Sorry for the thread dig, but I'm looking at doing this same route next week. Can you share which roads you took from the VLA into Gila? I see an obvious way, but it looks like a very maintained road back to where FR 150 hits NM 59. The pictures you have posted of two-track type roads on an open plain is the type of tracks I'm looking for. Any help on the route you took on this particular trip would be much appreciated..even if its just a few FR's that I can piece together once I get a better FS map of the Gila!
Gila Summer
- Thread starter Vermejo
- Start date
Vermejo
Adventurer
Gila
From the VLA, head south on NM-52 then southwest on NM-163; this is where the terrain is grassland and open plains (Plains of San Agustin & Luera Rangeland). A number of two-track roads spur from NM-52 and NM-163. At O Bar O, you can head south to Beaverhead and [eventually] the Mimbres River Valley via FR-150 OR you can head west towards Snow Lake, Negrito and Bear Wallow via O Bar O and NM-159 (Bursum Road). Currently the section of NM-159 between Willow Creek and Mogollon is closed. Keep in mind these roads are all subject to closure during fire season and often impassible due to poor road conditions (snow was falling on the high-country earlier this week). Depending on your route selection, you could travel well over 200-miles between blacktops; plan and prepare accordingly. Happy trails.
Photo: Luera Rangeland
From the VLA, head south on NM-52 then southwest on NM-163; this is where the terrain is grassland and open plains (Plains of San Agustin & Luera Rangeland). A number of two-track roads spur from NM-52 and NM-163. At O Bar O, you can head south to Beaverhead and [eventually] the Mimbres River Valley via FR-150 OR you can head west towards Snow Lake, Negrito and Bear Wallow via O Bar O and NM-159 (Bursum Road). Currently the section of NM-159 between Willow Creek and Mogollon is closed. Keep in mind these roads are all subject to closure during fire season and often impassible due to poor road conditions (snow was falling on the high-country earlier this week). Depending on your route selection, you could travel well over 200-miles between blacktops; plan and prepare accordingly. Happy trails.
Photo: Luera Rangeland
From the VLA, head south on NM-52 then southwest on NM-163; this is where the terrain is grassland and open plains (Plains of San Agustin & Luera Rangeland). A number of two-track roads spur from NM-52 and NM-163. At O Bar O, you can head south to Beaverhead and [eventually] the Mimbres River Valley via FR-150 OR you can head west towards Snow Lake, Negrito and Bear Wallow via O Bar O and NM-159 (Bursum Road). Currently the section of NM-159 between Willow Creek and Mogollon is closed. Keep in mind these roads are all subject to closure during fire season and often impassible due to poor road conditions (snow was falling on the high-country earlier this week). Depending on your route selection, you could travel well over 200-miles between blacktops; plan and prepare accordingly. Happy trails.
Photo: Luera Rangeland
Thanks Vermejo. I actually did NM-52 to NM-163. Veered off to the SE on FR-944 that winds up merging with FR-14 heading south. Camped along FR-14 the first night as it was 6:30 by the time I got there. Little did I know FR-14 runs to a locked gate where a rancher owns about a section of land. I tried to find another path around by taking the spur to the east (I cant remember the trail # off hand) but that too ran into a locked gate where the same ranch owned a half section of land....so frustrating as I was literally half a mile from hitting FR-150 at that gate. There is a 4x4 trail that hit the hwy into Beaverhead, but my FS map and the trail markings were not meshing and I wound up doing a big 10 mile circle back to the second locked gate I ran into earlier that day. I believe this road was FR-522 and one section was a very sketchy goat trail-esque road heading across a few hills and then dipping into a granite boulder creek. Pretty hairy in a 3/4-ton diesel Mega Cab haha.
After that fiasco, I just back tracked to FR-14/944 and headed back to NM-163. Then south to FR-150 (which had a caution sign posted advising against travel but was easily passable in a car that day) all the way to pavement to the south. Wound up camping in the Grapevine campground, and found an awesome spot across the first river crossing. Secluded with the Gila River running on both sides of camp. The last day I just stuck to pavement and went up to the Cliff Dwellings, then down to Silver City. Had to get headed back home so I camped that night at Aguirre Springs campgroung near Las Cruces. Talk about an awesome campground that's relatively unknown. I'll have to post a few pics later.