Camping trip to Chloride, Gila National Forest, Gila Cliff Dwelling

[alia176]

Espressomon (Dan), Sandy and the Ali's went on a camping trip last week. We checked out the VLA, ghost town of Chloride, Gila National Forest and the Gila Cliff Dwellings.

From the VLA we took a dirt road #52 south straight to Chloride. The entrance to Gila National Forest is only about a mile away from the ghost town and there're plenty of dispersed camping there. As you head more into Gila Forest, the road does get very rough in some spots, nothing that a high clearance 4x4 can't handle. If you have an off road camper with high clearance, it'd do fine.

The weather was great and the bugs weren't out yet. We saw beautiful scenery and couple of pictographs along the way before heading into Silver City for refueling and food shopping. Afterward we checked out the Gila Cliff Dwelling national monument located in the Gila Wilderness. Along the way, we stopped in the Gila hot springs and checked out the campgrounds. Since we like to camp away from people, we opted for a forest service campground not too far from the town of Gila Hot Springs.

The Gilla Forest trail system is huge! It'd take about three weeks to explore all the trails.

I think a trip to the VLA and Chloride would make a nice weekend camping trip for the club.

Pics are Camping trip to Chloride, Gila National Forest, Gila Cliff Dwellinghere

 

[DanS HJ-45]

I think a trip to the VLA and Chloride would make a nice weekend camping trip for the club.

Looking at your pictures: I'd agree. Ghost towns are ALWAYS cool. I think it's a law or something. Mining relics get double points.

Dan

 

[marcfj60]

I've got some of those "Got Crack" photos too. I'm saving them for an embarassing moment in her life.

 

[sirenmoses]

I think a trip to the VLA and Chloride would make a nice weekend camping trip for the club.

Yes indeedy. Green chile cheeseburgers at the original Owl Cafe in San Antonio, Magdalena Burger in Maggy, pie in Pietown, watch the lighting hit the Atmosperic Physics Research Lab on the top of Mt Baldy, and check out the San Mateo mountains for wheeln n stuff.

 

[marcfj60]

The only thing I'd change in that list would be the burger at the Owl. The Buckhorn is better.

 

[sirenmoses]

You say po-tay-toes I say po-tah-toes.

 

[1armbandit]

May I ask what kind of tent/trailer that is?

 

[kai38]

We did a trip similar to your route on the 16th of May.
We headed up I-25 from El Paso to Soccoro NM to check out the Quebradas Backcountry Byway. Quebradas Backcountry Byway A 24 mile back road drive. Then stopped at the Buckhorn Taveren for green chili cheese burgers. Not enough off roading so we headed to the VLA. The weather changed and the temp dropped. We followed NM 52 to the back entrance of Monticello Box Canyon. The change in weather made for a nice cool drive through the mtns.
Round trip was right under 400 miles.
Pictures here: Zoto 3.0 - Photo Sharing and Zoto 3.0 - Photo Sharing

 

[alia176]

May I ask what kind of tent/trailer that is?

Kamparoo Weekender trailer, '02 model.

 

[alia176]

We did a trip similar to your route on the 16th of May.
We headed up I-25 from El Paso to Soccoro NM to check out the Quebradas Backcountry Byway. Quebradas Backcountry Byway A 24 mile back road drive. Then stopped at the Buckhorn Taveren for green chili cheese burgers. Not enough off roading so we headed to the VLA. The weather changed and the temp dropped. We followed NM 52 to the back entrance of Monticello Box Canyon. The change in weather made for a nice cool drive through the mtns.
Round trip was right under 400 miles.

EXCELLENT trip, I'm going to have to check out your route and the burger!! Thanks.

 

[juane]

My Dad...

...lived in T or C in the early 50s and the Gila/Chloride area were his stomping grounds.
Imagine!

juane

 

[marcfj60]

I didn't realize NM was still the "Wild West" in the 50's.

 

[evanz80]

...lived in T or C in the early 50s and the Gila/Chloride area were his stomping grounds.
Imagine!

juane

That's quite a picture! Don't be messing with his Willy's.

 

[spressomon]

EXCELLENT trip, I'm going to have to check out your route and the burger!! Thanks.

Gotta be better than the green chili in Hatch .

 

[marcfj60]

What was wrong with the chile in Hatch?

 

[alia176]

What was wrong with the chile in Hatch?

LOL, that's an interesting question! The only restaurant that was open at 5pm, had mediocre food. It seems that all the other restaurants close at 4pm in that town

 

[marcfj60]

Not a big tourist destination I suppose. I drove through there when we went to pick up the 100. It seemed to be less than I expected. It's probably a very sleepy town except for the two months of harvest season.

 

[sirenmoses]

I went to HS in Hatch very briefly. The ONLY thing to do in town, is to 'cruise the strip', all 5 blocks of it.

That, and go party under the bridge over the river.