Sitting Bull Falls Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Sitting Bull Falls
View of Sitting Bull Falls from below.
Sitting Bull Falls Location in New Mexico
Location	Eddy, New Mexico, United States
Elevation	5,000 ft (1,500 m)
Governing body	United States Department of Agriculture

Sitting Bull Falls is a beautiful place with many waterfalls. It is found in a deep canyon in the Lincoln National Forest. This forest is southwest of Carlsbad, New Mexico. The United States Department of Agriculture's Forest Service takes care of this area. It is a popular spot for people to visit during the day.

The water for the falls comes from springs high up in the canyon. It flows through small streams and calm pools. Then, it tumbles down 150 feet (about 46 meters) to the canyon floor! After that, most of the water sinks into the ground. It might pop up again as new springs or join the underground water in the Pecos Valley.

The rocks around Sitting Bull Falls are very old. They are what is left of an ancient reef system. This reef formed about 250 million years ago. Back then, this area was near the edge of a large inland sea. This time period is called the Permian period.

What's in a Name?
Fun Things to Do
History of the Area
Images for kids
See also

What's in a Name?

The exact reason for the name Sitting Bull Falls is not fully known. One story says it was named after a famous Sioux medicine man. The Apache people had their own name for the area. They called it gostahanagunti, which means hidden gulch.

Fun Things to Do

There are many ways to explore Sitting Bull Falls. You can hike on trails that lead to the springs above the waterfalls. A paved path connects the picnic area to the bottom of the falls. Here, visitors can wade or swim in the cool water.

There are also several caves in the area. If you want to visit these caves, you need to get a special permit first.

History of the Area

In 1940, a group called the Civilian Conservation Corps built many stone buildings here. These buildings are part of the parking and picnic areas. A special time capsule was placed in front of one building on March 24, 1999. It will be opened in 2040. This will be 100 years after the Civilian Conservation Corps built these structures.

The day-use area was closed for almost a year. This was from April 27, 2011, to April 6, 2012. A wildfire had caused damage in the area. Many of the picnic shelters needed to be fixed after the fire. You can still see some signs of the fire in the area today.