Cascade Falls is the tallest waterfall easily accessible from Ouray, dropping about 30 meters down a rocky cliff on the east side of the Amphitheater campground above town. The trail from downtown climbs steeply through ponderosa pine, switchbacking up the canyon wall to a viewpoint at the base of the falls — about a 45-minute walk one way with 200 meters of elevation gain.
The falls are fed by snowmelt and run strongest in May and June; by late summer the flow reduces to a trickle in dry years. The view back toward town from the trail is excellent, showing the full extent of the box canyon setting. The Amphitheater area above the falls also serves as the starting point for several longer routes into the surrounding peaks, including the Portland Trail and the Chief Ouray Mine trail.