Salado Canyon to Bridal Veil Falls Trail Near Alamogordo

After spending a few days at White Sands National Park, we made our way toward the last destination on our road trip, the Carlsbad Caverns. Along the way, we wanted to make a few stops to maximize our trip. One of these stops was the Salado Canyon to Bridal Veil Falls Trail, right outside Alamogordo in New Mexico. The Salado Canyon to Bridal Veil Falls Trail is part of the Rails to Trails conservancy, constructed along portions of the abandoned Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain Railroad. The destination of this trail is the Bridal Veil Falls, a 45ft high waterfall. Bridal Veil Falls used to be a popular sight and attraction along the Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain Railroad.

Note: Please make sure to respect this beautiful place and the surrounding areas. Always practice LEAVE NO TRACE. This means no loud music, no graffiti, no taking artifacts or fossilized items, and pack out what you pack in! Please help us protect this place for generations to come!

Stats

Where

Salado Canyon Trailhead
457 Fresnal Canyon Rd, La Luz, NM 88337
32.957664, -105.864343

Parking

Small dirt area in front of the trailhead that fits about 2-3 cars. There are additional parking spots located further up the road.

Restroom

There is no restroom

Fee

Free

Distance

2.5-mile R.T.

Elevation Gain

135ft

Level

Easy

Time:

1-2 hours

Pet-friendly

You can bring your pet, but they have to be on leash.

Ideal Time

This trail is beautiful year-round. It can get very warm in the summer since there are no shades.

Weather

Video

Getting There

There are a couple of ways to get to Bridal Veil Falls, but the most popular route would be by using the Salado Canyon Trail trailhead. We put the address for this trail above so you can GPS your way there. For written instruction, we put them below:

Take U.S. 82 to High Rolls, New Mexico.
Turn north onto FS Road 162C (turn at the Post Office sign)
Continue your way through the winding road for about 2.7 miles until you see a small parking area on your right (where the powerline crosses the road).
There is a sign at the parking area for “Salado Canyon Trailhead.”

The Adventure

The Start of the Trail

From the parking area, we walked about 0.1 miles to the official start of the Salado Canyon to Bridal Veil Falls Trail, a junction with a small wooden trail sign. From here, if you’re going left, it is a short detour to the Salado Canyon Trestle, about 0.5 miles each way. We didn’t do this detour because we were short on time. Instead, we went right to go toward the Bridal Veil Falls.

This trail is quite easy. It is fairly wide, with a very slight uphill, except for a few sections. It is rocky though so watch your steps so you won’t roll your ankles. Depending on when you go, there are wildflowers along the trail. They brighten up the otherwise monotonous trail. If you love history, there are informational signs along the way about the Cloud-Climbing Rail Trail. The Cloud-Climbing Rail Trail is another name for the Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain Railroad. And if you’re looking back along the canyon, you can see the Salado Canyon Trestle, one of the remaining trestles on this railroad.

Almost to the Waterfalls

At about 0.9 miles, we could see a set of wooden stairs in the distance. Before getting to the stairs, it is a short downhill. Watch your steps, this downhill can get a bit bit slippery. After the downhill, you’ll then have to ascend right back up the wooden staircase. It’s not that bad. This staircase is probably the only major elevation gain that you’ll encounter on this trail. By the way, there is very little shade on this trail, so make sure you put on tons of sunscreen and bring enough water.

After the stairs, it was a short distance before we reached a metal gate. Don’t worry, even though the gate is locked, there is an opening on the side that you can go through. After the gate, you’ll come to a sign for private property. Make sure to stay on the trail, away from the private property area. Once we left this junction, we were very close to the waterfalls. It was just another short hill before we reached the creek area.

The Bridal Veil Falls

The waterfalls are tucked away in the corner. It wasn’t flowing as much as we were hoping but there was still some water. This place must be spectacular if the waterfalls were flowing. Even though, it was a nice reprised from the sweltering heat. It was interesting to learn that the tourist trails back then used to stop at the Bridal Veil Falls year-round. The Bridal Veil is the most impressive waterfall in the Sacramento Mountains. Unlike many water sources, the springs that create this fall are permanent. They flow year-round, even in drought years.

The Abandoned Building

Once we were up at the gazebo on the other side of the creek, we noticed an abandoned building, not too far away. Of course, we went to check it out. There is a small network of trails leading to the abandoned building. This place is pretty cool. There are a few abandoned structures along with some old machinery. We enjoyed our time checking out everything. Since we love abandoned places, we were quite excited to find this place. This might not be your cup of tea though. If that is the case, you can return the same way you came from, or continue on the Grand View Trail, and make this into a longer hike.

The Salado Canyon to Bridal Veil Falls is worth a visit if you’re in the area, especially if the waterfalls are flowing more. It was such a cool hike. We enjoyed our time here, especially when we got to learn more about the Cloud Climbing Railway when we hiked the Mexican Canyon Trestle after this!

These are the gear that we personally use and find them helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.