Alluvial Fan

The Alluvial Fan is a "new" feature to Rocky Mountain National Park. Six miles up from Fall River Road the natural dam that held Lawn Lake broke free and released a debris fill down the mountain that scattered into Horseshoe Park, forming the Alluvial Fan. This is a great spot to have lunch and spend a couple of hours scrambling around the rocks that compose the fan. There are two parking lots that lead to the fan, one on the east side and one on the west. After arriving to the bottom of the fan via a short trail, visitors will enjoy the sights and sounds of the Roaring River. There is no defined trail around the river, but visitors can scramble around the rocks and make their way up the gorge. Hikers should understand the risks and be extremely careful not to fall into the cold water and get swept away. Conditions can become dangerous depending on the time of year and water flows.

There are picnic tables at the parking lots, making it easy to enjoy a bite to eat before or after exploring the fan. Visitors can stop at the viewpoint 1 mile southeast of the intersection of Fall River Road and Highway 34 (in the direction of the Bear Lake Visitor Center) to see the whole debris field of the Alluvial Fan and the valley below. This is a great viewpoint to bring a pair of binoculars and look for elk in the valley below.