Gila National Forest Pinos Altos, New Mexico 88061
Official WebsiteThis is a campsite area with about a dozen campsites. There is a restroom at the entrance to the site with a couple of extra parking spots.
Painted Redstart, Red-faced Warbler, Mexican Jay, Olive Warbler
A great location known to the locals for spring migrants. There is a trail/path that you can follow along the creek to the north as well as some pathing to the south.
Cherry Creek is by one of the most scenic parts of the Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway. The campground is located along NM-15 and is surrounded by dense mixed conifer. It is a cool place in the summer for people to enjoy a day's outing or for those wishing to camp overnight. If there has been a little snow during the winter, you will find a trickle of water in the small stream that runs through the campground. In the autumn hillsides turn into a beautiful mosaic of golden aspens, rusty oaks, and bright red sumac. If you are seeking springtime wildflowers, Cherry Creek Campground is the place to stop. You might also see hummingbirds and ladybug nurseries.
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.
Restrooms on site
Wheelchair accessible trail
Entrance fee
Content from Official Website, Gila National Forest Official Website, and Janice Strong
Last updated May 24, 2023