There is a wide variety of riding in the Gila including Day/Front Country Rides and Back County Rides. There are also trailhead horse friendly camping options around the Gila National Forest. Please tread lightly.
Riding in the Gila
The Gila area is remote and often rugged and pristine place to ride. To enjoy your ride, here are a few things to know.
- While equine are allowed on all trails in the Gila Wilderness, not all trails are suitable for equine. Recent fires and floods in addition to deferred maintenance has made equine travel challenging in some places in the Gila Wilderness. Gila Back Country Horsemen has reestablished many trails that were previous impassable for equine, but there is much work that still needs to be done.
- Gila Wilderness trails are mountainous and rocky. Equine must be accustomed to this type of terrain.
- The Gila Wilderness is a large system of trails with minimal road access, making it hard to fix recent blow downs. Trail conditions can change at any moment despite recent maintenance.
Specific Trails 
Learn details about individual trails as they relate to equine use. We maintain Trailforks for the Gila Wilderness and parts of the Gila National Forest.
Equine Friendly Trailheads for Day Use
- Signal Peak Road Parking near Highway 15
- CDT off of the Bear Creek Road near Pinos Altos
- CDT at Little Walnut
- Dragonfly Trailhead at Fort Bayard
- Big Tree Trailhead at Fork Bayard
- CDT at Jack’s Peak Trailhead in the Burros
- CDT at C-bar Ranch in the Burros
- CDT at Red Rocks Road in the Burros
- Glenwood Community Park (short road ride to Little Whitewater)
- Snow Lake Trailhead
Equine Camping in the Gila
- Aeroplane Mesa Campground
- Woody’s Corral and TJ Corral Dispersed Camping near Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
- Wolf Hollow Campground
- Upper Gallinas Campground
- Pueblo Park Campground – Corrals are North of the Campground near Dangerous Park Trailhead