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F
GILA NATIONAL FOREST
Stay Limit/Days
Season of Use
Picnic Units
Camp Units
Elevation
Site Name
Location
Facilities
D
DOÑA ANA CO
LUNA CO
GRANT CO
GRANT CO
C
Site Number
Season of Use
Stay Limit/Days
Picnic Units
Camp Units
Elevation
Site Name
B
Location
Site Number
A
Deming
8
8
HIDALGO CO
10
NEW MEXICO
2018
0
Facilities
14
6
12 Miles
W!
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Gila National Forest Land
Adjacent National Forest Land
Gila NF Wilderness
Adjacent NF Wilderness
US Fish and Wildlife Lands
New Mexico State Parks
Navajo Reservation Land
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37
"
Gila NF Recreation Site
!
9
Recreation Sites, Other Than Gila NF
O
Point of Interest
Gila National Forest Supervisor’s Office
? Ranger District Office
7 Forest Service Administrative Site
* All recreation sites are subject to closure due to fire
or flood damage. Contact the local Ranger District for
current information.
- Please call ahead for additional information.
- Trailer parking sites may have size limitations.
- Pets must be on leash in all recreation sites.
www.recreation.gov
1(877) 444-6777
¡BIENVENIDOS!
Welcome...to Gila National Forest
Welcome to Gila National Forest, 3.3
million acres of publicly owned forest and
range land, rising above the desert country
of southwestern New Mexico. The forest is a
rugged realm of cactus and grass, juniper
and pine, spruce and aspen, and few people.
One unit lies less than 50 miles from the
international border with Mexico. The main
unit forms an irregular outline about 65 by
100 miles in an area just north of Silver City.
RG-R3-06-04
Glenwood RD
P.O. Box 8
Glenwood, NM 88039
(575) 539-2481
Black Range RD
1804 North Date Street
Truth or Consequences,
NM 87901
(575) 894-6677
Reserve RD
P.O. Box 170
Reserve, NM 87830
(575) 533-6232
Gila National Forest
3005 East Camino
del Bosque
Silver City, NM 88061
(575) 388-8201
Quemado RD
P.O. Box 159
Quemado, NM 87829
(575) 773-4678
For maps and other information,
contact:
LAS CRUCES
10
!
SILVER
SILVER
CITY
DEMING
!
£
¤¤
£
70
54
ALAMOGORDO
!
!
TRUTH
!OR
CONSEQUENCES
Wildlife and fish are valuable resources of
the forest. Each year thousands of visitors
come to Gila to fish, hunt, and view
wildlife, providing an important source of
income for businesses in nearby
communities. Big game species, such as
mule deer, are common on the Gila. There
are also many beautiful Sonoran whitetail or
“Coues” deer. Numerous trophy class game
animals have been taken in recent years.
Pronghorn find forage on the grassland
areas, while black bear and turkey are found
Brown Bear Cub
throughout the forest. Javalina, or collared
peccary, prefer to live in the warmer areas.
Majestic Rocky Mountain elk roam in significant numbers, ranging from the lower elevations of
piñon and juniper country up into the aspen high country. Fort Bayard Wildlife Refuge, 10 miles
east of Silver City, offers the unique opportunity of viewing elk especially during autumn. In
1964, bighorn sheep were reintroduced into Gila country and are sometimes seen in the area
southwest of Glenwood, along the San Francisco River, and in the Turkey Creek area.
Gila National Forest is federal land managed
in trust for all citizens. Its management
requires different laws and regulations based
on local conditions. It is your responsibility
to become familiar with restrictions by
checking with local offices and reading signs
and bulletin boards.
It is also your responsibility to be aware of
the potential risks and take safety
precautions at all times when visiting the
Gila. Changing terrain, forest, and weather
conditions present a wide variety of hazards.
Hazards include but are not limited to: snow,
landslides, falling trees or limbs, high or
rushing water, contaminated water, wild
animals, severe weather, becoming lost or
overexerted, hypothermia, and exposure to
the unreasonable acts of other people.
The Gila offers fairly primitive camping
opportunities. Camping on the Gila is
limited to 14 cumulative days within a
30-day period. Campers must move off
forest after the 14 cumulative days. Often
there is no trash service, so the forest
recommends a “Pack It In/Pack It Out”
policy and asks that visitors practice “Leave
No Trace” principles. For more information
on “Leave No Trace,” go to https://lnt.org
Other wildlife include the reclusive mountain lion, porcupine, bobcat, ringtail, coati, several
species of bats, many small mammals, and almost 350 species of birds including golden eagles,
goshawks, and great horned, flammulated, and Mexican spotted owls.
£
¤
180
!
!CARRIZOZO
380
£
¤
60
£
¤
£
¤
ROSWELL 380
25
£
¤
£
!
SOCORRO
£
!
QUEMADO
70
¤
£
¤
CLOVIS!
54
SANTA ROSA
!
!
!
40
GRANTS
ALBUQUERQUE
40
!
GALLUP
!
SANTA FE
25
!
RATON
2018
United States Department of Agriculture
Gila
Pocket Guide
Recreation
Wilderness
The scenic drives, camp and picnic grounds,
rushing streams, and majestic mountains of the
Gila draw thousands of visitors each year.
