Bear Canyon Cascades

There are a lot of Bear Canyons in New Mexico.  This Bear Canyon is a couple miles east of Questa and it is a very amazing canyon.  It has beautiful cascades that tumble for more than 200 feet down thru sheer-walls a thousand feet high…!!!

Each individual falls within Bear Canyon Cascades aren’t more than 15’ high... but they tumble continuously and beautifully...

 

 

...the moss-covered log in these last two photos ...is the same log.

 

 

 

The views of the thousand foot high sheer canyon walls will make you think you are in a  National Park.

 

beta facts:

name- Bear Canyon Cascades

height- 200’

type of waterfall- tiered-cascade

elevation- 7900’

GPS coordinates- ±37°01.527’N 106°28.227’W

flow- perennial spring fed

season-May thru Oct

ownership- Carson National Forest

access- a short ½ mile hike... some old unmaintained trail... and some guess-work to cross the Red River

nearest town- Questa is about 2 miles west of here

fun fact- a rather steep hike... but very beautiful...!!!

 

essay bro

This is a very steep but very beautiful hike... and if you go to visit these cascades... do yourself a favor and continue your hike on up Bear Canyon thru the entire sheer-walled portion.  The canyon is more impressive than the cascades.  It is a beautiful place that you will want to return to.

 

Knowing where to park your car and finding a place to cross Red River are both good questions.  We parked beside New Mexico State Highway 38 a hundred yards or so past a speed limit sign about one mile east of the Questa Ranger Station of the Carson National Forest.  We found a Fir tree nearby fallen across Red River, which provided us with a dry crossing.  Then immediately found a trail heading up stream a hundred yards or so to Bear Canyon.  From there an old unimproved trail was steep but quite easy to follow up thru the majestic Bear Canyon.  Some trees have fallen across the trail.

 

Enhanced National Geographic 7.5’ topo map    (up is NORTH)

Thin red lines above are one-mile squares

 

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