Waterfall Hikes Near Las Vegas, NM

Three of the four falls on the Las Vegas page are in the mountains to the northwest, and none of them is a quick roadside stop. Pecos Falls, about 31 miles out in the Pecos Wilderness, is a backcountry trip; the most direct route from the north, Middle Fork Trail #24 from Santa Barbara Campground, runs 11 miles with about 3,190 feet of climbing toward the falls area. Rio Quemado Falls, a drop of roughly 60 feet above Truchas in the Santa Fe National Forest, is about 3 miles up the Rio Quemado Trail. Nambe Falls, 41 miles out on Nambe Pueblo land, is the easy one, with two quarter-mile trails from the ramada area, a $20 day-use fee per carload, leashed dogs allowed and a winter closure from mid-November to mid-March. Catfish Falls near Santa Rosa, to the southeast, is listed only under a historical name with no trail information.