New Mexico · Trail 797

Donahue

Donahue Trail is a 4.9-mile trail in Gila National Forest, New Mexico. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, motorcycle, ATV and e-bikes.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Gila National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end32.8314° N, 107.7549° W · Directions ↗
Other end32.7748° N, 107.7853° W · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 3 segments.

The trail

Length4.9 miles
Trail class2, moderately developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade5-8 percent
Motor vehiclesOpen to at least one motorized use
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers797
ForestGila National Forest (unit 0306)
StatesNew Mexico
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Donahue Trail40°50°60°70°80°January: 0.94 inches of precipitationFebruary: 0.74 inches of precipitationMarch: 0.31 inches of precipitationApril: 0.25 inches of precipitationMay: 0.37 inches of precipitationJune: 0.74 inches of precipitationJuly: 2.55 inches of precipitationAugust: 2.71 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.63 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.08 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.69 inches of precipitationDecember: 0.87 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 41.9°F averageFebruary: 44.8°F averageMarch: 51.1°F averageApril: 57.3°F averageMay: 64.7°F averageJune: 74.3°F averageJuly: 76.1°F averageAugust: 74.0°F averageSeptember: 69.0°F averageOctober: 59.8°F averageNovember: 49.2°F averageDecember: 41.5°F average0 in1 in2 in3 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Faywood, 13 miles from the trail midpoint at 5,251 feet, station USC00293157 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 13 inches a year.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round
MotorcycleAllowed year-round
ATVAllowed year-round
E-bikesAllowed year-round

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Trailheads

The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.

Trails nearby

Camping nearby

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Rx Juan Mesa

    16 mi from the trail midpoint · 105 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx Divide Well Piles Fy27

    20 mi from the trail midpoint · 10 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx Lincoln Canyon Piles Fy27

    22 mi from the trail midpoint · 10 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx Rendezvous Fy27

    23 mi from the trail midpoint · 34 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

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Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Donahue Trail?

The Forest Service records 4.9 miles under this name in Gila National Forest, the sum of 3 segments.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Donahue Trail?

Hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, motorcycle, ATV and e-bikes are allowed. The trail is open to at least one motorized use.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Donahue Trail start?

The line begins at 32.8314° N, 107.7549° W and ends at 32.7748° N, 107.7853° W. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Donahue Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Donahue Trail?

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. The camping section covers dispersed camping, which most National Forest land allows.

Source: Gila National Forest official page

How developed is the Donahue Trail?

Trail class 2, which the Forest Service describes as moderately developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Donahue Trail?

The typical grade is 5-8 percent.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Donahue Trail?

Gila National Forest, Forest Service unit 0306. The trail is in New Mexico.

Source: Gila National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Donahue Trail?

The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx Juan Mesa at 16 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 3 segments named Donahue in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0306. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.