Gila NF--Wright's Cabin

About this Location

Wright's Cabin Picnic Grounds offers Adirondack-style shelters and a little taste of the Black Range backcountry. This a good place for those who just want to enjoy a day in an old-growth forest.

Wright's Cabin is a day-use picnic site located in the Black Range Mountains, approximately 40 miles east of Silver City and 17 miles west of Kingston. It is situated in an area of mixed conifer with a thick forest floor. Wright's Cabin is a great place to explore a dense, dark forest without having to wander too far into the woods. The area also offers rock fire rings.

About Gila National Forest

See all hotspots at Gila National Forest

With over three million acres of forested hills, majestic mountains, and range land, Gila National Forest is best known for its wilderness areas, in particular the Gila Wilderness, the first wilderness in the United States. The magnificent mountain scenery, cool summer temperatures, and relatively warm winters permit a wide range of recreational opportunities during all seasons.

The Gila National Forest includes more wilderness than any other national forest in the Southwest. This undeveloped natural country can refresh the human spirit simply by its grandeur, purity, and remoteness.

The wilderness areas on the Gila comprise a vast, roadless realm astride the Black, Mogollon, Diablo, and Blue mountain ranges, varying from grassland foothills upward through juniper woodland, ponderosa pine, and then spruce-fir forests on the high peaks. Mountain meadows, aspen glades, and spruce forests border on narrow, rock-walled canyons which in some places plunge to depths of more than a thousand feet.

Three wilderness areas together total 792,584 acres or approximately 24% of the Gila National Forest. The Gila Wilderness, at 559,688 acres, is New Mexico's largest wilderness with an extensive trail system providing access. The Gila Wilderness, the world's first designated wilderness, was created on June 3, 1924, at the urging of the great conservation pioneer Aldo Leopold. The Aldo Leopold Wilderness lies to the east, while towards the west, the smaller Blue Range Wilderness adjoins Arizona's rugged Blue Range Primitive Area.

Aldo Leopold Wilderness
The Aldo Leopold Wilderness is 202,016 acres and straddles the Black Range on the eastern side of the Forest.
Blue Range Wilderness
The 29,304-acre Blue Range Wilderness adjoins Arizona's rugged Blue Range Primitive Area.
Gila Wilderness
The 558,065-acre Gila Wilderness, created in June 1924 at the urging of the great conservation pioneer Aldo Leopold, was the world's first designated wilderness.

Notable Trails

There are many hiking opportunities in the area. The Black Range Crest Trail 79 travels north and south from Emory Pass, as well as Railroad and Gallinas Canyon.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

  • Entrance fee

Content from Official Website, Gila National Forest Official Website, and John Montgomery

Last updated August 30, 2023