I-70 is a well traveled road and for good reason! I-70 takes you through the high mountains of Vail, through the scenic drive of Glenwood Canyon, and alongside the river to the desert city of Grand Junction. The entire drive is simply breathtaking and there are so many beautiful towns to stop and explore. One of those towns is the small rustic town of Rifle, Colorado!
This is a little town with a large variety of amazing things things to do! Not only are there plenty of hikes, but the hikes in this town take you to incredible views. There are llamas, splash pads, delicious foods, and so many other fun things for everyone to enjoy. Next time you are taking the scenic drive on I-70 be sure to stop at this half mountain, half desert town for an adventure you will never forget!
Fun Things to do in Rifle, Colorado:
Hike to Rifle Arch
Take in the Colorado desert beauty by hiking to the Rifle Arch! A 2.6 mile hike there and back that is pretty easy. The trail will take you up short desert hills covered in cactus with lizards scurrying in all directions. Forewarning you now that this trail is more of a desert than anything else and so that means it is rocky and hot! There is very little shade, so dress appropriately and bring plenty of water.
Once you get to the base of the arch, take a second to take it in, cause it is a pretty strenuous and steep hike up into the arch. We managed to get our 3 kids, all 3 years and younger up to it, but I would highly suggest not doing that with little kids. It was pretty rough and a little scary with the little ones.
There isn’t a defined trail to the top, it is a lot like mountain climbing and rock scrambling. Having ankle high hiking boots will make a world of difference getting to the arch as they protect you from the cactus and help you keep sturdy footing on the slippery rocks.
If you don’t have toddlers to haul though be sure you go to the actual arch, because it is so worth it! The view from the arch is breathtaking; with a view of the mountains and the desert around. For more information about this hike click here.
Things you will want for this hike:
- Ankle High Hiking Boots– these will help keep your feet from hurting, help you keep sturdy footing when climbing the rocks to get to the arch, and protect your ankles from the cactus all around.
- Sunscreen– the majority of the hike has no shade.
- Toddler Backpack Carrier– if you are bringing the little ones, you will definitely want a carrier and one that has a sun shade over the top so your toddler won’t get burned. It is a pretty easy trail, but there are some steep sections that make hiking a little harder for those little legs.
Location: 11124-, 12614 Government Rd, Rifle, CO 81650
Price: FREE
Amenities: Giant gravel parking lot, no restrooms, horseback riding allowed, dogs on leash allowed
Play in the caves at Rifle Falls State Park
A MUST-SEE in Rifle is Rifle Falls State Park! These 3 beautiful 70 ft tall falls are incredible! You don’t even have to hike to get to the falls they are literally a short walk from the parking lot. But if you take the trails around you can go behind the falls, above the falls, and right up next to the falls.
The trails surrounding the falls are very easy, but a bit of a climb to them. While the falls are absolutely breathtaking, my kids favorite part was actually the caves the surround the falls. Along the rocky cliffside are all sorts of small caves that go in and through the rocks. Bring a flashlight if you want to go deeper and watch out for bats!
Location: 5775 Highway 325, Rifle, CO 81650
Price: $9 per vehicle
Hours: Sun-Sat, 6am-10pm
Amenities: Not a lot of parking (so you will want to go as early as you can to get a parking spot), restrooms available
Take a stroll on Morrow Draw Trail
Close to town is a short 1.1 mile hike that is so easy, but so fun! Along the trail my kids loved seeing the horses, throwing rocks in the creek, and pretending there were dinosaurs chasing them. Even though it is a short hike you see a great view of the mountains, desert, a creek, and even a woods area. So if you are in Rifle and want to stretch your legs than this is a perfect trail for you!
Trail Information:
Price: FREE
Hours: Sun-Sat, 5:30am-10pm
Amenities: no restroom, no parking lot, dogs on leash allowed, stroller friendly
Feed Fish at the Rifle Fish Hatchery
You can not visit Colorado without stopping to visit a fish hatchery and this one is huge! The workers gave us buckets of fish food for free that we got to give the fish, but at certain times the only available way to feed the fish is a 25 cent machine.
The second the fish would see us coming, they would swarm together ready to fight for the food! It was so fun to watch them jump out of the water to get the food. There are so many tanks each separated according to age of the fish. You can feed small young rainbow trout, to giant grown trout.
There is also a little pavilion/museum to teach you about the different types of fish and the process of the hatchery. It is so fun and you are surrounded by beautiful mountains and breathtaking views.
