Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
345
and the foundations strengthened to prevent further deterioration. It took a great deal of
effort to build these homes: The stones were held in place by mortar, and all the clay and
water for the mortar had to be hand-carried up from the stream, as the Mogollon did not
have any pack animals. The vigas for the roof were cut and shaped with stone axes or
fire.
The people who lived here were farmers, as shown by the remains of beans, squash,
and corn in their homes. The fields were along the valley of the west fork of the Gila
River and on the mesa across the canyon. No signs of irrigation have been found.
Near the visitor center, about a mile away, the remains of an earlier pit house (a.d.
100-400), built below ground level, and later pit houses (up to a.d. 1000), aboveground
structures of adobe or wattle, have been found.
CAMPING
Camping and picnicking are encouraged in the national monument, with four developed
campgrounds. Camping is free and some sites are RV accessible, though there are no
hookups. Overnight lodging can be found in Silver City and in the nearby town of Gila
Hot Springs, which also has a grocery store, horse rentals, and guided pack trips. For
information, contact the visitor center (
&
575/536-9461
).
15
OTHER ADVENTURES IN GILA
NATIONAL FOREST
11
Gila National Forest, which offers some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the
Southwest, comprises 3.3 million acres in four counties. Nearly one-fourth of that acre-
age (790,000 acres) is composed of the
Gila, Aldo Leopold,
and
Blue Range wilder-
nesses.
Its highest peak is Whitewater Baldy, at 10,892 feet. Within the forest, six out of
seven life zones can be found, so the range of plant and wildlife is broad. You may see
mule deer, elk, antelope, black bear, mountain lion, and bighorn sheep. Nearly 400 miles
of streams and a few small lakes sustain healthy populations of trout as well as bass,
bluegill, and catfish. Anglers can head to Lake Roberts, Snow Lake, and Quemado
Lake.
JUST THE FACTS
For more information on the national forest, contact the
U.S. For-
est Service,
Forest Supervisor's Office, 3005 E. Camino del Bosque, Silver City, NM
88061 (
&
575/388-8201;
www.fs.fed.us).
The national forest has 29 campgrounds, all with toilets, six with drinking water. Car
and backpack camping are also permitted throughout the forest.
GETTING OUTSIDE
The forest has 1,490 miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding, and, in winter, cross-
country skiing. Outside the wilderness areas, trail bikes and off-road vehicles are permit-
ted. Hiking trails in the Gila Wilderness, especially the 41-mile Middle Fork Trail, with
its east end near Gila Cliff Dwellings, are among the most popular in the state and can
sometimes be crowded. If you are more interested in communing with nature than with
fellow hikers, you will find plenty of trails to suit you, both in and out of the officially
designated wilderness areas.
Most of the trails are maintained and easy to follow. Trails along river bottoms have
many stream crossings (so be prepared for hiking with wet feet) and may be washed out
