Round Trip Distance: 1 - 2 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 9570 - 9850 feet
Cellphone: 0-2 bars
Time: 1 hr. 30 mins.
Trailhead: Judd Falls/Copper Creek
Fee: none
Attractions: Scenic waterfall
Judd Falls is a popular waterfall hike near Crested Butte, Colorado. The scenic waterfall is located within the Gunnison National Forest on property that is owned by the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. The hike is 1 round trip from the 4wd trailhead and 2 miles round trip from the 2wd trailhead.
To get to the trailhead from Crested Butte follow County Road 317 for 8.2 miles. The 2wd trailhead will be on the right, with overflow parking on the left, after passing through Gothic. You can put Judd Falls trailhead in your driving app for turn by turn directions.
From the 2wd trailhead follow the 4wd road as it switchbacks up the hill. The hiking is relatively easy and there are some nice views along the way. The Judd Falls and the Copper Creek trails share the same route for the first mile.
At the half mile point there will be a 4wd trailhead on the left that also serves as the start of the Trail Riders trail #401.
From the 4wd trailhead the route continues to follow the road for a short distance before it branches off on the right and continues as a single track.
There are several informative kiosks that you can stop at to learn more about the area.
The first peak at Judd Falls comes up at the 1 mile point from the 2wd trailhead where the Copper Creek trail branches off on its own.
About 100 feet to the right and down the hill a little is a scenic overlook of Judd Falls,
The overlook is as close as visitors are allowed to get to the falls. Parents should be careful not to let small children run ahead of them as they approach the overlook. The edge of the precipitous cliff is is covered with loose dirt and care should be taken not to get too close.
We probably took as many photos of Gothic Mountain as we did of Judd Falls. If you are here in the spring Gothic Mountain will have a waterfall of its own.
