Beaver Creek Falls
Worth a detour
Is it plungeworthy?
A waterfall on Beaver Creek.
The details
- Watercourse
- Beaver Creek
- Coordinates
- 36.94561, -106.27561
About Beaver Creek Falls
Beaver Creek Falls is a 35-foot waterfall in New Mexico, on Beaver Creek.
Fed largely by snowmelt, it runs hardest in late spring and early summer and can thin to a trickle by late season.
Plungeworthy rates Beaver Creek Falls 6.1/10 — worth a detour. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.
What you'll find
Not one drop but a quarter-mile staircase: Beaver Creek plunges more than 500 feet in total as it falls off the edge of the Cruces Basin, cascading through room-sized boulders, with the tallest single drop about 35 feet. The one first-person account puts it well: “the whole world is tipped up on end here.”
Cruces Basin Wilderness has zero built trails — reaching the falls means following game paths down the creek from a trailhead that is itself 25 miles of rough dirt from pavement. This is a destination for self-sufficient off-trail hikers, full stop.
Getting there
- Trailhead
- From Tres Piedras: US-285 north 11 miles, Forest Road 87 west 23 miles, Forest Road 572 north 2 miles to the wilderness boundary
- Parking
- Informal at the road's end
- Road
- 25+ miles of little-maintained dirt — high-clearance, dry weather only
When to go
July through October. Spring runoff makes the creek dangerously high, and the roads impassable earlier.
Rules & fees
- Fee / pass
- None — Carson National Forest, Cruces Basin Wilderness
- Dogs
- On leash, 6 feet
- Camping
- Wilderness camping; check capacity guidance with the ranger district for overnights
- Warnings
- Afternoon storms build fast at this elevation; bring rain gear and real navigation.
Researched from Doug Scott — Beaver Creek Falls · Wilderness.net — Cruces Basin Wilderness. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Beaver Creek Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.
Where it is
Planning a visit? We want your photo.
Beaver Creek Falls doesn't have a photo yet. If you make the trip, send one to hello@plungeworthy.com and we'll publish it here with credit to you.
Before you go
The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.
Common questions
How tall is Beaver Creek Falls?
Beaver Creek Falls drops about 35 feet, in New Mexico.
Where is Beaver Creek Falls?
Beaver Creek Falls is a waterfall in New Mexico, at 36.94561, -106.27561.
Is Beaver Creek Falls worth visiting?
Worth a detour — Plungeworthy rates it 6.1/10.
Gear for the trip
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