Fillmore waterfall
Doña Ana County, New Mexico
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Doña Ana County, New Mexico
- Access status
- BLM natural area trail; day-use fee; seasonal flow
- The walk
- About 3.5 to 4 miles total
- Ground & access
- Moderate. Sometimes rough desert trail with about 600 feet of climbing. Old mine shafts are fenced; stay out. Rocks by the falls are slippery.
Fillmore waterfall is a small, seasonal waterfall where Fillmore Canyon ends, on the west side of the Organ Mountains in BLM's Dripping Springs Natural Area east of Las Cruces. From the visitor center, take the La Cueva Trail to the Fillmore Canyon Trail. The trail climbs past the fenced shafts and ruins of the old Modoc Mine and enters narrow Fillmore Canyon, which ends at the waterfall and a small pool. Most hikers turn around here. A rough trail continues up beside the falls. The route description dates from 2012.
Plan your visit
Dripping Springs Natural Area visitor center, La Cueva Trail to the Fillmore Canyon Trail, up Fillmore Canyon past the old Modoc Mine to the waterfall at the head of the canyon
The Outbound gives 3.5 miles for a loop of Fillmore Canyon and La Cueva from the visitor center. On Walkabout gives about 4 miles for its Fillmore Canyon hike, which continued above the waterfall.
Moderate. Sometimes rough desert trail with about 600 feet of climbing. Old mine shafts are fenced; stay out. Rocks by the falls are slippery.
Where to start
Dripping Springs Natural Area visitor center lot at the east end of Dripping Springs Road, 15000 Dripping Springs Rd., Las Cruces. From I-25 exit 1, take University Avenue and Dripping Springs Road east to the end.
Timing & water
BLM hours: March to November 7 am to sunset; November to March 8 am to sunset. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. The falls are often a trickle; they flow best after heavy rain.
Before you go
BLM charges a day-use fee of $5 per vehicle. A Las Cruces District annual pass is $30.
Visitor informationVisit sources
More waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
No other mapped waterfalls within 40 miles.