El
Salto
(Spanish… The Falls)
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 the highest… about 200 feet #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 #5 at about 200’
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
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. 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
National Geographic 7.5’ topo map
one
mile = approximately2.5 inches
Send questions and comments to doug.vivian@yahoo.com