Gila River
Gila River Trail is a 32.6 miles 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 and mountain biking. It enters Gila Wilderness.
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 end | 33.0671, -108.4990 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 33.1698, -108.2057 · 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 10 segments.
The trail
| Length | 32.6 miles |
| Trail class | 2, moderately developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 724 |
| Forest | Gila National Forest (unit 0306) |
| States | New Mexico |
| Detail published | management 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.
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed year-round |
| Mountain biking | Allowed 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.
Wilderness
- Gila Wilderness WildernessFS · about 91% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
No season published | 0 mi |
No season published | 0 mi |
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Explore
Historic places nearby
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Gila River Trail?
32.6 miles, the sum of the 10 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Gila National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Gila River Trail?
hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Gila River Trail start?
The line begins at 33.0671, -108.4990 and ends at 33.1698, -108.2057. The nearest recorded trailhead is Turkey Creek #724 Trailhead, 0 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Gila River Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Gila Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Gila Wilderness Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Gila River Trail?
Forks Campground (0.2 mi), Lower Scorpion Campground (4.5 mi) and Upper Scorpion Campground (4.7 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Gila River 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
Who manages the Gila River Trail?
Gila National Forest, Forest Service unit 0306. The trail is in New Mexico.
Source
This page is built from 10 segments named GILA RIVER 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 September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.