by Kyle
Meredith - President,
Grant County Rolling Stones Gem and Mineral Society
There are numerous camping opportunities on public lands
within an hour or so of Silver City, but I can’t predict the availability of
sites at any particular location. You may find you’re sharing the campground
with other rock hounds!
There are two Forest Service campgrounds on Highway 15
about ten or fifteen miles north of Silver City (on the way to the Cliff
Dwellings)—Cherry Creek and McMillan Campgrounds. These would be your best bet,
in my opinion. They’re just off the paved road and have standard FS pit toilets.
There are no other facilities, and I believe there are no fees. These would be
the closest to town, although they are on a slow, winding road. If you are
looking for something more isolated, you can choose one of many Forest Service
roads in the vicinity and find unofficial campgrounds and broad turnouts.
Please observe campfire bans, as we are in an extreme
drought, and it is likely that there will be a high fire danger!
Farther up the road you will come to the intersection of
Highway 35 that loops toward Mimbres to Highway 152. At Lake Roberts you will
find camping for a fee, but I suspect these sites may be quite full. There is a
huge free campground with pit toilets near the Continental Divide called
Sapillo—also usually quite popular.
Beyond the intersection, on the way to the Cliff
Dwellings, you will find Forks and Grapevine campgrounds on the Gila River. At
the Cliff Dwellings are Upper and Lower Scorpion Campgrounds, but all these
sites will probably fill up and are a couple of hours out of town.
About an hour east of town on Highway 152 (past Mimbres,
up Emory Pass) there are several named campgrounds just off the highway,
including Lower Gallinas, Upper Gallinas, Railroad Canyon, and Iron Creek—all
free with toilets. You are likely to find available sites at some or all of
these.
For more detailed information, you could do a search on
the Forest Service website. I don’t have any information regarding commercial
campsites. Thanks for your interest in our
show. We hope to see you there.
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