SILVER CITY NM – 5 SEASONAL EVENTS & 4 NEW YREs APRIL 13 – 16, 2023
Sun Country Striders will sponsor 4 days of traditional walks April 13 – 16, 2023 in the Silver City, New Mexico area in the southeast part of the state. If you want to arrive earlier, members of the club will start registration April 12, and be there each day at the host hotel (see below).
You can do the walks anytime. If you cannot make all 4 days, come out for whatever days you can to walk among beautiful forests and landscapes. Download the brochure here.
Carry water on all walks and hikes. Hiking boots and sticks recommended on all hikes. There are no checkpoints.
5 HIKES INCLUDE:
Rockhound State Park: 66 miles from Silver City (15 miles southeast from Deming), the park is set in the Little Florida Mountains, and is filled with unique geology, wildflowers, birding, and great trails. The park allows you to rock hunt and take home souvenirs. Trails are at an elevation of 4500 – 5400 ft.
City of Rocks State Park: Located 33 miles southeast of Silver City, the “city” is a geologic formation made up of large, sculptured rock rising as high as 40 feet, creating a stunning, other-worldly landscape. Altitude is 5200 ft.
Continental Divide Trail: 10 miles north from Silver City, this is a quiet hike in the forest with minor changes in elevation, in the Gila Wilderness, the world’s first designated wilderness area. The Trail is part of the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, with continuous trails from southern New Mexico to the Canadian border.
Dragonfly Trail and Historic Fort Bayard: 5 miles east from Silver City, Dragonfly leads to several 1,000 year-old petroglyphs, while Fort Bayard showcases the old fort from 1866, along with the Fort Bayard National Cemetery. The fort was garrisoned by the Buffalo Soldiers, and later served as the army’s first tuberculous sanitation.
Catwalk Recreation Area (Catron County): near Glenwood, about 65 miles northwest of Silver City. The hike features the steel catwalks installed along canyon walls above the river during the gold rush era, and connects to a trail up the bluff overlooking the river. Elevation 5,200 feet.
YREs & SEASONALS IN THE AREA: Stamps & Directions Available at Silver City Comfort Inn April 11-16
Deming (Luna County), 5K & 10K: Deming was part of the 1853 Gadsden Purchase which was to provide railroad access across the southern part of the US to California. A Golden Spike was driven here in 1881 with the meetng of the Southern Pacific and the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroad. Walk among historic buildings.
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument 2K, 8K, 10k: Hike explores the Mogollon culture cliff dwellings on a 2k loop trail, then continues to the West Fork bluffs trail for a total of 8k at Gila Cliffs. Leave plenty of time for the long drive through the Gila Forest to get there.
Silver City – downtown (Grant County): founded in 1870 after the discovery of silver, the walk will take you through its vibrant historic downtown, with culinary delights, museums, short river walk, murals and over 30 galleries and art studios. Silver City is also the home of Western New Mexico University. Elevation is 6,000 ft.
Truth of Consequences (Sierra County): Truth or Consequences sits along the Rio Grande River and the Hot Springs Artesian Basin. Many of the original hotels and spas are still in operation. Visit the historic downtown shopping area on the 5k route. The 10k continues on a nature trail to the Veterans Memorial Park.
EVENT HOTEL
Comfort Inn Near Gila National Forest, 1060 Highway 180 E, Silver City, NM 88061. Phone (575) 534-1883 and enter Option 2. Blocked rooms for this event are $95 King, $100 2 Queen. Breakfast included. Please mention Sun Country Striders for your reduced rate.
DIRECTIONS
Silver City is approximately 2.5 hours northwest from El Paso. Take I-10 west to Deming, NM. Go north on Highway 180 to Silver City. If you fly into Albuquerque, it is about 4 hours drive southwest. Silver City is in southwest NM near the Gila National Forest.
REGISTRATION
Registration for walks will be in the lobby of the Comfort Inn April 12 – April 16 (registration starts a day early for those who want to start early). Please register for your walks, pay, and stamp your books then. All walks are available every day. Registration and stamps will also be available for YREs in New Mexico. Registration fee is $3.00 for each walk. NOTE: There are no checkpoints.
DINNERS
April 13: Meet and greet at hotel breakfast room. Snacks will be provided but BYOB (check with POC)
April 14: Join us for a group dinner at The Q Bistro in Silver City. Meals range from sandwiches to steaks, $10 – $25. Pay on your own. Reservations required by April 1st. More information to follow. Please email Eileen Roberts for reservations: eileenh49@yahoo.com
POCs
Henrie Vargas: (575) 496-7690 queta_69@hotmail.com
Eileen Roberts: (575) 644-7976 eileenh49@yahoo.com
Helen Hull: (972) 530-1026 helenthehun@yahoo.com
More 2023 YREs in Southern New Mexico
· Carlsbad Caverns National Park (5K & 10K)
· Las Cruces – Encanto (6K & 11K)
· Las Cruces – Organ Mountains (5K & 10K)
· Lordsburg – Charley Pride Challenge (5K & 10K)**
· Mesilla – Historic Old City (5K & 11K)
· Roswell – Charley Pride Challenge (5K & 10K)**
· San Antonio, NM – Charley Pride Challenge (5K & 10K)**
There are also two YREs in El Paso, Texas.
** There is NO STARTBOX at the start location or OSB. Please go to AVA.org
Sun Country Striders 