La Mina Trail

Vereda La Mina

The forest's most walked trail, following the La Mina River down to La Mina Falls. Winding concrete stairs make the climb back the hard part.

Closed

Closed for repairs. USDA Forest Service, forest trails status (updated Apr 28, 2026), checked Sep 28, 2026.

ModerateClosed

About 486 ft of climb in 0.7 mi.

0.7 mi each way1.2 km, measured by the Forest Service
45 min to 1 h 10 minRound trip, at an easy pace with stops
486 ftDownhill going in, so you climb it on the way back
Concrete stepsUnderfoot
TrailheadPalo Colorado Information Center, PR-191 km 12.2
ParkingTwo paved lots at Palo Colorado

Directions to the trailhead Directions to the parking

Highlights

La Mina FallsAt the end, 0.7 mi inA 35 ft fall into a pool
The pool at La Mina FallsAt the end, 0.7 mi in

Where it goes

Distance0.7 miElevation1,612–2,101 ftClimb+0 ft

Trailhead, 2,101 ft0.7 mi, 1,612 ft

Easy
Moderate
Hard
Closed

Make it longer

Meets El Yunque Trail at the trailhead, a short walk along the road. Carry on along it for up to 2.5 mi more, to Los Picachos spur.
Meets Baño de Oro Trail at the trailhead, a short walk along the road. Carry on along it for up to 0.4 mi more.
Meets Big Tree Trail 0.7 mi in. It is closed now, so it can't be added to this hike.

Up and down

Climb0 ftnone going out: it is downhill all the way
Descent486 ftgoing out, so you climb it on the way back
Lowest1,612 ftabove sea level
Highest2,101 ftabove sea level

Good day to hike it?

Checking

Checking today's conditions…

Best time to go. Come early. The Forest Service calls the busiest trails congested later in the day, and it limits visitor numbers when the parking fills.

What to bring

Water
Shoes with grip for wet stairs

What you'll see

A waterfall
A river
A river pool

Parking

Two paved lots at Palo Colorado

Entry to the PR-191 North recreation corridor in Río Grande is free and needs no reservation. It is open from 8 AM to 5 PM, and the number of visitors is limited when the parking fills.