El Salto Falls (Spanish… The “jump”)
ACA Canyon
Rating – 2A III – with many fabulous rappel options
El Salto
Falls #1 is most downstream… 50’ high
#2 is about 150 feet high #3 falls about 80 feet in
consecutive cascades.
#4 drops
about100 ’with the bottom 40’ sheer #5 is the highest…
about 200 feet #6 drops about 40 feet
#7 descends
over 100’ in 5 separate tiers #8
photo is unavailable #9 falls 30 feet in 2 tiers
beta facts:
name- El Salto Canyon
elevation- ±9000’
GPS coordinates- ±36°32.000’N 105°32.100’W
season- anytime but you might need snowshoes in
the winter.
accommodations- none
ownership- private
access- 100-yard hike to the first falls from the
end of the dirt road where you park.
nearest town- Arroyo Seco
is a couple miles southwest of here.
fun fact- These are very high and beautiful
waterfalls to climb and rappel next to
essay bro:
El Salto Creek above Arroyo Seco, NM about 7 miles north of Taos, owns as grand of a
collection of waterfalls as you will find anywhere. All nine falls are on private land. Permits to visit cost $4 per person and are
convenient to obtain at a blue house on your left as you ascend the road east
of Arroyo Seco.
You will see a large sign near the road in front of this house
describing the permits. Stop and GET A
PERMIT. These folks own a piece of
beautiful New Mexico and they are kind enough to share it with us. Pay the small fee, obey their rules, DO NOT
TRASH THE PLACE and enjoy the falls.
I had always heard that there were seven
falls… but I found nine… and who knows, maybe you will find more.
A nice, obvious but unmarked trail leads
about a hundred yards from where you park to the first falls. The hearty sort can scramble their way up to
the left of these first falls and a small trail leads to the second falls… from
there… ah… er… you are kind of on your own. This is a special place… a shining jewel in
the Taos area’s crown.
Enhanced USGS 7.5’ topo map
one mile = approximately2.5 inches
Send questions and comments to doug.vivian@yahoo.com