Last weekend I decided to take advantage of the cooler weather and go to the 3 Sisters waterfalls to check out the new trail I had heard about. At this time of year you really aren’t going to see the falls in all their glory, as you can see in the photo above, I was just going out to update the information on this hike.
The first thing I noticed upon arriving at the trailhead was the change in the parking situation. In the past, everyone parked along the road and sometimes you would see 50 to 60 cars parked in the narrow corner. There is now a dirt parking lot with porta-potties, what a welcome change.
The rest of the trail is as before until you get to the area where you used to descend ropes. This is now split and the trail now continues along the canyon until you come out to the middle waterfall and pool.
I know some people will lament the loss of the rope area of this trail, and I admit it added a little something to the adventure of going to the falls, but I think what was lost was largely offset by what was gained. Each time I came out of these falls, I found that the trail had further eroded and become sketchier than the last time I was there. With all the people heading out on this trail unprepared, I can understand the need to soften the experience a little. My only warning is to anyone deciding what to do with this trail in its further maintenance. As I sat there talking to hikers about the changes to the trail, I was already hearing people talking about going back up the sketchier trail anyway (I think it would take extensive work to make this section less appealing for those who want to challenge myself I also noticed parts of the new trail that are already cut with shortcuts and people who get a little lost when you get closer to the waterfall (just follow the pink ribbons) I would suggest more permanent signage for the trail Overall, I think the changes are a welcome addition to this popular trail and I hope people enjoy the experience without ruining it for everyone. .
See the detailed trail description below.
Discover the 3 sisters waterfalls