Treasure Falls is a roughly 105-foot waterfall that pours off a cliff right beside U.S. 160 on the climb to Wolf Creek Pass, and a short trail lets you stand in its spray.

About 15 miles east of Pagosa Springs, just over the Mineral County line in the San Juan National Forest, Fall Creek plunges down a rock face you can see from the parking lot. The Forest Service’s Treasure Falls Trail (No. 563) is a short interpretive trail, about 0.4 miles one way, that switchbacks through the forest from 8,120 to 8,380 feet. A spur leads to the Valley View overlook, a footbridge crosses the creek with a full view of the falls, and a second spur ends at Misty Deck near the base, where the spray drifts over you. The falls take their name from a local legend about gold buried in the mountain above.

Late spring is the loudest season, when snowmelt from the high country sends the creek roaring. Summer brings cool mist on hot days, and in deep winter the falls can freeze into pale ice. It is the perfect leg-stretch on a road trip over Wolf Creek Pass, and it pairs naturally with a soak in Pagosa Springs at the bottom of the hill.

Insider tip: The trail is short but steep, gaining a few hundred feet, so give yourself 30 to 45 minutes round trip. The paved lot fills up at peak travel times, so arrive early in summer. In winter the switchbacks can be icy; traction devices help. The trail is non-motorized only, with no e-bikes.

Treasure Falls is open year-round with no fee. Winter visitors should expect snow and ice on the trail and check COtrip.org for U.S. 160 conditions over Wolf Creek Pass, and the latest trail notes are on the San Juan National Forest site.