El Salto (Spanish… The Jump or
leap)
150 foot
high
El Salto Falls #5 – glows in the evening sun
9 falls in all
El Salto Falls #1 is most downstream… 50’ high #2 is about 150 feet high #3 falls about 80 feet in consecutive
cascades.
#4drops about100 ’with the bottom 40’ sheer #5 is about 150 feet high #6 drops about 40 feet
#7 descends over 100’ in 5 separate drops #8 photo is unavailable #9 falls 30 feet in 2 parts
beta facts:
name- El Salto Falls
height- The highest is #2 and #5 at about 150’
elevation- ±9000’
GPS coordinates- ±36°32.000’N 105°32.100’W
flow- perennial spring flow
season- anytime but you might need
snowshoes in the winter.
accommodations- none
ownership- private land
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.
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 in New Mexico. All nine
falls are on private land. Permits to
visit cost $5 per person and are convenient to obtain at a pay bow near the
trail-head parking. Stop and PAY. 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 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. Cliff climbing is
NOT ALLOWED so if you do climb, it is your own risk…!!!
Enhanced USGS 7.5’ topo map
one
mile = approximately2.5 inches
Send questions and comments to doug.vivian@yahoo.com