AREA DAY TRIPS

Catwalk, Mogollon and More

West of Silver City and a day trip from Bear Mountain Lodge is the Mogollon (pronounced mug-e-on) Mountain range and the historic southwestern towns of Glenwood, Mogollon, Alma and Reserve.

The Catwalk

The Catwalk National Recreation Trail is a hanging walkway that winds up narrow, spectacular Whitewater Canyon, onetime hideout for both Geronimo and Butch Cassidy. Sixty five miles northwest of Silver City via Highway 180, The Catwalk is approximately 5 miles north of Glenwood, off NM Highway 174 at the end of Cat Walk Road. The Catwalk National Recreation Trail follows the path of an 1890's water pipeline, offering a fascinating glimpse into the geologic and historic foundations of the region. The pipeline supplied water to an ore mill in the former town of Graham, (now the picnic area), and was suspended above the canyon floor to avoid washouts. Improved by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's and again by the Forest Service in later years, the Catwalk now provides a beautiful picnic spot next to Whitewater Creek, a challenging one-mile trail along the historic 1890's mining water-way, and a sense of place that conjures up images of an earlier and wilder time. The Catwalk Recreation Area is a day-use area open from sunrise to sunset. A parking fee of $3 per vehicle is payable at a self-pay station in the parking lot.

Mogollon

If you have time, continue 4 miles further west on Hwy. 180, then right on Hwy. 159 to reach Mogollon, just 25 minutes from Glenwood up a very narrow one lane road that winds tightly through the mountains with beautiful vistas and overlooks of the valley below. Part ghost town and part secluded retreat, Mogollon began as a mining camp, grew during the 1890's into a busy town with up to 6000 transient miners, then shrank into the small, isolated community seen today. Historic buildings predominate along the half-mile stretch of Highway 159 that serves as the main, and only, street in town. New Mexico Highway l59 should never be taken in the dark or in poor weather conditions, and may be closed above or below Mogollon in the winter, so check driving conditions beforehand.