Judd Falls | The Man Who Stayed

Worth the Detour | June 2026

The Trail at a Glance

Location: Gothic, Colorado, north of Crested Butte

Trailhead: Parking area along Gothic Road, north of Gothic

Distance: 2.33 miles round trip (our recorded hike)

Elevation Gain: 446 feet (our recorded hike)

Difficulty: Moderate

Trail Map: AllTrails

Highlights: Judd Falls, Gothic Mountain views, wildflowers, aspen groves, and scientific research sites

Important: Portions of the trail cross private property belonging to RMBL. Stay on the designated trail, keep dogs leashed, and avoid disturbing ongoing research.

Hiking to Judd Falls

We started our hike at the parking area just north of Gothic. The trail wound through beautiful aspen groves and open areas scattered with wildflowers, with incredible views of Gothic Mountain towering above us.

One of the more interesting things about this hike was that the trail crosses private property belonging to the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. Scientists have been studying the natural world here since 1928, and we actually got to see some of them working along the trail. It's not every day you get to witness scientific research happening right alongside your hiking adventure!

Science Along the Trail

Along the way, we also came across the Judd Falls Weather Station, part of RMBL's network of permanent weather stations at different elevations. The stations collect environmental data that help scientists study the mountain ecosystem.

One of the things I found interesting was a graph on the informational sign showing how marmots have been emerging from hibernation earlier in the spring over the decades. It's a fascinating example of how changes in climate can affect wildlife, and how decades of scientific research can reveal patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Eventually, the trail brought us to an overlook above Judd Falls, where Copper Creek rushes through a narrow, rocky gorge, plunging over several drops between the steep rock walls. 

The waterfall was impressive, but something else at the overlook caught my attention.

There's a memorial bench dedicated to Garwood Judd, known as "the man who stayed." There were people sitting on it when we visited, so I wasn't able to get a picture of the inscription, but I did manage to read it when they leaned forward.

As I remember it, the inscription read:

To the wayfarer, friend or stranger this seat is offered in the name of “the man who stayed”

The Man Who Stayed

That inscription honors Garwood Judd, one of Gothic's early residents, who died in 1930.

Judd came to Gothic during its silver-mining boom.

But as the silver boom faded and Gothic's population dwindled, most residents packed up and left. Judd, however, stayed behind.

He continued living in the nearly abandoned town and became known as “The Man Who Stayed.”

It's interesting to think that as Gothic's mining era came to an end, another chapter was beginning. The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory was established in 1928, just two years before Judd's death. The town that had once attracted people hoping to strike it rich would eventually become a place where scientists came to study the mountains and the life within them.

Today, Judd's name lives on in the waterfall, and the memorial bench offers hikers a place to rest and take in the scenery, just as its inscription intended.

You can read more of the history I uncovered in my Gothic post!