Bridal Veil Falls, Waterfall at box canyon edge in Telluride, United States.

Bridal Veil Falls drops 365 feet (111 m) in two prongs over a dark, layered cliff at the end of the box canyon above Telluride, Colorado. A slender stream slides down beside the main foamy column. The Smuggler-Union Hydroelectric Power Plant, a white building with a dark roof, stands at the top near the brink.

A mining company built the small power station at the summit in 1907 to supply electricity for mining work in the valley. The generator produced power for the mines for decades and later served parts of the town as well.

The name comes from the fine mist that catches sunlight and resembles a wedding veil hanging in the air. Hikers and locals treat the steep trail to the power station as a physical challenge, while others prefer to photograph the cascade from the valley floor.

Access begins at the eastern end of Colorado Avenue, where parking is available at the canyon entrance. The steep trail to the summit requires good fitness and solid footwear, though the waterfall can also be viewed comfortably from below.

The Smuggler-Union Hydroelectric Power Plant, built in 1907 atop the falls, was decommissioned in 1953, leased by local resident Eric Jacobson in 1988 and restored to operation in 1991; he lived there with his family until 2010. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and keeps its original 2300-volt Westinghouse AC generator.