Gila Wilderness: cliff dwellings, a catwalk and the Very Large Array
Southwest New Mexico’s mountain country: rock pinnacles, cave dwellings, a canyon walkway and a field of giant radio telescopes.
- Distance
- 349 km (217 mi)
- Driving
- 3 h 52 min
- Suggested days
- 5
- Stops
- 7
- States
- NM
- Updated
- May 26, 2026
At a glance: 5-day road trip of about 349 km (217 mi) with 7 stops, from City of Rocks State Park to Very Large Array. About 3 h 52 min of driving in total.
Route description
Start at City of Rocks State Park, where you can camp among volcanic pillars and watch the stars. Silver City, a mining town with galleries and a lively downtown, is half an hour away.
NM-15 runs north through Pinos Altos and over the mountains to Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, about two hours for 44 winding miles. The Mogollon cave rooms lie a short climb above a creek. Vehicles over 20 feet should use the longer NM-35 route instead.
Return to Silver City and follow US-180 northwest to Glenwood, then turn up Whitewater Canyon to the Catwalk, a metal walkway suspended above a rushing stream. The Gila was the first designated wilderness in the world, and this is the easiest way to see its canyons.
Continue north on US-180 and NM-12 through Reserve and Datil to the Plains of San Agustin, where the 27 dishes of the Very Large Array point at the sky. Distances are long and fuel is scarce, so fill up in Silver City and Glenwood.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
City of Rocks State Park
NatureFaywood, NMTall volcanic rock pillars standing like a village in the grassland, with campsites tucked between them and very dark skies.
- 242 km
Silver City
NM - 314 km
Pinos Altos
NM - 449 km
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
HistorySilver City, NMStone rooms built by the Mogollon people in caves above a creek in the 1200s, reached on a one-mile loop trail.
- 570 km
Glenwood
NM - 69 km
The Catwalk
NatureGlenwood, NMA metal walkway bolted to the walls of narrow Whitewater Canyon, following the route of an old mining pipeline.
- 7165 km
Very Large Array
OdditiesDatil, NMTwenty-seven giant radio telescope dishes lined up on the Plains of San Agustin. A visitor center and self-guided walk lead to the base of one.
