Discover 5 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Gila National Forest (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Fort Bayard National Cemetery, and Mogollon. Also, be sure to include Big Burro Mountains in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Gila National Forest (New Mexico).
Table of Contents
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
Ancient cave-houses reached by a hike. Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is a U.S. National Monument created to protect Mogollon cliff dwellings in the Gila Wilderness on the headwaters of the Gila River in southwest New Mexico. The 533-acre national monument was established by President Theodore Roosevelt through executive proclamation on November 16, 1907. It is located in the extreme southern portion of Catron County. Visitors can access the monument by traveling northbound from Silver City, New Mexico, 45 miles on NM 15.[1]
Fort Bayard National Cemetery
Cemetery. Fort Bayard National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the Fort Bayard Historic District, near Silver City, New Mexico. It encompasses 18.8 acres, and as of the end of 2020, had 6,000 interments. It is one of two national cemeteries in New Mexico, and is administered by Santa Fe National Cemetery.[2]
Mogollon
Town in New Mexico. Mogollon, also called the Mogollon Historic District, is a former mining town located in the Mogollon Mountains in Catron County, New Mexico, United States. Located east of Glenwood and Alma, it was founded in the 1880s at the bottom of Silver Creek Canyon to support the gold and silver mines in the surrounding mountains. The "Little Fannie" mine became the most important employer for the town. During the 1890s, Mogollon had a transient population of between 3,000 and 6,000 miners. Because of its isolation, it had a reputation as one of the wildest mining towns in the West. Today Mogollon is listed as Fannie Hill Mill and Company Town Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.[3]
Big Burro Mountains
The Big Burro Mountains are a moderate length 35-mile long, mountain range located in central Grant County, New Mexico. The range's northwest-southeast 'ridgeline' is located 15 mi southwest of Silver City.
The southeast end of the range has the Continental Divide of the Americas crossing the range over Burro Peak and traversing from Silver City, the Pinos Altos Range, and then the adjacent Little Burro Mountains attached to the Big Burro's on the southeast.
The northwest region of the range has the Gila River traversing on a course from the Gila Wilderness, north of Silver City, and the Gila on its excursion towards Arizona, being one of the major regional river basins of the arid Sonoran Desert of central and southern Arizona. On the other hand, the Big Burro Mountains are on the northwest perimeter of the Chihuahuan Desert as it extends into southern New Mexico through the Playas and Animas Valleys.[4]
Lake Roberts Cabins
Nature, Lake, Hotel
Address: 869 Highway 35 N, Gila National Forest