Madrid Falls is a 100-foot spring-fed waterfall in Chorro Canyon in Big Bend Ranch State Park, Presidio County, Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife calls it the tallest public waterfall in Texas, and it is seen from overlooks on a rugged backcountry loop reached only by four-wheel-drive road.
The falls
Madrid Springs rise from porous volcanic rock of the Rawls formation, and their water drops over the canyon wall in a single fall. Lidar data puts the drop at about 100 feet; earlier surveys listed 150 feet. About 400 feet downstream a second fall of roughly 30 feet may count as a lower tier.
Getting there
The falls are in the park's interior, and access is by permit. Check in at Barton Warnock Visitor Center near Terlingua or Fort Leaton State Historic Site near Presidio, both open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and pick up the Special Use Permit required for backcountry hiking there. The park often fills, so reserving day use in advance is recommended. Entry is $5 per person aged 13 and older; children 12 and under are free, and the Texas State Parks Pass covers entry.
The Chorro Vista Loop starts from the Mexicano Falls or Chorro Vista trailhead, both reachable only by high-clearance four-wheel drive; the park map calls for at least 8 inches of frame clearance and notes that all-wheel drive is not enough. The loop is listed at 4.6 miles, about four hours, moderate to difficult: 0.6 mile of jeep track and 4 miles of marked cross-country route between 3,670 and 4,080 feet. A 0.3-mile spur leads to the Madrid Falls Overlook. The park closes periodically for public hunts; check its alerts before driving out.
When to go
The park warns that temperatures typically pass 100°F by late morning in summer and advises staying off trails in the afternoon.
On site
The state asks visitors to view the falls from the overlooks to protect the fragile spring habitat. Pets are allowed only on the Hoodoos and Closed Canyon trails, so dogs can't come on this hike.
History and name
The falls take their name from the Madrid family, who by family tradition ranched at the springs from the mid-1890s to 1916. In the 19th century Father Joseph Hoban also claimed the watered land here.
Nearby
Mexicano Falls is about 1.8 miles away and shares the trailhead. Rancherias Falls is 8.9 miles off and Ojito Adentro Falls 13.1 miles.
Distances are straight-line.