Where to see caves, caverns and cascading waterfalls in southern Colorado

Colorado is known for its mountain trails, but it also offers other natural beauties in the forms of caves, caverns, and waterfalls for southern Coloradans looking to get outside.

From magnificent native cliff dwellings and cave tours to above-ground vistas, there are several places in the southern part of the Centennial State where you can catch a glimpse of some natural wonders.

Here are a few places within a couple hours' drive of Pueblo to check out while summer lasts.

Cave of the Winds Mountain Park (less than an hour from Pueblo)

Cave of the Winds Mountain Park, located in Manitou Springs, offers a range of attractions both above and below ground.

Above ground, the park offers mountain climbing, a climbing wall, zip lining, an obstacle course, rides for thrill seekers and much more, according to the Cave of the Winds website.

Below ground, the park also offers several cave tours for different levels of comfort and experience.

There's a "discovery tour" that takes you through the electrically lit portion of Cave of the Winds on a guided walking tour, which includes 15 rooms, a half mile of concrete walkways, and 196 stairs, as well as a "haunted lantern tour," billed as an exploration of the "mysterious and unimproved Manitou Grand Caverns."

Finally, the cave offers an "exploration tour" that involves an assortment of crawling and climbing through wet and muddy passages of various sizes. On this tour, you will travel for nearly a mile while learning about basic caving skills, geology, zoology, and cave history, as well as some myths and legends.

Zapata Falls (about two hours from Pueblo)

Alamosa County's Zapata Falls, located in the San Luis Valley, is a 25-foot waterfall offering views of the Great Sand Dunes, layering against the base of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains to the north.

"Like most waterfalls, you have to work a bit to reach the prize," according to Colorado.com, the state's official tourism website.

"Hikers wade through chilly waters and maneuver over slippery rocks to Zapata’s hidden falls, or balance on a log bridge to avoid getting wet. Don’t let the sound of the hike discourage you — it’s a fun adventure and the waterfall is only a half mile from the parking lot."

While temperatures in the nearby Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve range from 80 degrees to 104 degrees Fahrenheit in the peak of summer, Zapata's "misty falls" offer a respite from the sun, although the park advises guests to wear closed-toed shoes to protect themselves from the heat of the sand.

The website notes that while Zapata is more commonly visited during warmer months, "visitors in winter are in for a treat as well."

"The falls freeze, creating a huge ice column that seems to be frozen in time. Luminous blue water is visible just beneath the hardened surface," the website states.

Manitou Cliff Dwellings (less than an hour from Pueblo)

These ancestral Puebloan ruins are 800 to 1,000 years old, according to the cliff dwelling museum. The 40-room site was originally located near McElmo Canyon, in the southwest corner of Colorado near Mesa Verde and Dolores.

From 1904 to 1907, the dwellings were collected, packaged, and moved by oxen and train, stone by stone, to their new location in Colorado Springs, and reassembled faithfully in dimension and appearance to the original dwellings, except with concrete mortar in place of Adobe and mud.

Today, the 40-room dwellings are open to the public, allowing guests to see and even touch ancient history. Along with a self-guided tour of the dwellings themselves, the museum below the dwellings offers dioramas depicting daily life, exhibits of tools, pottery, weapons, and informative videos on the lives of the Pueblo people.

Rainbow Falls (less than an hour from Pueblo)

The Rainbow Falls historic site, located in Manitou Springs, consists of the namesake Rainbow Falls and a small series of waterfalls downstream.

The 5 acres are developed with a parking area, trailhead, covered kiosk, with historical and geological interpretive information, picnic benches and tables, a .15 mile gravel trail from the parking area to the falls, and a secondary trail along Fountain Creek.

Visitors can park their vehicles off U.S. Highway 24 and Serpentine Drive, also known as Higginbotham Flats, in Manitou Springs. The shuttle service will operate continuously from Friday to Sunday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at a cost of $20 per car for parking and shuttle service.

Rainbow Fall visitors are encouraged to make an online reservation.

Helen Hunt Falls (less than an hour from Pueblo)

Helen Hunt Falls, located in North Cheyenne Cañon Park, is a 35-foot waterfall in Colorado Springs, about 2.5 miles from the entrance of the park.

"Visitors can enjoy the view from the base of the falls or take a short walk to the top and admire the view from the bridge across the falls," according to coloradosprings.gov. "Those wishing to continue hiking up to Silver Cascade Falls will be rewarded with a breathtaking view of North Cheyenne Cañon."

The falls also feature a visitor center, which offers an introduction to the natural features visitors will find.

Helen Hunt Falls bears the name of Helen Hunt Jackson, who led a grassroots effort to purchase what became North Cheyenne Cañon Park from the city of Colorado Springs in 1885.

Hunt was a 19th-century author, who wrote poetry, novels, "travel dialogues," household tips, children's stories, historical accounts and short stories, according to the Helen Hunt Falls brochure on the city website.

Broadmoor Seven Falls (less than an hour from Pueblo)

Called the "grandest mile of scenery in Colorado," Seven Falls has been a tourist destination since 1883, according to its website.

The seven falls are located in South Cheyenne Cañon, a box-type canyon into which Ute Indians would stampede buffalo to capture for food. The Seven Falls are named Ramona, Feather, Bridal Veil, Shorty, Hull, Weimer and Hill, some named after previous owners, some from the way they look, and one, "Shorty," because it is the shortest of the falls.

The park also offers views of impressive natural rock formations such as Eagle’s Cliff, Half Dome, Alligator’s Head, Prospect Dome and Washington’s Profile.

The park also offers two hiking trails. The trail to Inspiration Point is an hour-long round trip and offers a view of the great plains and the city of Colorado Springs. It is also the grave site of Helen Hunt Jackson, who requested she be buried there at the site that inspired many of her poems.

The trail to Midnight Falls, a half-hour round trip, leads to the "small, yet sparkling Midnight Falls," according to the Seven Falls website.

"A hundred years ago this was a favorite and secluded spot for Colorado College students to visit late at night. Midnight Falls is near the headwaters of South Cheyenne Creek, which is formed by springs and from snowmelt on Pikes Peak," the website says.

More on summer things to do: Looking for a summer day trip near Pueblo? Here are some recommendations

Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formally known as Twitter, @jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com .

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Where to see caves, caverns and cascading waterfalls in southern Colorado