Treasure Falls is a
waterfall
A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...
in the
San Juan Mountains
The San Juan Mountains is a high and rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico. The area is highly mineralized (the Colorado Mineral Belt) and figured in the gold and silver mining industry ...
, within
Mineral County,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
, United States.
It is located in the
San Juan National Forest
The San Juan National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering over 1,878,846 acres (2,935.7 sq mi, or 7,603.42 km²) in western Colorado. The forest occupies land in Archuleta, Conejos, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma ...
, off
U.S. Route 160
U.S. Route 160 (US 160) is a 1,465 mile (2,358 km) long east–west United States highway in the Midwestern and Western United States. The western terminus of the route is at US 89 five miles (8 km) west of Tuba City, Arizo ...
, about northeast of
Pagosa Springs
The Town of Pagosa Springs (Ute language: Pagwöösa, Navajo language: Tó Sido Háálį́) is a home rule municipality that is the county seat, the most populous community, and the only incorporated municipality in Archuleta County, Colorado, ...
. The falls are named after a local legend about "a treasure of gold" buried in the mountain that the falls plunge from.
Access
There is a trailhead off Highway 160. The falls are somewhat visible from the parking lot, and a short and moderately steep hike of about of elevation gain will bring hikers to the base of the falls, where there is a foot bridge for viewing. A switchback trail will take hikers closer to the plunge base, called the "Misty Deck" where hikers can view and feel the spray of the falls.
Gallery
Image:A Rainbow formed in the plunge mist of Treasure Falls, Colorado, USA.jpg, Rainbow formed in the plunge mist
Image:Treasure Falls, CO plunge June 2013.jpg, The plunge with a large tree to show the scale
See also
*
Waterfalls of Colorado
This is a list of waterfalls in the U.S. State of Colorado.
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Waterfalls of Colorado
The following list includes all 81 waterfalls in Colorado that have official names according to the United States Geological Survey. There are also nume ...
References
External links
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Waterfalls of Colorado
Plunge waterfalls
Landforms of Mineral County, Colorado
Rio Grande National Forest
San Juan Mountains (Colorado)