Garcia Falls
One for the list
Is it plungeworthy?
A short, pretty falls.
The details
- Coordinates
- 33.49257, -107.45216
About Garcia Falls
Garcia Falls is a waterfall in New Mexico.
Fed largely by snowmelt, it runs hardest in late spring and early summer and can thin to a trickle by late season.
Plungeworthy rates Garcia Falls 3/10 — one for the list. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.
What you'll find
A desert-spring waterfall hidden in a narrow slot canyon in the foothills west of Monticello — 12 feet by the official record, up to 40 on the tallest of several drops per the one detailed trip report. Between drops, the water often just soaks into the sand.
The walk in is only about 100 yards; going deeper into the slot is a scramble, including one unroped climbing move around the second drop that a confident scrambler can manage and a cautious one should skip.
Getting there
- Trailhead
- Off Forest Road 377 — locally “Burma Road” — in the Cibola National Forest near Monticello
- Parking
- Informal, along the forest road
- Road
- Unpaved forest road
- Hike
- 0.2 mi round trip (Easy to the canyon mouth; rock scrambling beyond, including one exposed move)
- Heads up
- USGS topo maps mark the spring in the wrong place — carry GPS or a second map source
When to go
Year-round access; the spring runs strongest after wet spells.
Rules & fees
- Fee / pass
- None — dispersed national forest
- Dogs
- Under control
- Camping
- Not between the road and the falls
- Warnings
- The scramble around the second drop is unroped climbing — know your limits.
Researched from Doug Scott — Garcia Falls · TopoZone — Garcia Falls. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Garcia Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.
Where it is
Planning a visit? We want your photo.
Garcia 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
Where is Garcia Falls?
Garcia Falls is a waterfall in New Mexico, at 33.49257, -107.45216.
Is Garcia Falls worth visiting?
One for the list — Plungeworthy rates it 3/10.
Gear for the trip
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