Thousand Foot Falls

Hidden Valley Falls, universally called Thousand Foot Falls, drops off the edge of the Mountain Pine Ridge into a forested gorge, and the name understates it: measurements put it closer to sixteen hundred feet. It is frequently described as the highest waterfall in Central America, a claim that is repeated more often than it is checked. It is seen from a viewpoint across the valley, a long way off, and the descent to the base is a serious guided trek.

The landscape

• The fall - a long thin drop off the plateau edge into a forested gorge.
• The viewpoint - a platform across the valley, the standard vantage.
• The pine ridge - the granite and pine plateau the water falls from.
• The gorge - broadleaf forest in the valley below the drop.

When to go

June to December, in and after the rains, gives the strongest flow. The dry months reduce it considerably. Roads through the pine ridge are best from December to April.

What to expect

The view is from a long way across the valley and the fall looks small; visitors expecting to stand near it are disappointed. The height claim as Central America's highest is widely repeated but not established. The roads in are rough and slow.

Nearby

Big Rock Falls is nearby, and the Rio On Pools are south.

Key facts