Rifle Falls State Park is one of three state parks in the vicinity of Rifle and New Castle. The primary focus is the massive waterfalls and the white, calcium covered cliffs along Rifle Creek. There are full hook-up sites and hike-to tent sites.
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Rating: 4 of 5 for hike-in
Location: North of Rifle (map)
Reservations: Available at CPWShop.com
Amenities: Pit Toilet, Hiking Trails, River Access, Full Hook-up Sites
Rifle Falls State Park Campground: Camping in Colorado’s Waterfall Oasis
Rifle Falls State Park is right along the East Rifle Creek with hiking trails around the falls, along the river, and under calcium cliffs. There are full hook-up RV/tent sites and hike-in sites. The full hook-up sites book quickly with some overlooking the river. The hike-in sites are very easily accessible on wide trails with the provided carts.
The restrooms are pit toilets and they were very clean. We stayed in a tent in the hike-in sites — it was very easy to get everything to the site and we were right along the river. The staff was available, even early in the season, and very kind in every interaction.
There is no cell service but you can drive a few miles to the Rifle Gap State Park to get cell service.
Would We Return? Yes! We’d come back for the hike-in sites and for the full hook-up sites that overlook the river (check the map, you’ll see which are closer to the river). We did leave the campground multiple times to go into Rifle and the waterfalls and trails were great.
Our Experience: This camping trip was a long time coming — I had booked it for late 2024 but a very snowy forecast kept us away. I rebooked it for the spring of 2025 and while it took some convincing I did talk myself into going tent camping with Pip. The forecast wasn’t great and we packed for snow but alas, spring forecasts are notoriously inaccurate in the Rocky Mountains. We lucked out with just overcast skies and chilly nights, not a drop of precipitation!
We had reserved a hike-in campsite in part because I was worried we would regret not having the travel trailer camper after luxury camping last summer. Turns out Pip was not as fair weathered as I anticipated (jury is still out about me…). The tent was a huge hit, Pip loved setting it up, and it became a very fun bounce house once we got the sleeping pads blown up.
The highlight of the trip was easily the waterfalls the state park is known for. We walked or biked to the waterfalls at least six times while we were there. This was the first time Pip showed interest in truly hiking and they led the way along the trail up and around the waterfalls. The calcium caves were a bit too scary for Pip but with only a phone flashlight for lighting I cannot bring myself to pass judgement.
While the waterfalls were an exciting draw there was only so much time we could spend within the park when the weather was overcast and chilly. On Saturday we did spent a fair bit of time in Rifle. We visited the Whistle Pig coffee shop where we snacked, caffeinated, and played cards together. We also stopped by the Rifle Branch Library for some afternoon play and to pick up a few library books.
Did You Know: If you have a library card at any library in Colorado (the Marmot Library Network) you can check out books at other libraries in Colorado? Just bring your primary library card and the librarian can hook you up with local library card. We do this often and return the books to our home library when we are finished with them. I highly recommend this for road trip stops or camping trips when you need a little down time indoors.
Both nights in the Big Agnes Big House were comfy and cozy. This tent is huge and doesn’t withstand wind well but we were in a protected space and the weather was mellow. The extra space inside is great on trips when you’re just not sure about the weather. We set up the folding table inside the tent so we could play cards (War and Uno are current favorites) and have snacks without making a mess in our beds.
There was a predicted “Freeze Warning” on Saturday night so we made plans to skip camp breakfast and head straight into town. New Castle was along our route home and we are so glad we went that way. The Colorado Drifters Cafe was amazing. It’s a coffee shop/brewery combination with a turf’ed outdoor seating area with a play space. By the time we got food in our tummies it was warm enough to play outside and this was the perfect place for it.
Overall this was a fantastic way to kick off a year of camping. The weather wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t terrible and Pip was so stoked on the waterfall, hiking, and even (finally) biking! I’m calling this a win and I’m adding more tent-only camping trips to our summer!
Meals We Cooked: Oatmeal Bowls, Campfire Brats, Pizza Leftovers
Gear We Used: Big Agnes Big House 6 (+ Vestibule), Nemo Roamer Sleeping Pads, Folding Camp Seat, Kid-Sized Camp Chair, 4ft Folding Table, Collapsible Camp Chair
Places We Visited: Whistle Pig Coffee Shot & Cafe, Rifle Branch Library, Colorado Drifters Cafe (in New Castle)
More Places We Love: Brickhouse Pizzeria, Davidson Park & Playground, Metro Pool
