Rifle Mountain Park is a sport climber's paradise nestled in the beautiful Colorado wilderness, however my favorite time to visit is between late December and February when the waterfalls freeze and create the most magical ice caves. Be sure to pack microspikes -- these are a MUST to fully enjoy the frozen falls.

Overview of the Ice Caves in Colorado

Distance .75 – 4 miles

Elevation gain 100-500 feet

Time 45 min to 2 hours

Difficulty Easy to Moderate

Trailhead 39.69510, -107.70121

Trail name Kopers Trail

Entrance fee $10 per vehicle

Best time to visit December – February

Camping allowed Yes in designated areas

Dogs allowed Yes

Good for kids Yes, with caution

Once you’ve entered Rifle Mountain Park keep an eye out on your left for Kopers Trail. This is the trailhead where you can start your adventure through the caves. There are 4 caves in total but what’s great about this hike is you can choose to trek to as many or as few as you please! If you do the whole hike All Trails quotes it at 3.7 mi with 561 feet of elevation gain, however we only hiked to the first two and probably went no more than 1-1.5 mi RT.

Pro tip: make sure you wear hiking boots and traction devices! The ice can be extremely slippery and it’s near impossible to get across without spikes of sorts. We use THESE and they’re great, or here's another OPTION from Amazon.