The 5 Best Cliff Jumping Spots in Colorado
Colorado has 5 documented cliff jumping spots on CliffScout, 5 of them community-verified. These are the standouts — ranked by verification, documentation, and community activity, not hype. Every listing links to a full page with photos, heights, and access notes.
Colorado's cliff jumping is split between Front Range reservoirs and high-country rivers. Near Boulder you'll find The Hole in Boulder Canyon, Gross Reservoir, and St. Mary's Glacier near Idaho Springs. In the mountains, the Roaring Fork's Devil's Punchbowl above Aspen, Green Mountain Reservoir, and the Animas River's Bakers Bridge near Durango are local legends, while Guffey Gorge (Paradise Cove) draws crowds from Colorado Springs. Out on the southeastern plains, Two Buttes Reservoir hides a deep canyon hole. Snowmelt keeps the water cold and flows high in early summer — and many of these spots are officially closed to jumping after accidents.
- 1
Devil's Punchbowl Verified
Aspen
Devil's Punchbowl sits on the Roaring Fork River along Independence Pass Road (CO-82), about nine miles east of Aspen just past mile marker 50. There's no sign - watch for an unmarked pullout on the left (heading from Aspen) and… Full guide →
- 2
Horsetooth Reservoir Verified
Fort Collins
Horsetooth Reservoir's east-shore hogback, near Rotary Park off Shoreline Drive west of Fort Collins, has rocky cliffs where jumpers gather in warm months — documented across years of videos and local guides showing gainers,… Full guide →
- 3
Saint Mary’s Glacier Verified
Idaho Springs · jumps ~32 ft
A well-documented, popular alpine spot in Arapaho National Forest west of Idaho Springs, reached by a roughly 1 to 1.5 mile hike with some light scrambling from a parking area near the St. Mary's exit off I-70. The trail passes… Full guide →
- 4
Devil’s Punch Bowl Verified
Carbondale
Devil's Punch Bowl is a genuine, well-documented cliff-jumping and swimming hole on the South Fork Crystal River near the ghost town of Crystal, Colorado, in the Elk Mountains. Reach it via Gothic Road from Crested Butte, over… Full guide →
- 5
Paradise Cove (Guffey Gorge) Verified
Florissant
Paradise Cove, known locally as Guffey Gorge, is a granite-walled pool on West Fourmile Creek reached by roughly a one-mile trail from a BLM lot off County Road 112 southeast of Florissant; a $6 day-use fee applies from mid-May… Full guide →
Exact coordinates, water depths, and community clips for every spot above:
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Cliff jumping in Colorado: common questions
Where is the best cliff jumping in Colorado?
Front Range: The Hole (Boulder Canyon), Gross Reservoir, and St. Mary's Glacier. Mountains: Devil's Punchbowl (Aspen), Bakers Bridge (Durango), and Green Mountain Reservoir. Plus Guffey Gorge near Colorado Springs and Two Buttes Reservoir on the plains.
Is cliff jumping legal in Colorado?
Several popular spots — including parts of the Boulder and Aspen areas — are signed against jumping and patrolled after drownings. It's widely done anyway, but know that it's often prohibited; jump at your own risk and check local rules.
When can you cliff jump in Colorado?
Mid-to-late summer is best, once snowmelt slows and water warms slightly. Early-summer runoff makes rivers cold, fast, and dangerous.
Browse the full list: all 5 spots in Colorado