El Chorro Falls
south of Chama, is one of the world's highest waterfalls ranked around 170th on the list, when it's active. However, it's not active very often, or for very long -- it's produced by spring runoff over the towering Brazos Cliffs, lasts only a few weeks in the spring, and is usually completely gone by June. If you happen to be in the area in April or May, try driving south from Chama on US 64 toward the village of Tierra Amarilla, then east toward the cliffs, and see if you can glimpse it in the distance no road approaches the falls.The Brazos Cliffs themselves are spectacularly scenic and beckon the rock climber, but unfortunately, they're 100% on private property and access is severely restricted. There are some hunting lodges at the base of the cliffs, notably Brazos Lodge (http://www.brazosrentals.com/) and Corkin's Lodge (http://www.corkinslodge.com/), that include many outdoor recreational opportunities among their generally pricey amenities and give good views of the scenery including El Chorro when it's running; in general, however, they forbid or strongly discourage climbing on the cliffs.
