📷 This illustration was made by Peter Potrowl. Please credit this with : © Peter Potrowl in the immediate vicinity of…, CC BY-SA 3.0The Catwalk
Glenwood, NM
A metal walkway bolted to the walls of narrow Whitewater Canyon, following the route of an old mining pipeline.
The Catwalk, a trail with steel walkways through Whitewater Canyon in the Gila National Forest, lies about 5 miles (8 km) east of Glenwood in southwestern New Mexico. It is a 1.1-mile (about 1.8 km) National Recreation Trail through pink volcanic cliffs. The walkways follow the line of an old pipeline on the west side of the canyon.
Around 1890 a mining company built the pipeline along Whitewater Creek to bring water and power to the mining town of Graham. The workers who maintained it called the route the Catwalk. After the mill closed in 1913 the pipeline was dismantled, the Civilian Conservation Corps rebuilt the path in the 1930s, and in 1961 the Forest Service installed the steel walkways. The trail starts at the picnic area and passes a swimming hole beneath a waterfall about halfway along.
To get there, take NM 174 from Glenwood (US 180) to the parking lot; according to the Forest Service the site is open during daylight hours only and charges a fee, and there is no drinking water. Low-water crossings on NM 174 can become impassable in high water. The Forest Service lists (as of October 2026) a notice of a temporary closure due to flooding, so ask the Glenwood Ranger District about current conditions beforehand.
- Nearest town
- Glenwood, NM
- Category
- Nature & parks
- GPS
- 33.3710, -108.8410
Hours, fees and access change. Confirm with the operator or park before you go.
Good to know
Best time to go
The most pleasant months are usually March–April and October–November. Still fine, with some compromises, in May and December–February. Hot in June–September. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)
Sources
Featured in these trip guides
Photo by Jerome Cha on UnsplashGila Wilderness: cliff dwellings, a catwalk and the Very Large Array
© This illustration was made by Peter Potrowl. Please credit this with : © Peter Potrowl in the immediate vicinity of… · CC BY-SA 3.0Forest, cliff dwellings and ghost towns: by camper through the Gila Wilderness and along the Geronimo Trail
Nearby
Campsites nearby
- Bighorn CampgroundCampsite4 mi from The Catwalk · 6 pitchesTentsCaravansToiletsDogs allowedFree
- Cosmic CampgroundCampsite9 mi from The Catwalk
- Ben Lilly CampgroundCampsite14 mi from The Catwalk · 5 pitchesTentsToilets
- Pueblo Park CampgroundCampsite17 mi from The Catwalk
- Cottonwood CampgroundCampsite17 mi from The Catwalk · 4 pitchesTentsToiletsFree
- Aeroplane Mesa CampgroundCampsite23 mi from The Catwalk · 6 pitchesTentsCaravansToiletsDogs allowedFree
All campsites in New Mexico · Campsite data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0 · Updated October 3, 2026
FAQs
Where is The Catwalk?
The Catwalk is in Glenwood, NM, at GPS 33.3710, -108.8410. It is about 4 mi from Mogollon.
Can you camp near The Catwalk?
Yes. The nearest campsite listed in OpenStreetMap is Bighorn Campground, about 4 mi away; within 25 mi there are 13 campsites and motorhome stopovers.
Which road trips pass The Catwalk?
The Catwalk is a stop on these CampingSpirit trip guides: Gila Wilderness: cliff dwellings, a catwalk and the Very Large Array and Forest, cliff dwellings and ghost towns: by camper through the Gila Wilderness and along the Geronimo Trail.
What is there to see near The Catwalk?
Places worth a stop nearby: Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument (35 mi), City of Rocks State Park (74 mi), Very Large Array (86 mi) and Chiricahua National Monument (99 mi).
When is the best time to visit The Catwalk?
The most pleasant months are usually March–April and October–November. Still fine, with some compromises, in May and December–February. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)