How
to Get There
Located
in the southwest corner of New Mexico, the Gila
National Forest covers 3.3 million acres of
tree-covered mountains: the Mogollons,
Tularosas, Diablos and the Black Range. From a
base elevation of 4,500 feet in the high desert,
the peaks rise to almost 11,000 feet, covering
biotic zones from desert to alpine. The
Continental Divide snakes across the national
forest for 170 miles. Located within the larger
national forest are three major protected areas.
In addition to the Gila Wilderness, the forest
encircles the Aldo Leopold Wilderness (202,016
acres), and the Blue Range Wilderness, which
crosses the mountains into Arizona.
Much
of the national forest is designed for multiple
use, including logging, mining and other human
endeavors. The Gila Wilderness comprises over
half a million acres covering more than 1,000
square miles. It is located north of the New
Mexico towns of Deming and Lordsburg, both on
Interstate 10, and even closer to Silver City
which is 44 miles northeast of Lordsburg via
State Route 90. It's another 42 miles to the
visitor center and the Gila Cliff Dwellings via
State Route 15.
There
is an alternate 88-mile scenic route to the
wilderness, by leaving Interstate 10 at Deming,
to the east of Lordsburg, driving northwest for
23 miles on U.S. Highway 180, and then heading
northeast on State Route 61, through the Mimbres
River Valley. This route will lead you to the
Lake Roberts Recreation Area before meeting
Highway 15 for the final 19 miles to the Gila
Wilderness parking lots, visitor center, and
campground. Combining the two routes as a loop
trip makes for a fine in-and-out drive.
National
Forest Facilities
The
visitor center for the Gila Wilderness and the
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is
located at the end of State Route 15, beside the
confluence of the East and West Forks of the
Gila River. It is open year-round, except for
December 25 and January 1. The visitor station
is staffed by rangers who are knowledgeable
about wilderness trails and the cliff dwellings.
A selection of books on the natural history of
the area is available. The cliff dwellings are
located one mile beyond the visitor center. Two
adjacent park campgrounds are accessed by the
same road. These are the only developed
campgrounds in the Monument, equipped with
picnic tables, a water supply and
toilets.
Camping
There
are two campgrounds in Gila Cliff Dwellings
National Monument, providing a little more in
services than the basic forest recreation
campsites. The side-by-side campground (Scorpion
1 & 2) are located on the road which leads
to the cliff dwellings trail. There is a private
campground with RV spaces in the nearby village
of Gila Hot Springs. Additional Forest Service
campgrounds are located outside the wilderness
boundary, on State Route 15 (Forks and
Grapevine), and farther from the monument on
State Route 35. These campsites are in the Lake
Roberts Recreation Area (fifteen minutes' drive
from the intersection of Route 35 and State
Route 15).
Backcountry
Advisory
Backpacking
permits and the filing of trip itineraries are
not required in the Gila Wilderness.
Topographical maps and other information are
available at the visitor information center in
the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. For
advance information and ordering of maps, call
(505) 536-9461. One map which provides an
excellent overview of the wilderness is the
"Visitors Travel Guide and Map of the Gila
Wilderness." This is not the usual colored
forest map but is a special semi-waterproof map,
three feet square (200 feet contour), selling
for $5.00. It has all the maintained trails
marked with numbers and also has prominent
topographical features including mountain peaks,
springs, rivers, creeks and perimeter roads for
trail access. USGS topos (40 feet contour)are
available at $2.50 per map.
Rivers
must be crossed on the major trails which lead
along the Gila River and its forks. There is not
a single foot bridge on the trail system (after
all, this is wilderness). The four riverside
trails require several crossings per mile.
Crossings are often hazardous during the
mid-March through late April period. There are
places along the East Fork which are privately-
owned, and hikers must receive written
permission to cross these properties, all shown
on the wilderness map.
Campers
should put their tents on high ground, above the
forks or river. Water sources are generally
reliable, including the three forks and the
river. There are springs with potable water
along several of the most popular trails. Check
with the rangers before you set out to confirm
water sources on your route. It is advisable not
to immerse your head in hot spring water, or
splash water on your head or chest. There is a
tiny organism in some of the spring pools which,
when inhaled through the nose, may cause serious
medical problems.
Finding
a camping spot is easy, as camping is permitted
anywhere in the backcountry wilderness, except
within 300 feet of a spring, 100 feet of a
stream, or within 300 yards of a tank or other
man-made water supply. Firewood may be gathered
for camp fires, but only that wood which is both
dead and down. Do not remove dead branches from
living trees. Fire rings are not permitted
within the wilderness and campers are asked to
scatter any rings they might find. Pets are
allowed, although not particularly welcomed
because of the presence of wildlife.
Introduction