Treasure Falls
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Not far from Pagosa Springs is the conveniently located and beautiful Treasure Falls. This 105 foot high waterfall is just off the highway and should not be missed by anyone driving by.
Named after Treasure Mountain and the supposed buried gold in it, Treasure Falls is about a 15 minute drive on east US 160 from Pagosa Springs. The falls are located just off US 160 with the parking lot just alongside the highway. From town the turn off is just after the tire chain attachment area, the entrance to the small parking area for Treasure Falls is just shortly after.
We hiked to Treasure Falls twice. The first time was just after Thanksgiving and the second was at the end of March. Both times the falls were partially frozen over, but in March it was nearly fully frozen over.
From the parking lot there are two paths up to the falls. There’s the main trail and the primitive trail. We never hiked the primitive trail, but we assume it’s just a much less maintained trail that scales up the south side of the waterfall. In March the whole area was covered in snow, and the primitive path was unusable.
Normally the main path is an easy hike up to the falls, but in March it was covered in snow and ice. This made the hike up a bit rough in some spots, but with some slow and careful steps we safely made it up and down.
The hike up to the falls takes about 10-15 minutes through a zigzag up the mountainside. Just before the top there is a turn off for the bridge that is lower down and has a great view of the falls.
At the top we got to see the falls in all their glory. In November the falls were only a little frozen over, but in March they were nearly completely frozen. Both times offered great views, but we preferred seeing it mostly frozen over. It was fascinating to see the frozen falls and where some parts of it had broken off and fallen down below.
Just off the main viewing area is a rocky area with a more direct view of the falls. This area doesn’t have any safety railings, so it is a little risky to walk on. This is even more so when the area is covered in snow and ice. Nevertheless, we went out onto the snowy rock and got some great shots of the falls. From here there is a wonderful view of Saddle Mountain.
On the way down we deviated and took the short walk to the overlook viewpoint. This part of the trail takes just a few minutes and comes to a spot with a view overlooking the highway and the mountains beyond.
When we visited in November we did manage to see some wildlife while hiking up the trail. Most notably, we saw the beautiful Stellar Jay. It kept flying from tree to tree as we ascended the trail. Fortunately he stopped long enough for Taylor to get a great shot of him.
Treasure Falls is a wonderful place to stop for a quick hike to a beautiful waterfall. The relative ease of the trail, except in winter, means pretty much anyone can see it. The overall hike doesn’t take too long so there isn’t much of a reason to skip over this great spot.
Google Maps Link: Treasure Falls
