Gila Hot Springs Campground

We’re off on our next adventure…this time to southern New Mexico.  We have a really fun loop planned with lots of exciting stops.  Our first stop was Silver City, New Mexico where I spent some time when I was growing up.  We made it there by lunch time and stopped at a little restaurant called La Cocina.  It rated well for its Mexican food, so we decided to give it a try.  

We both ordered a bean, cheese and lettuce burrito smothered in green sauce.  They were big and delicious!  I would definitely order that again.

Next we called my dad and made an attempt at finding my old house.  I actually lived in two different houses in Silver City.  The first one, the house on the hill, we weren’t able to find, but we think it was south of 32nd street and Pinos Altos Rd. The second one, on 31st street and Swan we found more easily.  I still recognize it, and I lived there over 50 years ago.  Yikes!

After doing our investigative work, we drove north out of Silver City into the Gila National Forest.  We would be on this road for about 2 hours, eventually reaching the Gila Hot Springs Campground.  The views along the way were rainy, but beautiful.

We stopped at this overlook, and had to stand on the wall to get a picture because it was so wet.  It was a winding mountain road, but it was paved the whole way.

We finally ended our journey at our campground.  Carla was waiting for us at check-in.  She and her husband Allen own and run the campground.  This is the layout of the campground.  The blue tile at the bottom is the Gila River, and the three blue tile inserts in the middle are the hot spring pools.  We were in spot 9, and really liked that spot.

The campground is very clean and well set up.  It is for tents or vehicles like ours, but not for RVs.  There are no hook-ups.

The hot spring pools were very clean, beautiful, and a perfect 105 degrees.

 During our stay here, we used the hot spring pools several times a day and never once had to share with anyone else.  It was perfect. 

Our campsite was nice and private, and a perfect place for us. 

We decided to make meals easy on this trip.  This meal was rotisserie chicken, pesto, mozzarella sandwiches with balsamic glaze.  A new travel favorite for us!

This meal was leftover Indian food that we had frozen in quart zip lock bags.  We just reheated it using 135 degree hot springs water out of the dragon head tap.  No clean up after dinner, so that was great!

This campground was very out of the way, unless you are visiting the Gila Cliff Dwellings, or the Gila Wilderness, but you’re in that area, I highly recommend staying for a few days!