Rocky Mountain National Park visitor dies after falling into waterfall

A 21-year-old woman died after falling into Adams Falls on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park on Thursday.

The body of the female from Virginia, Illinois, was recovered Thursday evening and transferred to the Grand County coroner, who will release the woman's name after next of kin are notified, according to a park news release.

It is the third fatality in the park this year, according park spokesperson Kyle Patterson. Last year the park saw four fatalities. 

The park cautioned visitors to remain away from the banks of streams, rivers and waterfalls, which can be slippery and the water extremely cold and deceivingly deep and swift, especially during spring runoff.

According to trail guides, the Adams Falls Trail is an easy 0.6-mile loop off the East Inlet Trail with an elevation gain of 79 feet. The trail leads to an overlook of Adams Falls, a waterfall that drops roughly 55 feet in a series of steps through a narrow rock gorge.

Additional details were not immediately available Friday.

Visiting Rocky:Rocky Mountain National Park opens timed-entry permit reservations for late May, June 2022

Reporter Miles Blumhardt looks for stories that impact your life. Be it news, outdoors, sports — you name it, he wants to report it. Have a story idea? Contact him at milesblumhardt@coloradoan.com or on Twitter @MilesBlumhardt. Support his work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.