Jim Smith
Jim Smith Trail is a 5.7 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.
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 | 34.0108, -108.9370 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 33.9744, -108.9751 · 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
| Length | 5.7 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 | 109 |
| 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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedD7 Butler West Rx
45 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedD7 Arab Rx
46 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedD7 Brushy Mtn South Rx
49 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedD7 Rhoton Seep Rx
49 mi from the trail midpoint
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Jim Smith Trail?
5.7 miles, the sum of the 3 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Gila National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Jim Smith 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 Jim Smith Trail start?
The line begins at 34.0108, -108.9370 and ends at 33.9744, -108.9751. 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 Jim Smith 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 Jim Smith Trail?
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.
How developed is the Jim Smith 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 Jim Smith Trail?
Gila National Forest, Forest Service unit 0306. The trail is in New Mexico.
Is there a fire near the Jim Smith Trail?
4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-17, the nearest D7 Butler West Rx at 45 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 3 segments named JIM SMITH 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.