Brazos Cliffs

I climbed Brazos last summer. We stayed in Corkin's Lodge, pricey but ok if you have a few folks, and were dropped off at the end of the road to access the main cliff. We also explored upriver and found loads of potential lines, some of which had already been done according to some local friends.

I used to live in Pagosa Springs and we asked the folks at Corkin's (who own the property that you have to cross to access the base of the routes) personally if they allow access to climbers. They were adamant that the Brazos Cliffs were off limits to climbers and that anyone attempting to climb the cliffs would be prosecuted. They claimed it was a liability issue, since they are running a business on the property.

This was back in 2000. Have things changed with regard to access? Do you get a "free pass" if you have stayed at the lodge?

As to my knowledge you don't receive a free pass if you stay at Corkins. The reason is as such:
If they grant you access to the cliffs and you get hurt climbing you can sue them. So, if they grant access, then they also have to carry an insurance policy which would cover all climbers...not just the ones they sanction to climb on their land. Unfortunately the litigious nature of our country puts them in a tight spot.
I'm not recommending, only informing here...but if you climb without permission then Corkins is not responsible if you bust your ass, or head. Again, I'm not recommending trespassing....especially in New Mexico...The locals can be severally more dangerous then the law in those parts. Anyone who has driven 64west from Tres Piedras to Chama has probably seen the dummy hanging with a noose around it's neck, from a sign which reads" We do things the old way!"
With all this being said...It can be a great adventure climbing in the Brazos!

My understanding is that only the Los Alamos Mountaineers have gained permission to climb on the Brazos cliffs. I would suggest contacting them if you are interested in getting permission.

My father wrote a guidebook to the Brazos which appeared in the Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) publication "Trail & Timberline" in March issue, 1972, #639. This is difficult to find but if you go to the AAC library they probably have it. The Boulder CMC clubhouse had a copy too last time I checked.

The final paragraph from the 1972 guidebook:

"The lands near the Brazos Cliffs have a turbulent past, a confused present, and an uncertain future. In the past, disputes involving the grants of Spanish kings and conflicting water rights have often issued in violence. At present, many people are attracted to the area by the beauty of its streams and forests or the challenge of its noble cliffs. But they come with various uses in mind. Most conspicuous and friendly are the land developers, who dream of aerial tramways to revolving restaurants atop the cliffs. Others are hostile to their inroads, like Phil Corkin who has spent his lifetime building a resort with minimal impact on the wilderness and who now depends on it with calculated fierceness. Finally, there are we mountaineers who clearly perceive that the splendid area should be preserved for all posterity with what wilderness is left and who would like to see the land acquired for that purpose. The future is in doubt."

The Los Alamos Mountaineers link now works

Brazos Cliffs access

Brazos Cliffs history