A n early morning departure for the Gila Cliff Dwellings found us steer- ing north on State Route 15, soon com- ing upon Pinos Altos, the area’s original ghost town. Gold was being mined here as early as the 1850s, and surviving buildings include an opera house from the 1870s, a rough looking museum and the Buckhorn Saloon, said to be among the region’s best eateries. Beyond Pinos Altos, the highway becomes rather challenging with steep
and Reserve. Our homeward trek would lead us along State Route 12 to Datil and east on U.S. Highway 60 through Mag- dalena and on to I-25 at Socorro. Leaving the Gila wasn’t quick and easy, as we were sidetracked by one of the region’s top attractions—another ghost town, this one with a long gold mining history that lasted into the 1920s. It’s a steep, twisting climb up State Route 78 past the abandoned Little Fanny Mine to Mogollon, where relics from mining booms litter the town’s Main (and only) Street. The place is surprisingly intact, and it’s clearly the most picturesque of the region’s old mining towns. It’s kept alive by a handful of dedicated residents who
operate a café and a small museum. The locals are understandably quirky but kind and inviting—save the rattlesnake that Al nearly stepped on, coiled up within striking distance of the museum entrance.
For More Information New Mexico Tourism NewMexico.org
New Mexico has one Coast Deluxe Resort, three Good Neighbor Parks and 44 Good Sam Parks. Consult your 2013 Resort Directory, your Good Neighbor Park Directory or CoastResorts.com for more information.
grades and hairpin turns. It’s a beautiful two-hour drive (part of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway) and it was quite fun to drive in our nimble 24-foot Winnie Vista. Still, we wouldn’t rec- ommend the route for trailers or large motorhomes, especially when there’s an easier, though longer, alternative for reaching the monument from Silver City via State Route 35. Following our visit to the cliff dwell- ings and a relaxing hot-water soak and overnight stay at the RV campground at nearby Campbell’s Gila Hot Springs Ranch, we retraced twisty Route 15 back to Silver City. Then we headed north on U.S. Highway 180 toward Glenwood
Hiking trails and ladders lead to the Mogollon culture’s mysteriously abandoned cliff dwellings.
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