• Distance: 5.8 miles (out and back).

• Elevation gain: 1,520 feet (trailhead starts at 7,830 feet).

• Difficulty: Moderate.

• Time: 2 ½ hours.

• Getting there: From Denver, travel U.S. 36 to the junction at U.S. 34 in Estes Park. Travel west on U.S. 34 for about a half-mile, then turn right on MacGregor Avenue. Follow MacGregor as it becomes Devil's Gulch Road for 5.6 miles. Leave the paved road and turn left onto McGraw Ranch Road. Enter Rocky Mountain National Park and park just before the road ends at the old McGraw Ranch, where the trail begins.

• Highlights: The McGraw Ranch, one of the oldest ranches in the area, began operations in about 1874. Various architectural details of the ranch structures make good photo subjects and backgrounds for portraits. The falls themselves are the real payoff for this hike. The lower falls roar down a chute, and the upper falls are set in a sort of amphitheater of multicolored rocks, with the stream dropping into a scenic pool. Spring is the best time to visit the gentle waterfalls, which have a quiet, remote feel.