Upper Piney River Falls Trail hike

The trail to Upper Piney River Falls starts at Piney River Ranch, a privately-owned ranch that shares land with the US Forest Service. Parking is located in a dirt parking lot right before the entrance to the Ranch. You will see the dirt trail on the left and slightly uphill of the ranch welcome sign.

The trail briefly passes through an aspen stand before opening up to a stunning view of Piney Lake and the Piney River drainage with the highest peaks in the Gore Range proudly standing in the background. It is a breath-taking view and one of the best of the Gore Range.

0.5mi into the hike, you’ll come across another trail sign welcoming you to the Eagles Nest Wilderness. From here, continue to follow the trail along Piney River towards the mountains.

Roughly 1.2mi in, the trail forks. The left (upper) trail leads to Marugg Creek, while the right (lower) trail continues through the Piney River drainage to the cascading waterfall. You’ll want to take the left (upper) trail.

The trail continues for another 0.6mi on the hillside and then begins to gain elevation through the aspen and pine forest. Look down into the valley to see the mesmerizing, meandering Piney River as it feeds into Piney Lake. Pines slowly replace the aspen trees as you encounter two creek crossings, both with small trunk bridges to guide you across.

2.5mi in, you’ll start to gradually descend towards the river. The last 0.6mi will take you along a massive granite slab to a small, forested area where you will once again hear the rushing waters of Piney River. Once you get to the river, head right to a big granite slab that offers beautiful views of the cascading waterfall and the river below. There are multiple flats spots along the river that are ideal for a picnic.

Follow the trail back to Piney Lake to finish your hike!