# Gila Wilderness: cliff dwellings, a catwalk and the Very Large Array

> 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.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b8-gila-loop/

**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. 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 |
| Route | City of Rocks State Park → Very Large Array |
| States | NM |
| Updated | May 26, 2026 |

## 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

1. **City of Rocks State Park** (Faywood, NM): Tall volcanic rock pillars standing like a village in the grassland, with campsites tucked between them and very dark skies.
2. **Silver City** (NM)
3. **Pinos Altos** (NM)
4. **Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument** (Silver City, NM): Stone rooms built by the Mogollon people in caves above a creek in the 1200s, reached on a one-mile loop trail.
5. **Glenwood** (NM)
6. **The Catwalk** (Glenwood, NM): A metal walkway bolted to the walls of narrow Whitewater Canyon, following the route of an old mining pipeline.
7. **Very Large Array** (Datil, NM): Twenty-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.