Silver City, New Mexico is a small town located next to the vast Gila National Forest in the foothills of the Pinos Altos Range. Silver City is a diverse community representing almost every walk of life. One of the best community assets we have is our friendly and relaxed lifestyles. Some people comment that Silver City is unique, quirky or funky. The climate in our little neck of the woods is surprisingly temperate. We enjoy a high desert climate that includes four distinct seasons but none of them too extreme. Our winters are full of sunshine, comfortable afternoons and chilly nights. Our summers are warm with nights in the low sixties during late June and early July. If we are lucky enough to receive exceptionally wet late summer rains (what is referred to as the monsoon season by area residents), we can have highs in the seventies and our landscape blooms in green hues and wildflowers. Our falls are usually dry and crisp. Ideal fall weather will foster great fall colors in the mountain slopes of our Gila National Forest. Aspens grace the high peaks of the Mogollon Mountains and Black Range and over 20 different deciduous trees can be found in our watershed streams. In fact, our area has some of the most ecological diversity as well as biological variety in the country.
I shot some video and photos from a visit to the Gila River yesterday. This picnic/campground area is located on Box Canyon Road (NM 293) about 30 miles northwest of Silver City near Cliff-Gila, NM. Enjoy!
The newly revised 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness map has been redrawn with data based on elevations, and locations of water bodies, etc. that have not been taken into consideration in past maps. The new map is also based on more recent climate data than previous editions. Silver City proper is shown in zone 8A (minimum [...]
Backpacking the Gila Wilderness from Snow Lake to Flying V Canyon and back. By Crazy Tailez Lower Gila Box near Red Rock by Crazy Tailez – Rare Coati footage, Desert Poppies, Vermillion Fly Catcher, etc.
I found 2 superb videos of the Catwalk Recreational Trail. The Catwalk is located about an hour and 2o minutes northwest of Silver City just east of Glenwood, NM. This canyon trail starts from a beautiful picnic area situated under giant Arizona sycamores. It has been updated with informal kiosks and a wheelchair accessible trail up to the catwalk [...]
This morning I took a newly marked/improved trail called Dragonfly Loop in Fort Bayard. The trail has been around for years but has been improved and the signage installed this last spring. It is fairly tame topography and passes through some nice riparian areas along Twin Sisters Creek. The trail is named after a ancient [...]
I highly recommend a trip to Mogollon, NM. It is about an hour and a half northwest of Silver City in the rugged Mogollon Mountains. The last 9 nail biting miles start when turn off of US 180 and quickly climb a narrow paved road (NM 159) up and over a steep ridge with a [...]
New Mexico is blessed with more ecologically diverse regions than most other states. Most of southwestern New Mexico are part of the Arizona/New Mexico Mountain and Chihuahuan Desert ecoregions. Part of the bootheel is considered part of the Madrean Archipelago ecoregion. Silver City and the surrounding areas are categorized in the following sub-ecoregions: 23b – [...]
The New Mexico Collector’s Guide has some great links to local art galleries and artists as well as a nice article about the Youth Mural Program.
This is a rare show after a wet desert winter. Mexican poppies grace the slopes of the Florida Mountains near Deming, New Mexico.
According to author Baker H. Morrow in his book Best Plants for New Mexico Gardens and Landscapes, Silver City has an long list of plants that can grow in the area. The town’s climate is generally mild and pleasant which consists of an average growing season of 185 days and receives between 15 and 18 [...]