USFS · National forest · New Mexico

Gila National Forest

The Gila National Forest is a United States national forest in New Mexico. Established in 1905, it now covers approximately 2,710,659 acres (10,969.65 km2), making it the sixth largest national forest in the continental United States. The Forest administration also manage the part of the Apache National Forest in New Mexico which covers 614,202 acres for a total of 3.3 million acres managed by the Gila National Forest. Within the forest, the Gila Wilderness was established in 1924 as the US's first designated wilderness. The Aldo Leopold Wilderness and Blue Range Wilderness are also found within its borders. The Blue Range Primitive Area lies within Arizona in the neighboring Apache National Forest.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Forest3.4 million acresUSFSNM35 campgrounds within 10 mi151 Forest Service sites
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Forest
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateNew Mexico
Size3.4 million acres (Forest Service administrative boundary (gis_acres))
Forest Service code0306, region 03
Center point33.4130, -108.4141
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 18)

Boundary map

2 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

29 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 6 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · Inside
Apache Creek Campground
First-come10 sites
FS · Inside
Armijo Springs Campground
First-come5 sites
FS · Inside
Bighorn Campground
First-come6 sites
FS · Inside
Black Canyon Campground - Lower
First-comeNM
FS · Inside
Black Canyon Campground - Upper
First-comeNM
FS · Inside
Cherry Creek Campground
First-come12 sites
FS · Inside
Cosmic Campground International Dark Sky Sanctuary
First-comeNM
FS · Inside
Dipping Vat Campground
First-comeNM
Show 4 more

23 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 151

The Forest Service lists 151 recreation sites in this forest, among them 96 trailheads, 27 campgrounds, 6 picnic areas, 4 viewpoints. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Show all 60

The 60 closest to the center point are listed; 91 more are on the Forest Service site.

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Monument · Adjacent
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
National Register listings within 15 miles · 62 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Gila National Forest?

3.4 million acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages Gila National Forest?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is Gila National Forest in?

New Mexico.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Gila National Forest?

29 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Apache Creek Campground, Armijo Springs Campground and Bighorn Campground. 35 in all are within ten miles. Dispersed camping is allowed on most national forest land outside developed sites; check the forest page for closures.

Source: Where to camp

Where are the trailheads in Gila National Forest?

The Forest Service lists 151 recreation sites here, including 96 trailheads, 27 campground campgrounds and 6 picnickings. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Gila National Forest?

A point inside the boundary is at 33.413, -108.414. Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is adjacent. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

How dark is the night sky at Gila National Forest?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 18 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Gila National Forest?

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument (adjacent). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Gila National Forest?

62 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Fort Bayard Museum and Education Building and Bearwallow Mountain Lookout Cabins and Shed.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage and code: the Forest Service Enterprise Data Warehouse.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Description: Gila National Forest on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, matched by forest code.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.