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Cellpic Sunday – Bear Creek Falls

Bear Creek Falls.

Ouray, Colorado.

It isn’t often that I get a second chance to photograph a popular site on our travels. In 2021, we drove the Million Dollar Highway, a scenic route known for its stunning views and dramatic drop-offs. You can visit my post about this popular scenic highway here.

In September 2023, we left the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and headed toward U.S. Highway 550, the Million Dollar Highway. That journey allowed me to improve my photography of the popular waterfall, which is only a short drive from Ouray.

Bear Creek Falls is hidden underneath an amazing bridge that spans a gorge in the rocks, which was a real challenge for the original road builders. I referenced that story in the Million Dollar Highway post mentioned above. From underneath that bridge, the falls plunge 200 feet (61 m) into the Uncompahgre Gorge, making it a truly impressive sight.

There is a parking area and viewing platform just off the highway, making it easy to see the falls. The falls are accessible year-round, but the best time to visit is in the spring when the runoff is high, and the falls are at their most powerful. The falls can freeze in the winter, creating a dramatic ice formation.

Be aware that climbing or hiking near the falls is dangerous. The rocks can be slippery, and there is a significant drop-off. If you want to get a closer look at the falls from below, a few guided hikes are available in the area.

About the photo: When I captured the falls from the same vantage point in 2021, I captured a single image with my Nikon D500. During this visit to the falls, I used my Samsung S23U camera and captured three successive images from the top to the bottom of the falls. If you compare the two images, the major improvement in the panoramic image here is that I could include more detail at the base of the falls where the creek continues on from its fall.

Bear Creek Falls
Image from 2021 taken with Nikon D500.

One advantage, dear reader, you cannot see from the photo here on my blog or on my Flickr site, where it is posted in 2K HD, is that the final image before online compression is larger than 4K HD. Using a guide to printing on high-resolution media, the final photo merge before compression would create a 12×16 high-quality print at 300 dpi. I don’t plan to print this image, so my major goal was achieved when I included more of the waterfall’s base than in my photo from two years earlier.

I encourage fellow bloggers to create their own Cellpic Sunday posts. I never have a specific topic for this feature, and the only rules are that the photo must be captured with a cell phone, iPad, or another mobile device… If you have an image from a drone or even a dashcam, that’s also acceptable. The second rule is to link your challenge response to this post or leave a comment here with a link to your post in the comment. Oh, you don’t have to post it on a Sunday.

John Steiner

38 comments

  10. Driving the Million Dollar Hwy is not for the faint of heart. We’ve visited that part of Colorado numerous times and remained awed by the beauty. Glad you were able to revisit. I love having the opportunity to revisit places.

    Reply

  17. I always learn a bit when I visit photography blogs such as yours, John. The comparison between the two photos is really interesting … and what a great view!

    Reply

  24. We were going back & forth on 550 the first week of September last year! If you saw a purple Jeep, that was us. Lol! We didn’t get to see the falls though. It looks pretty cool so thanks to you we’ll go check it out next time.

    Reply

    • You certainly don’t need to submit a photo of Bear Creek Falls. Cellpic Sunday posts can be anything you wish to share as a subject of the post. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

      Reply

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