Pecos Falls is a waterfall on the upper Pecos River in the Pecos Wilderness of Santa Fe National Forest, Mora County, New Mexico, where the river drops 55 feet in steep, tiered cascades at about 10,400 feet. It is reached on foot, by a long trail through the wilderness.
The falls
The World Waterfall Database estimates the drop at 55 feet from lidar and describes the form as steep tiered cascades; earlier surveys listed 82 feet. Field measurements have also counted two tiers carved into the same mass of bedrock totaling 90 feet. The upper Pecos here is a perennial trout stream.
Getting there
The falls lie inside the Pecos Wilderness, with a trail distance of about 9 miles; the nearest settlement is Cowles, roughly 10 miles to the south. The wilderness requires no backcountry permit. Mechanized transport is not allowed, and groups are limited to 15 people. A current route description with trailhead, elevation gain and road conditions isn't published.
When to go
The river runs all year. May through October is the recommended season, with the strongest water in late May and early June.
On site
Camping and campfires are prohibited at Pecos Falls. Dense forest around the cascades makes it hard to see or photograph the whole drop from one spot.
Nearby
Rio Quemado Falls is about 6.2 miles away, Nambe Falls about 20.5 miles and Jemez Falls about 59.3 miles. The nearest town is Chimayo, about 22.2 miles west, and Santa Fe is about 27.4 miles to the southwest.
Distances are straight-line.