South Diamond
South Diamond Trail is a 15.5-mile trail in Gila National Forest, New Mexico. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. It enters Aldo Leopold 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 | 33.2664° N, 108.0534° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 33.2384° N, 107.8519° 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
| Length | 15.5 miles |
| Trail class | 2, moderately developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 5-8 percent |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 68 |
| 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.
Weather by month
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | 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
- Aldo Leopold WildernessFS · the whole 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
South Diamond #68 Trailhead No season published | under 0.1 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.
Trails nearby
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.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedRx Papa Road Piles Fy27
10 mi from the trail midpoint · 20 acres
- PrescribedRx Juan Mesa
16 mi from the trail midpoint · 105 acres
- PrescribedRx Rendezvous Fy27
16 mi from the trail midpoint · 34 acres
- PrescribedRx Terry Well Piles Fy27
16 mi from the trail midpoint · 10 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Historic places nearby
Guidebooks for New Mexico
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the South Diamond Trail?
The Forest Service records 15.5 miles under this name in Gila National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the South Diamond Trail?
Hiking and horse and pack stock are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the South Diamond Trail start?
The line begins at 33.2664° N, 108.0534° W and ends at 33.2384° N, 107.8519° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is South Diamond #68 Trailhead, under 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the South Diamond Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Aldo Leopold Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Aldo Leopold Wilderness
Where can I camp near the South Diamond Trail?
Black Canyon Campground - Upper (2.6 mi) and Black Canyon Campground - Lower (2.8 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 2 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the South Diamond 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 South Diamond Trail?
The typical grade is 5-8 percent.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the South Diamond Trail?
Gila National Forest, Forest Service unit 0306. The trail is in New Mexico.
Is there a fire near the South Diamond Trail?
The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx Papa Road Piles Fy27 at 10 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named South Diamond 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.