Zapata Creek Gorge

Zapata Creek Gorge is a unique and fantastic, although short, deep cold slot canyon near Great Sand Dunes National Park. October is advised for a descent to avoid the Black Swift nesting season and for those seeking moderate water flow. Zapata Falls is a popular waterfall hike and visitors can easily hike from an established BLM parking lot after driving up a recently paved road to view the falls from the bottom. A later season (or mid-week) descent will also limit the summer crowds. Zapata Falls is located within Colorado State Trust Land managed by the BLM. A Hunting or Fishing license is required to hike in Colorado State Trust Land (details in the Red Tape section). This gorge was formed by glacial meltwater in the last ice age, which cut a notch in a weakness at the edge of the Rio Grande Rift, a giant crack which allowed the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to rise and the San Luis Valley to sink. The geology map identifies Zapata Falls at the edge of Paleoproterozoic Mixed Gneiss and mixed glacial moraine. This is one of the best carved canyons in the state. This waterfall is a confirmed nesting site for the Black Swift, listed as a Species of Special Concern by the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The swifts migrate from Brazil annually to occupy this site from late May until late September, raising a single chick. The swifts are susceptible to disturbance from human activities near their nests, including noise and movement, direct disturbance or destruction of their nests, and trampling of vegetation. Canyoneering/climbing at this waterfall during the Black Swift nesting season (late May - late September/first frost) is likely to cause direct damage to nests, eggs, and young, and disturb adult swifts enough to cause them to abandon their nest and offspring. Click here for more information on the Black Swift.

South of the Great Sand Dunes National Park, Drive up the newly (2023) paved Zapata Falls Road to a dirt parking lot off CO 150. Hike up the well worn and marked trail to the base of Zapata Falls and verify the water flow. Return a short distance and take the trail heading West uphill just before the bottom gorge view. Continue up the trail to a worn social trail split at (37.61766, -105.55208), downclimb the slope to South Zapata Creek to access the start of the gorge. South Zapata Creek upstream of this point is choked with downed trees and thick vegetation.

R1: 25' (or DC) slinging one of the abundant rocks in the canyon. This shallower chute may be downclimbed into the waist deep pool below. R2: 90' from bolts tucked around the corner on Canyon Right above the first chute, which ends in a waist deep or swimming pothole before a final 15' drop into a shallow pool. Despite rounding the corner, this was an easy pull against the smooth rock. R3: 80' or 40' Set a natural anchor at the bottom of R2 and use this to either: Consider a 10' longer pull rope to be able to pull from the opposite side of the lowest pool. Downclimb the final 10' to the viewing location for most hikers

Walk down the trail back to the parking lot.