Sunshine Falls in May 2017

Sunshine Falls was an unexpected waterfall that I didn’t even know about. I was visiting Colorado after a workshop and had decided to go to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. After that visit, I was headed back to Denver, and decided to visit Cañon City and the Royal Gorge. There is a train that takes you on a two hour journey into the Gorge (and along the Arkansas River). This allows for some great views of the Royal Gorge Bridge and the scenery along the Arkansas River and through the Gorge is stunning.

So I was bit surprised when a tour guide mentioned there was a waterfall in the canyon. I rushed out of the train car I was in to get a better view. They mentioned the name of the falls is Sunshine Falls, at least that’s what I wrote down! It had been raining that day, and even then, there wasn’t much water flowing down the falls. But it was fun to add an unexpected waterfall to the record. If anywhere else, I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit the falls, but in this instance, the trip through the Gorge is definitely worth it! (There is another waterfall, Tunnel Drive Falls, that is nearby. Even that didn’t have much water flowing over the falls, but it again was an enjoyable hike that allowed for different views of the start of the gorge.)

Directions:

1. In this case, unless you’re planning on rafting down the river, the best option to view the falls is on the train. The train station is located at 330 Royal Gorge Blvd, Cañon City, CO 81212. It is right off of US-50 as it passes through Cañon City.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 25′
Length of Hike: not applicable

Where in the World is Sunshine Falls?