Whether you want a short hike in town, a fairly easy hike near an historic fort, a day hike up a mountain, or a trek from New Mexico to Canada, Silver City is a great place to start your hike.
At 6,000 feet above sea level with a moderate four-season climate, Silver City is host to many hiking possibilities. A large selection of trails leads to memorable outdoor adventures. There are many options to be explored and links to websites are listed.
The Murray Ryan Visitor Center and the Gila National Forest Office, as well as visitsilvercity.org, are a great starting point for information on local and regional hiking. Many maps and brochures are available at these two locations.
Hiking and biking supplies can be found at local outfitter and bike shops such as Gila Hike & Bike, Morningstar, Twin Sisters Cycling and Silver City Cycles.
In Silver City - Within town limits you can enjoy the 550-acre Boston Hill Trails and Open Space that once was a site for mining silver, copper and manganiferous iron ore. Several trail heads offer flat to rugged terrain for hiking, biking or horseback.
San Vincente Creek Trail and Open Space include the historic Big Ditch Park which was created by floods over 100 years ago. Follow San Vincente Trail from Scott Park to Gough Park and encounter tiled murals, native habitat and more than 220 species of birds. Among other in-town hikes are Silva Creek Trail and La Capilla Heritage Park.
Nearby Silver City - Traveling just out of Silver City experience Gomez Peak and Little Walnut Trails. The trail area covers about 10 miles of designated trails. About seven miles south on Hwy 180 visit Fort Bayard National Historic Landmark and follow the self-guided walking tour.
The adjoining Fort Bayard Trail System includes 14 day-use trails ranging from easy to difficult with lengths of 3/4 to 11-1/2 miles long. City of Rocks State Park is another popular spot, 45 miles south of Silver City. Towering monolithic rocks formed from volcanic ash 35 million years ago provide trails and walkways throughout City of Rocks.
The Forest - The Gila Wilderness and Gila National Forest offer a multitude of trails for both novice and experienced hikers. The first wilderness set aside by Congress was the Gila Wilderness, found within the vast 3.3-million-acre Gila National Forest.
The 438,360-acre Gila Wilderness, promoted by conservationist Aldo Leopold and set aside in 1924 as the first such area in the United States. Gila (pronounced ‘HEE-la’) National Forest includes more than 1,600 miles of designated non-motorized trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding.
There are also motorized trails for vehicles 50 inches in width or narrower. Hike through the cottonwoods of the Mimbres Valley to the juniper, piñon and ponderosa pine country of the Gila up to the spruce and fir thriving on the highest peaks, while the desert agave clings to the vertical cliffs of deep canyon walls.
Gila Cliff Dwellings - located in the Gila Wilderness two hours from Silver City, built by ancient Puebloans of the Mogollon area. This National Park offers a one-mile loop trail which climbs 180 feet above the canyon floor and explores the 40 rooms built inside natural caves. Find other trails in this National Park and all throughout the Gila Wilderness and Gila National Forest.
Continental Divide Trail - Silver City is the first Gateway Community along the Continental Divide Trail, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with this designation. Hundreds of hikers pass through Silver City each year. The Divide follows that ridge from which water flows either west to the Pacific or east to the Atlantic.
Silver City and Pinos Altos straddle the Continental Divide at 6,000-7,500 feet. The Continental Divide meanders through the Gila for 170 miles of solitude and grandeur, and through one of our country’s most spectacular Wilderness Areas, the Aldo Leopold.
The Continental Divide Trail, a national scenic trail, is known for the more than 3,000 miles from Montana’s Canadian border to Old West Country’s New Mexico border with Mexico. The Town of Silver City partners with the Continental Divide Trail Coalition to host its annual Trail Days every spring.
This year the event runs from April 23-26 and according to the CDT Coalition Facebook page, “includes CDT-inspired beer, giveaways & raffles, live music, community events, standout vendors, and inspiring speakers.”
The new facility in Silver City located at the Water Works on Little Walnut Road is host to CDT hikers with campsites and facilities.
For further information:
Murray Ryan Visitor Center 201 North Hudson St., Silver City NM, 575-538-5555, Open Monday to Saturday 9-4 and Sunday 10-2, visitsilvercity.org, Facebook Visit Silver City, townofsilvercity.org, Historicfortbayard.org, Facebook Friends of Historic Fort Bayard,
Gila National Forest, 3005 E Camino del Bosque, Silver City, NM 88061, (575) 388-8201 fs.usda.gov/trails, newmexico.org, continentaldividetrail.org.
