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Gila Wilderness was designated the world's first wilderness area on June 3, 1924. Gila Wilderness at wilderness.net. Along with Aldo Leopold Wilderness and Blue Range Wilderness, the 558,014 acre (225,820 ha) (872 sq. mi.) wilderness is part of New Mexico Gila National Forest. The wilderness is approximately from north to south and east to west. Wilderness up close at the National Park Service
U.S. Wilderness Areas do not allow motorized or mechanized vehicles, including bicycles. Camping, hunting, and fishing are allowed with proper permit, but no roads, buildings, logging, or mining are permitted. Wilderness areas within National Forests and Bureau of Land Management areas allow hunting in season.
The Gila Wilderness is located in southwest New Mexico, north of Silver City and east of Reserve. It contains the West Fork, Middle Fork and much of the East Fork of the Gila River; riverside elevations of around are the lowest in the wilderness. The Mogollon Mountains traverse an arc across the wilderness. The tallest peak within this range, Whitewater Baldy at , is in the northwest part of the wilderness along with several other summits more than high. At the northeast corner is prominent Black Mountain rising to . The Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is adjacent to the wilderness. Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument at the National Park Service.
The Gila Wilderness is the largest designated wilderness area in New Mexico.
Gila is home of predators such as the bobcat and cougar. Mule deer, white-tailed deer and pronghorn are all found in the wilderness. Other mammals include the black bear, collared peccary, gray fox and white-nosed coati. The critically endangered Mexican wolf was reintroduced to the wilderness in 1988 with eleven captive-raised individuals. Most died or were killed and more were released the following year. Guided tours to help gray wolf’s come-back at Commission for Environmental Cooperation. As of 2006, four packs have established themselves within Gila. Because of conflicts with livestock owners, the federal predator control program has killed or removed several animals. Federal Government Kills Another Endangered Mexican Gray Wolf. Center for Biological Diversity.
Bighorn sheep were common throughout the region until about 1900 when they became locally extinct through hunting. Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep were reintroduced to the Gila Wilderness after 1958 from a growing herd of Canadian releases in the Sandia Mountains. Bighorn rooted in state's history. Elk were reintroduced by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish in 1954 with sixteen animals from Yellowstone National Park. Interstate Swaps and Purchases Aid Game Restoration Program at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Game birds include wild turkey and dusky grouse; birds of prey include common black hawk, zone-tailed hawk, Northern goshawk, osprey and bald eagle; are found in mountain streams. The wilderness is home to the largest population of near threatened , which prefer Douglas-fir or white fir stands and can be found in ponderosa pine forests with a well-developed Gambel oak understory. Mexican Spotted Owl Recovery Program at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Reptiles such as the Coral snake and Gila monster are rarely present; National Park Service: Gila Cliff Dwellings: Reptiles. common include the black-tailed rattlesnake, Crotalus lepidus, and Sonora mountain kingsnake. Brown trout, rainbow trout, catfish and bass are found in rivers and streams. The threatened Gila trout is present in Iron, McKenna and Spruce Creeks. It prefers sufficiently deep water, such as American beaver ponds, which provide hiding places and can withstand both floods and drought. Gila Trout at Center for Biological Diversity.
File:Mexican Wolf 2 yfb-edit 1.jpg|Four packs of Mexican wolf roam the wilderness.
File:Trout gila Spring1.jpg|The threatened Gila trout is found in the wilderness.
File:A beaver dam spans a section of the Middle Fork of the Gila River.jpg|A beaver dam spans a section of the Middle Fork of the Gila River.
accessed 18 Apr 2012 The lower elevations below are accessible all year with heavy winter snow uncommon. Elevation moderates the high summer temperatures of the surrounding Chihuahua Desert. May and June are the hottest and dryest months. Many trails are relatively easy, following stream valleys bordered by cliffs or crossing flat-topped mesas. Water is often scarce due to frequent droughts. Summer temperatures can near 100 degrees F (37 °C), and the size and isolation of the wilderness increases the hazards of visiting. A hiker was found alive in 2007 after being lost 40 days in the Gila Wilderness, setting a new state record for the number of days for a lost person to be found alive. It is common for hikers to become lost in the vast expanse of the Gila; some are never found. Hiker sets state record while enduring cold, snow at Las Cruces Sun-News.
The Gila Wilderness provides opportunities for fishing, hunting, backpacking, horseback riding and camping. It has hundreds of miles of hiking and horseback trails starting at over fifty easily accessible . A visitor center near the Gila cliff dwellings is about two hours north of Silver City, New Mexico on State Route 15. Near here, at an elevation of , trails radiate up the Middle Fork of the Gila River (41 miles 68 km long) and the West Fork (34.5 miles 55 km long) and downstream following the Gila River for 32.5 miles (51 km).Murray, John A. The Gila Wilderness. Albuquerque: U of NM Press, 1988, pp. 113-125 One of the best-known trails in the Wilderness is the "Catwalk", a one-mile trail suspended above a rushing stream in a gorge only a few feet wide. The Crest Trail, 12 miles long, passes through impressive sub-alpine forests in the highest portions of the Gila Mountains with elevations from to .Murray, pp 77-81
Many are found within the wilderness. Cliff dwellings border stream valleys, especially along the Middle Fork of the Gila River. Rafting the Gila River is popular in the spring when water levels in the river are high due to snowmelt in the higher mountains. Because it is a wilderness, visitors must minimize their impact on the natural environment by observing the Leave No Trace principles.
An alternate to the official Continental Divide Trail (CDT) follows the canyon of the Gila River through the wilderness and has been voted one of the favorite sections of the CDT.
The Gila Wilderness is separated from the sizable Aldo Leopold Wilderness by only a gravel road and a few scattered pieces of private property. Aldo Leopold offers additional long-distance hiking and backpacking opportunities.
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