The Gila National Forest, with headquarters in Silver City, is a big,
wild, wonderful country in the southwestern section of the state. It has
been scarcely affected by the hustle and bustle of modern living. Within
its boundaries are 2.7 million acres of public-owned forest and range
land, with almost a quarter of it devoted to wilderness and primitive
areas. It includes the famous Gila Wilderness, the first such area set
aside in the United States and the largest in the Southwest. Most of the
Gila National Forest is north of Silver City, though part of it lies in
the high country between Silver City and Lordsburg.
The Gila is an exciting and exhilarating place to explore, sightsee,
hunt, fish, and just enjoy. Indian ruins are evident almost everywhere,
but the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, adjacent to the Gila
Primitive Area, is the best preserved. Ancient tree stumps and abandoned
Indian ruins record the history of man; old mine dumps contain ores and
minerals not known nor appreciated in the heyday of local mining;
microscopic plants and forest grasses which may hold the key to man’s
future health abound; and the traveler may experience great delight in
finding a dried root or branch to add to a native rock garden; the
majestic peaks, deer and other wild game, and cool, splashing waters of
a mountain creek delight the camera hobbyist.
One of the most beautiful and spectacular box canyons in the Southwest
is on Whitewater Creek about four miles northeast of Glenwood. A catwalk
built against the rock walls of the canyon enables the traveler to
thrill at the unusual beauty and colors of the canyon and the cool
depths of the trout stream below (_see_ Frontispiece).
Good roads lead into the Gila National Forest at Reserve and Alma from
U.S. Highway 260. An enjoyable loop trip which touches the Gila
Wilderness at Willow Creek can be taken on State Highway 78 from Alma.
Another beautiful trip is through the Black Range from the junction of
State Highway 180 and U.S. Highway 85 to Silver City. Approach to the
Gila from the north can be made through Beaverhead, Apache Creek, and
Reserve, where good roads lead into the Forest.
Fifteen developed recreation areas provide camping and picnicking for
the hiker, horseback rider, and motorist and are complete with
fireplaces, tables, and benches. Elk, deer, antelope, bear, javelina,
and game birds are plentiful, and fishing in the high mountain creeks is
usually rewarded with a satisfying catch.
District ranger stations are at Magdalena, Truth or Consequences,
Reserve, Glenwood, and Mimbres.