Placer Creek Falls

                   

               Placer Creek Falls  -  upper part                                             Placer Creek Falls  -  lower part

 

Placer Creek Falls has two parts carved in solid granite.  A short stretch of calm water separates the upper and lower parts.  You will notice that some of the white foam from the upper part can be seen thru the bushes above the lower part in the above photo.  The lower drop is about 13 feet high while the upper part is a cascading beauty with approximately 40 feet of fall.  This waterfall can be found a quarter of a mile north of US highway 64 between Tierra Amarilla and Tres Piedras, NM near Hopewell Lake.  It is quite visible from forest road 1892.

 

Placer Creek has several smaller falls some 2 miles below the Hopewell Lake dam, as it tumbles thru a spectacular, fantasy-like, sheer walled, granite gorge.  The word “placer” means “gold is present”.  Rusted mining equipment lies abandoned in this lower gorge… and miners have let me know that gold can still be panned here…!!!!  …another secret is that I have caught some nice high-country trout in this stream.

 

Enhanced National Geographic 7.5’ topo map

one mile = approximately four inches

 

 

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