Madrid Falls
Worth the drive
Is it plungeworthy?
150 ft tall.
The details
- Coordinates
- 29.37981, -103.88421
About Madrid Falls
Madrid Falls is a 150-foot waterfall in Texas.
It's fullest after rain, and flow can drop off during dry spells — plan around recent weather.
Plungeworthy rates Madrid Falls 7.1/10 — worth the drive. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.
What you'll find
The hardest-won waterfall in Texas: a hundred-plus feet in a Chihuahuan Desert canyon of Big Bend Ranch State Park, behind five miles of 4WD two-track and an unmarked scramble to a distant overlook. Most days it's a damp whisper — you come for the canyon and the silence.
Getting there
- Trailhead
- Chorro Vista, via Madrid Falls Road (4WD two-track), Big Bend Ranch State Park
- Parking
- At the two-track's end
- Road
- Unmaintained high-clearance 4WD
- Hike
- 1 mi round trip (hard — unmarked route-finding down Chorro Canyon)
- Heads up
- Interior day-use permit required for all visitors, purchased at Fort Leaton or the Barton Warnock Visitor Center.
When to go
Only after real rain does it earn the name; winter for bearable temperatures.
Rules & fees
- Fee / pass
- Big Bend Ranch interior permit — every visitor, day or overnight
- Dogs
- Not recommended — desert hazards, no shade
- Camping
- Chorro Vista primitive site by permit
- Warnings
- No maintained trail, no water, no cell signal, no margin. This is the far side of nowhere — travel accordingly.
Researched from Hiking Project — Madrid Falls Road · Waterfall Hikes — Madrid Falls. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Madrid Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.
Where it is
Planning a visit? We want your photo.
Madrid 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 Madrid Falls?
Madrid Falls drops about 150 feet, in Texas.
Where is Madrid Falls?
Madrid Falls is a waterfall in Texas, at 29.37981, -103.88421.
Is Madrid Falls worth visiting?
Worth the drive — Plungeworthy rates it 7.1/10.
Gear for the trip
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