Falls - DougScottArt.com

Virgin Falls

Virgin Falls a 30’ high tiered waterfall that cannot be seen in it’s entirety from any one view point.

It is like a spiral staircase... curving downward in a continual left-hand turn.

this “upper” portion of Virgin Falls can be seen only from the north...

and this “lower” portion of Virgin Falls can be seen only from the west.

...a nice story is told with more photos below the map at the bottom of this page.

beta facts:

name- Virgin Falls

height- 30’ spiraling downward in steep beautiful steps

elevation- 10,800’

GPS coordinates- ±36°47.462’ N 105°30.710’W

flow- perennial

season- May to November- earlier is more water flow

accommodations- Latir Wilderness

ownership- Carson National Forest

access- - ½-mile jeep road and 2½-mile steep trail

nearest town- Questa is about 7½ miles south of here

fun fact- Virgin Falls is not amazing... it is... just... beautiful...!!!

my favorite way to approach Virgin Falls is from the northwest up the short abandon jeep road shown on the map

essay bro

Because of the beautiful hike and walking next to the El Rito Cascades as well as the special-ness of Virgin Falls, beautiful Virgin Creek, Virgin Canyon, Virgin Springs along with the wonderful Latir Wilderness high-country and it’s abundant wildlife... Wheeew...

What more can I say...!!! This is one of my favorites...!!!!!!!!

All kinds of hike options here... up steep medio creek to Virgin Falls... then a loop-hike up over the highest point in the Latir Peak Wilderness Area 12,734’ Venado Peak... going up Virgin Canyon and down Versylvia Creek... also a possible loop-hike taking the abandon Old Miner’s Jeep Road south over Cabresto Ridge and back to your vehicle via Primero Creek... make-up your own route...

Enhanced National Geographic 7.5’ topo map “NORTH IS UP”

...this is the famous rock that climbers love and call “Questa Dome”... it is over 500’ high. Questa Dome is more well known to the locals... as “The Bear”... and it is one of the better resemblances of any named natural feature that I have ever seen... from the highway west of here, you can even see his eye...!!!

Nice herd of 50 elk I experienced above timberline.

What a day this was for wildlife encounters in Latir Peak Wilderness Area’s wonderful Virgin Canyon...!!!

...and some resting bighorn that didn’t seem to be worried about me being 80 feet away...

Shhhhhhhh…..!!!!!! that front left ram is asleep…….!!!!!!!

I stepped closer and asked them to move around some so I could get a few photos of them doin’ something other than sleeping...!!! With that the 9 rams decided our visit was over... as they left they aroused about 20 ewes and lambs who departed casually with them.

This feisty mama Blue Grouse aggressively kept me away from her nest. She circled me for 15 minutes at 36” away and twice flew up “flogging” my face with her wings...

...kinda reminds me of my mom...