Location: 11466 CO-325, Rifle, CO 81650
Price: FREE to enter, 25 cents to feed the fish
Hours: 8am-4pm
Amenities: free parking lot across from the hatchery, restrooms, no dogs allowed
Enjoy hiking by Riparian Falls
Rifle Falls isn’t the only waterfall that Rifle has! Riparian Trail Falls is just down the road from Rifle Falls State Park and it is SO beautiful! Just head north from Rifle Falls and it is just off the side of the road. It is a super easy and quick 1.1 mile loop around waterfalls, creeks, and little ponds!
The trail will lead you across a bridge for a view of the falls, then loops you across a zig zag upward trail for more views of the falls. The trail is so easy and short and did I mention beautiful? If you go during winter of fall you will see the falls better, the falls are harder to see in the spring and summer due to the overgrowth of greenery.
Along the way you will also see rainbow trout in the water and geese surrounding the ponds. The trail will lead you to the Rifle Falls Fish Hatchery which is definitely a great stop as well.
Trail Information:
Price: FREE
Amenities: no restrooms, small parking lot, no dogs allowed
Feed and Pet Alpacas At Sopris Alpaca Farm
One of our favorite things to do right near Rifle is to feed the alpacas at Sopris Alpaca Farm! This adorable farm has tons of alpacas of all ages, sizes, and colors. If you stop by the gift shop, you can purchase a bag of feed to feed the alpacas! It is such a fun thing to do for the whole family!
Lets talk about this gift shop though, cause it is adorable! This gift shop has everything alpaca you could think of. Alpaca stuffed animals made from actual alpaca wool, alpaca wool clothes, alpaca wool blankets, beaded alpacas, alpaca ornaments, alpaca art work, like I said anything alpaca you could want! Even if you aren’t going to buy anything (but I doubt you leave without finding something adorable), it is still a fun shop just to walk through.
Location: 35795 US-6, Silt, CO 81652
Hours: everyday 10am-4pm
Admission: FREE, $3 a bag of feed
Swim at Harvey Gap State Park
Swimming in Colorado isn’t like swimming anywhere else. The water is clear and cold and as blue as can be!! Harvey Gap State Park is no exception. The water is so beautiful, but it is so cold! Lets just say we regret not wearing our wet suits to this lake!
There is a small picnic area and a rocky beach that is great for swimming in. If you are looking for to go fishing or paddleboarding, there is also a boat launching area. Whether you are looking to catch some fish or catch some sun rays, this is a great place for the whole family to enjoy!
Location: 2797 Co Rd 237, Silt, CO 81652
Hours: daily 6am-10pm
Admission: $9 a vehicle or $4 a person (bring cash or a check, it is a self pay station)
Playgrounds in Rifle, Colorado:
Davidson Park
Drive up the hill a bit to get to a fun park with a gorgeous view of the mountains! This playground is one for all ages of kiddos. My little ones especially loved the playhouse, the long bridge, the moving steps to climb on, and the big twisty slide. There is a big playground and a more toddler friendly playground.
One thing I loved about it was how spaced the playground was so you didn’t feel like your kids are playing right on top of each other. There are baby swings and big kid swings!
The playground is in great condition, the soccer field is well maintained, and the pavilion with tables is very clean. They do have a port-a-potty on the grounds too, which is a necessity with these potty training toddlers!
A great stop if you have kiddos that need to run out some energy. Beware when coming into the parking lot though, as you will be driving over a huge bump! Very well could scrape the bottom of your car.
Location: 715 Fir Ave, Rifle, CO 81650
Amenities: plenty of parking, port-a-potty restrooms, pavilion with picnic tables, soccer fields, playground, swings
Heinze Park
Driving through town just off of the main road is this cute little park. It is a beautiful little playground and I do mean little. It has a handful of picnic tables, a little playground, a gazebo, port-a-potty, and even a little war memorial.
No matter how small the playground is though, kids will love it. My little ones loved to try climbing the tunnel slides and especially riding the bouncing alligator. I loved laying in the soft green grass with my newborn, soaking in the sun and loving the view of the plateau.
Location: 612 Railroad Ave, Rifle, CO 81650
Amenities: port-a-potty, picnic tables, parallel park next to the park, horseshoe pits
Centennial Park
The absolute most fun park in Rifle, Colorado is Centennial Park! This park has it all! History, playgrounds, splash pad, fields, a creek, and a cowboy riding a fish. Yes, you heard that right, all throughout Rifle are western art statues, and at the entrance of this park is a fun one.
The playground is huge and honestly if a monkey came to this park, it would be a monkey’s dream come true. Almost the entire playground is filled with ropes to climb! That half of the playground is not very toddler friendly, so they have separate half just for the small kiddos. During the summer the splash pad is open and spraying water all over the kids running through them. Perfect way to cool off in the intense summer heat.
Location: 300 W 5th St, Rifle, CO 81650
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