Guffey Gorge, also known as Paradise Cove, Guffey Cove, Guffey Gulch is a swimming hole and cliff diving spot on Four Mile Creek about ten miles east of Guffey, Colorado. From mid-May to mid-September, there is a $6 per vehicle day-use fee.
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Underwhelming & Dangerous !! Trail is decent, some rocky sections but doable. I was very excited to do the jump, but after my first view of the cliff and the bottom pool from the high point, I told myself- no way in hell !!!!
Once we got down, there was quite a good number of people. Many were jumping, but I knew deep down, this isn’t for me.
Here comes the dangerous part - we saw 2 lads (teenager & another guy in his 20’s), both had scratches on their legs and the kid was in severe pain. His leg was swollen & turning pale. People helped put a cloth around his leg and stabilized it with a stick. The other lad was ok - but couldn’t stand properly. Both had fractures in their legs.
Then I see this late 40’s guy, jump from the higher portion of the cliff into the same spot - he crawled out of the water and had bloody legs. Broken leg again.
3 injured people within 2 minutes.
Luckily there were 2 firemen kind of blokes who carried them to clear the steeper section of the hill. Then there were 2 lovely ladies who helped carry the guys from there on to the exit - props to them, because the hike had many rocky sections.
EMTs arrived and then we saw the kid was air lifted - apparently the injury was very serious, he had to be operated. The young guy was alright, he was able to stand on one feet, the older gentleman was on the stretcher being attended by the EMTs.
I felt sorry for these guys - they weren’t reckless or being unruly. Just like everyone else, they wanted to have fun, but it was very unfortunate they got injured.
Despite this incident, while many were shaken, people continued jumping - I realized 99% were extremely fit & athletic guys. Even the ones who got injured looked like olympians. Many said, it felt very weird to jump - the deeper portion of the pool is a very small area & so one small misstep , you could be aiming for the shallow end of the pool.
Water isn’t clean or clear and if you can handle the temperature & swim for a short distance, you might have fun.
My sincere advice - even if you are an olympic diver, please don’t jump here, they even have signs not to do that. Apparently the water levels vary and can have detrimental effects when jumping. So again - do the hike, wade in the water, swim across to the water sprout, but DO...
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It's a relatively interesting so to spend a few hours in your day. Parking is $6, which is payable by cash or check, and an envelope drop box is used to collect permits. The place is fairly crowded. We went on a Tuesday afternoon in July. Entire groups and families of people pack into one or two vehicles, so one can imagine what it's like when they arrive to the actual spot.
The hike is not much of one at all. I was able to complete the 1/2 mile trek in jeans with long chairs and a bag on my back in record time. Despite this, however, the walk to the cove is very pretty with the flowers and rock formations. I think that it would be a worthwhile trip if it was longer.
The crowd is mostly young adults or teens, and who could blame them? I saw a few CU Buffalo shirts there. I don't think I would make the trip that far to visit. Did I not mention the place is crowded? There is a line up the cliff to jump off, and the water hole below is not that big. Families bring their small kids to play in the water, but the "safe area" cannot accommodate the amount of people there. Going down river more, the water was not incredibly high (maybe ankle length), so forget swimming there.
If you aren't here to cliff dive, which the signs warn against, then I think all one can do is people watch.
The water is reported to be roughly 10 feet deep. There is a rope leading up to the jumping platform. One should jump here, not the adjacent 100 ft clofd to the right. Go in feet first and one should be fine. Watched several people jump over the course of an hour without issue. Just be safe, and remember that it only takes one small mistake to...
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This is a beautiful place to visit and explore with family and friends. The hike is not too bad, but if anyone has any issues walking up and down stairs, I would not recommend it for them. I saw so many elderly people that the younger family members were pushing them to go down the natural rocky stairs, it really was concerning for their safety. I wouldn't let my father at 80 go down those stairs at all. The hike is nice, but please consider the safety of the older generations when you go. We passed and met about 6 older family members that were really struggling, but they didn't want to let the others down so they kept going.
If you look off to the left of the trail as you go down, the FD has left a stretcher there permanently because they are called out for emergencies so often. Keep that in mind before you jump. It is beautiful and several people had a great time jumping off the rocks, but it also makes ones heart stop watching it.
Be careful and stay safe when visiting and watch out for the elderly family members. The walk on Rock's is not that...
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