance is about 13 miles from Beaver Meadows Visitor Center by road, south of Estes Park near Allenspark. From the entrance a narrow gravel road of roughly two miles leads to the summer trailhead. You still need a park entrance pass here, and Wild Basin falls under the park-wide reservation rule: in season, any car arriving from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. needs one.
The Winter Gate
In the cold months the road is gated short of the summer trailhead, and you walk the rest. Sources differ on how much that adds: AllTrails says about 1.5 miles each way, while the Colorado Mountain Club puts the winter trailhead about a mile below the summer lot. Either way, count on a noticeably longer day once snow season starts, and bring traction for the icy stretches near the cascades.
Hiking tips for Ouzel Falls via Wild Basin Trail
- Take the short Copeland Falls spur on the way in, not on tired legs on the way out.
- Get to the Wild Basin entrance early; before 9 a.m. no reservation is needed.
- Watch your footing on wet rock around the cascades.
- Add the walk from the winter gate to your plan once the road closes for the season.
- Leave dogs out of the plan; park trails don't allow pets.
Nearby trails to explore
- Chasm Lake via Longs Peak Trail
- Alberta Falls Trail
- Cub Lake Loop
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Wild Basin is a waterfall day worth sharing, and the drive south is easier with a carpool. Use TrailMates to find Estes Park hikers heading to Wild Basin. Download the TrailMates app to connect.