Clothing considerations – Try to bring everything you’ll need while minimizing weight and bulk by careful selection of what is necessary. Most of our trips take place in warm weather, but nights and mornings can be chilly, especially in spring and fall – or any time at higher elevations. We highly recommend that you bring long pants – even in warm weather – to protect your legs while walking through undergrowth and in the event of sunburn or chilly temperatures. The best option is quick-dry pants with zip-off legs that convert to shorts. These are great on hikes that involve stream crossings because they don’t absorb water, and dry quickly. The zip-off legs make them versatile.
Special footwear considerations – Many of our trips involve frequent stream crossings. When hiking the major corridors of the Gila River, six to eight crossings per mile is not uncommon. This requires special footwear. Changing shoes at crossings is not practical because of their frequency – nor are bare foot crossings practical because of sharp, slippery rocks. Fortunately, there is a great variety of amphibious footwear on the market these days. Some people like hiking sandals, but we recommend amphibious hiking shoes with mesh panels for drainage. These give more support and keep pebbles and sand out better than sandals. Also, heavy wool hiking socks, worn with your water shoes will prevent chaffing and blisters, keep your feet warm in cold water, and increase stability. Please bring a pair along, even if you don’t think you’ll need them. Bring an extra pair of shoes or boots, and socks to keep dry and wear after you are done with river crossings for the day, or for dry-ground hiking.
Planning Your Trip
Welcome to the Wild and Wonderful Gila Wilderness. The outstanding beauty of its rugged canyons, sweeping vistas, and tumbling streams will enchant and astound you.
April through June is generally dry with increasingly warm temperatures as spring progresses. Nights are cool with a normal drop of 30-40*F from daytime highs. Some spring days are breezy with occasional strong winds. June is quite warm at lower elevations.
Late June is normally the start of the rainy season that lasts through mid September. This means mostly afternoon thunderstorms that have a welcome cooling effect on hot summer days. Thunderstorms may be severe, but rarely last more than an hour or two. Flash flooding is most likely at this time.
Mid-September through November, rains diminish as temperatures gradually decrease, with night time freezes beginning the last week of October.
Elevation has a pronounced effect on weather. Expect cooler temperatures and increased precipitation at higher elevations.
Averages for Gila Hot Springs, NM
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
All our trips involve traveling and camping in remote areas, and some or a lot of strenuous activities. You must be in reasonable physical condition for your chosen activity. If you have a known health condition that could impair your mobility or normal function, travel in remote areas is inappropriate. Major medical care and facilities are many hours or even days away. Rescue operations are often slow and very expensive.
If you have special needs, we may be able to accommodate you on a custom trip.
Please note your trip involves encountering
wild nature in a remote area and while
problems and accidents are rare, you must
be aware, alert, and use good judgement to
avoid injury and stress. Hazards and risks
include, but are not limited to: sunburn, heat
stroke, hypothermia, dehydration, lightning,
falling trees and limbs, flash floods,
insect stings and bites, venomous
snakes, poison ivy, slippery trails, and
steep precipices.
We do all we can to have a safe and
comfortable trip. We’re here to have fun!
Each participant has a part to play in safety.
Follow your guide’s instructions and
use good judgement.
All participants are required to sign
a liability waiver.
River crossing with pack mule and guide
Day Flower
Stopping in the shade of an Arizona Sycamore
Big Horn Sheep
Kids love swimming in the warm water of Jordan Hot Springs
Lodging
For the Sapillo Canyon Base Camp, we recommend staying at the Breathe Inn. It's the nearest lodging to the trail and the restaurant serves three meals a day. You can have a hearty breakfast here before we hit the trail.
All our Upper Gila Trips begin at trailheads near Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument and you will want lodging in the near-by village of Gila Hot Springs, where our headquarters is located. There are no restaurants in Gila Hot Springs, but all the lodging includes kitchens with cookware and utensils where you may prepare food. There is a small store here, but grocery items are limited, so plan on bringing supplies for before and after the trip.
Wilderness Lodge is perfect for groups, with its large kitchen, dining room, parlor, and hot springs pools in the yard. Breakfast is included, and dinners for groups can sometimes be arranged.
Timing your arrival - If at all possible, try to arrive in the afternoon, the day before the trip. This will allow you to rest up and prepare for an early departure the next day. In most cases, we will meet with you that evening to get acquainted and discuss any last minute details. You may want to arrive even sooner to tour the Gila Cliff Dwellings.
Airports - The driving time from major airports to:
Silver City Gila Hot Springs
El Paso 3 ½ hours 4 hours
Tucson 4 ½ hours 6 hours
Albuquerque 5 hours 6 hours
Phoenix 5 hours6 ½ hours
There is an airport shuttle to Silver City from El Paso. Silver City also has an airport with daily commuter flights to and from Albuquerque. We can arrange to pick you up in Silver City for an additional fee (subject to availability).
