Five star rating for having a clean restroom at the TH. Yes, an auto flushing toilet, uriners, sink and the Excelrator hand dryer. Baby changing station, too. Vail, you are living up to the expectations.
** no parking at the TH (trail head). only drop off. see below **
How to get to the TH. Park at the Vail transportation center. See my Google photos. Just east of Village Center Dr. and Frontage Road. Go thru the gated parking. Come back to the west side of the transportation center and look for a "hiker" bus. There will be several other buses that look similar. May need to wait until the bus makes the loop. This is the only way to get to the TH.
Hiker bus staffed by very friendly drivers will make a few stops before the TH drop off. On your return trip, will need to take the same shuttle back to the parking lot but will be marked as "East Vail"
To find the TH, walk up to the north side (away from the main road), following the paved road for about 2000 feet while admiring beautiful homes.
When you see the 5 min drop zone parking and the welcome sign, you are ready!
Lots of elevation gain, walking thru the aspen forest and over a few creeks. About 2 miles to the fall, and another 2 miles to the lake. Enjoy! During the aspen season, there is not much water at the creek. If you want to see the columbine, need to be here around May. read more