Leisure travel through the forest is the most
popular recreational use. The tall timber around
Reserve and Willow Creek, the famous Catwalk
National Recreation Trail in Whitewater Canyon
near Glenwood, the historic Fort Bayard area,
and the fabled gold mining ghost town of
Mogollon are other popular sites to enjoy. A
pleasant surprise to many forest visitors is the
number and quality of fishing streams. Species
range from flathead and channel catfish in the
lower elevations, to smallmouth bass in the
middle reaches, and brown and rainbow trout
Pack string in the Gila Wilderness
above 6,000 feet. Hidden deep in the Gila and
Aldo Leopold Wilderness areas are populations
of the unique, golden-colored Gila trout currently listed as threatened. Fishing for Gila trout is
regulated by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. The finest stream fishing awaits
those who are willing to “pack in.” Major streams at least partially accessible by road include all
forks of the Gila River, upper San Francisco River, Willow Creek, Gilita Creek, and Whitewater
Creek. Trout can also be taken at the popular Quemado Lake, Lake Roberts, and Snow Lake. The
forest’s river systems are also a refuge for such sensitive, threatened, and endangered species as
the spikedace and loach minnow plus the Chihuahua, headwater, Gila, and roundtail chubs.
Hunting and fishing are open to all citizens and regulated by the New Mexico Department of
Game and Fish.
Gila National Forest includes more
wilderness than any other national forest in
the Southwest. This undeveloped natural
country can refresh the human spirit simply
by its grandeur, purity, and remoteness.
Three such areas have been set aside; places
individuals can visit and enjoy but not
change. The 558,065-acre Gila Wilderness,
established on June 3,1924 at the urging of
the great conservation pioneer Aldo Leopold,
was the Nation’s first designated wilderness.
It’s now bordered on the east by the
202,016-acre Aldo Leopold Wilderness. The
29,304-acre Blue Range Wilderness adjoins
Arizona’s rugged Blue Range Primitive
Area. Together these areas comprise a vast,
roadless realm astride the Black Range, and
the Mogollon, Diablo, and Blue Mountains.
In wilderness there are no roads; the only
travel permitted is by foot, horseback, or
canoe.
New Mexico
Forest Service
Southwestern Region
The Continental Divide meanders for 170 miles through this awesome canyon country, once the
stronghold of Geronimo, prominent leader, warrior, and medicine man of the Chiricahua Apache,
and his followers. Centuries ago, cliff-dwelling tribes lived here and remains of their homes are
scattered throughout the forest. One outstanding example has been preserved for today’s visitors
by the National Park Service at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. Forest mountain ranges
include the Mogollon, Tularosa, Diablo, Brushy, Saliz, San Francisco, Gallo, Mangas, Pinos Altos,
Big Burro, Mimbres, and Black Range. Elevations start at 4,500 feet in the Chihuahuan Desert and
rise to almost 11,000 feet on the often snow-covered crest of Whitewater Baldy.
Be Responsible
McKnight Mountain
Gwynn Tank
Fire Safety
Campfires are allowed in the forest except
during times of extreme fire danger. Before
you head into the forest, always check to see
what fire restrictions the forest has in effect.
During extremely dry conditions, fires are
often limited to camping stoves or are
prohibited.
Points of Interest
Cosmic IDSS - The Gila National Forest is
home to the first designated International
Dark Sky Sanctuary in North America and
the first on National Forest System lands. It
is located as part of the Cosmic Campground
on the Glenwood Ranger District.
Photo by David Thornburg
Silver City RD
3005 East Camino
del Bosque
Silver City, NM 88061
(575) 388-8201
Wilderness RD
HC 68 Box 50
Mimbres, NM 88049
(575) 536-2250
Mineral Creek
T-Bar Grasslands
Wildlife
NEVER build a fire on an windy day!
Setting Milky Way at Cosmic IDSS
Water
NEVER leave a campfire unattended!
Keep a shovel and water close by.
Motor Vehicle Use Maps
Water is the lifeblood for all activities and is
especially vital in the arid Southwest. Most
of the water available for use in this region
comes from the mountain lands which make
up much of the national forests. The Forest
Service is charged with protecting and
improving the water producing capabilities
of mountain watersheds. Rain and snow on
the Gila bring 12 to 28 inches of water per
year to this thirsty land. Timber, grass and
shrubs use some of the moisture. Their roots
stabilize the soil, thus allowing the
remaining water to feed underground basins,
creeks, springs, manmade water
developments, as well as the Rio Grande and
Gila, San Francisco, and Mimbres Rivers.
ALWAYS put your campfire out
completely. Mix and stir campgire coals
with dirt and/or water.
Please be careful where and when you
smoke. It’s unsafe to smoke while riding a
horse or trail biking. While in your vehicle,
always use your ashtray. Remember, a “No
Smoking” sign in the forest means just that,
not even in an automobile.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer
and lender.
Senator Clinton P. Anderson Overlook
More Americans than ever are using
off-highway vehicles (OHVs) to enjoy the
outdoors. However, if not managed
carefully, motorized recreation can damage
both the land and the resources that visitors
have come to enjoy. In 2005, the Forest
Service published a new rule for motor
vehicle use on national forests and
grasslands. This rule requires each national
forest and grasslands designate those
National Forest System (NFS) roads, NFS
trails, and areas on NFS lands that are open
to motor vehicle use on a motor vehicle use
map (MVUM). All visitors should check
with the nearest FS office to obtain a
MVUM.
Whitewater Canyon/Catwalk National
Recreation Trail - Whitewater Canyon, site
of the very popular Catwalk Recreation Trail
and Whitewater Picnic Area, was a central
point in the mining saga of southwestern
New Mexico. The town of Graham, also
called Whitewater, grew up around a mill
built by John T. Graham in 1893. The town
survived less than 10 years. All that remains
to mark the spot are part of the mill walls
clinging to the west side of the canyon near
the entrance to the Catwalk.
To view the current Gila Pocket Guide and Motor
Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM) with your smart
device, you may scan the QR codes below.
Pocket Guide
https://www.fs.usda.gov/
main/gila/maps-pubs
MVUM
https://www.fs.fed.us/r3/gis/
USFS_Southwestern_Region
_MVUM_Repository.html
