Zapata Falls

A 30 foot frozen falls await you up a fairly steep one mile trail that has lots of rocks and plenty of ice/snow melt in late March. Be sure to wear shoes/boots with good grips for the trail. The hike is well worth it. As I approached the falls, the sound was just surreal as I could hear the water flowing below the frozen ice from the falls. There is also a beautiful blue glow from the frozen falls. A must see if you are near the Great Sand Dunes National Park.

great hiking path up to the waterfall. was mostly frozen but is so beautiful! must see

This short hike to the falls was one of the most worthwhile mini adventures taken in a long long time... The reward was this magical ice covered masterpiece of nature... We got super lucky with our timing and caught the falls in one of the most amazing moments.... Do not pass this one up...

This was awesome! After a hot day at the sand dunes, we did this short hike up to the falls. Once we got to the creek area, I thought "this is okay." Then, we went to the back and then ran into that cave (of sorts) and climbed up to the falls. It was so much cooler in the cave, I'd guess 20 deg F cooler than ambient: such a welcoming feeling on a hot day. The next time I'm in the area I want to hike up to the source of the water.

A short hike to a great waterfall. It is shaded once you get to the river. I wore hiking sandals, which was great for the 2nd half of the hike. The "path" next to the river is rocky and steep- you have to scramble to not get wet. But with the sandals- I just walked in the water which was much easier, although cold. Also- the view from the parking lot is great!! Great views of great sand dunes national park. Road to lot is unpaved- and steep going down.

If you're going to be nearby at Sand Dunes NP, Zapata Falls is definitely worth the trip! The road up to the trail head is one of the bumpiest drives I have ever been on -- even though it is only a few miles, expect it to take 25+ minutes.The trail itself is really well marked, clean, and takes only 10 or so minutes to the top. The best part is being able to walk through the river (sandals/chacos/water shoes recommended), in between the rock cave walls, and get very close to the waterfall. It was like an oasis. Such a fun, free, and quick activity!

Fantastic hike! The falls were frozen but they were beautiful! The trail is quite rocky but beautiful and well maintained.

Do not go up if you have a regular compact car, the unpaved rocky road was pretty rough.We decided to just hike the unpaved road (~ 3 miles) by foot. Bring lots of water and a snack because it's a long hike up. Once you get to the stream. you still have a small hike to the waterfall. We took off our hiking boots to get across. The water was cold. It's worth hiking to the waterfall!

Great place. We went at the end of April and the falls were still frozen over. It was really pretty to see. We did not actually walk on the ice as all the reviews warned of how slippery it is. The hike up to Zapata Falls was much rockier than we thought and definitely took some energy. It is rated "easy" for a hike but honestly I thought it was more moderate.

In 2022 they paved the road up to the trailhead! Hike is short with a nice payoff. The cool water (and the air-conditioning effect if creates) is really nice on a hot day in late July!