Rifle Gap and Rifle Falls State Parks - Colorado

Address:5775 HWY 325
Rifle, Colorado

With its 350-acre, sparkling reservoir, Rifle Gap State Park is a haven for both winter and summer recreation. The crystal clear waters here entice visitors to water ski, jet ski and windsurf, as well as swim and go boating. Winter brings excellent opportunities to go skiing, ice fishing and ice skating. There is also plenty of wildlife abound at Rifle Gap, including elk, coyote, and riparian and aquatic plant communities, a great attraction for nature lovers. For those who want to spend the night, there are 89 campsites available complete with electric hookups, so join in on the fun!

Red Rock Canyon State Park features scenic desert cliffs, buttes and spectacular rock formations. The park is located where the southernmost tip of the Sierra Nevada converges with the El Paso Range. Each tributary canyon is unique, with dramatic shapes and vivid colors. Historically, the area was once home to the Kawaiisu Indians, who left petroglyphs in the El Paso mountains and other evidence of their inhabitation. The spectacular gash situated at the western edge of the El Paso mountain range was on the Native American trade route for thousands of years. During the early 1870s, the colorful rock formations in the park served as landmarks for 20-mule team freight wagons that stopped for water. About 1850, it was used by the footsore survivors of the famous Death Valley trek including members of the Arcane and Bennett families along with some of the Illinois Jayhawkers. The park now protects significant paleontology sites and the remains of 1890s-era mining operations, and has been the site of a number of movie shoots.