Grant County brings together a range of travel interests: paddling, trails, and stargazing sit alongside museums, historic districts, and events. For your planning, it’s worth deciding in advance whether to focus on nature and outdoor activities or on history and culture. This can help you choose places based on the topics you’d like to explore during your stay.
Landscape and Nature in Grant County
The Gila River in western Grant County is suitable for paddling. The Aldo Leopold Wilderness extends partly into the county. At City of Rocks State Park, volcanic rock columns rising up to 40 feet create a striking landscape feature. The park also offers opportunities for birdwatching and stargazing. These nature destinations provide different options for planning: a river, a wilderness area, and a state park with rock formations and opportunities for observation.
Trails, Wilderness, and Recreation Areas
The Continental Divide Trail runs through Grant County. In Grant County’s designated wilderness areas, human activities are limited to hiking, camping, horseback riding, and non-motorized use. In Silver City, Boston Hill has a well-maintained unpaved trail. The Dragonfly System is located between Silver City and Santa Clara.
Lake Roberts and the Bill Evans Reservoir also offer specific points of reference when choosing recreation areas: both are multi-use recreation areas with a boat launch. The places mentioned therefore differ in their described opportunities and features. As you plan, consider whether a trail, an unpaved path, a non-motorized activity, or a boat launch is relevant to your trip.
Events and Faywood Hot Springs
Annual events in Grant County include arts and cultural festivals, as well as rodeos and agricultural events. The county also hosts the Tommy Knocker bike races and the Tour of the Gila bike race. If your trip depends on a particular event, check the dates for your planned travel period.
Faywood Hot Springs offers geothermal mineral-water baths in private and communal bathing areas. Four private pools can be rented by the hour. As reservation terms may change, it’s a good idea to check them before making specific plans.
Museums and Historic Sites
The Silver City Museum is located in downtown Silver City in a historic three-story Victorian house. The WNMU Museum is on the main campus of Western New Mexico University in Silver City, New Mexico. Western New Mexico University’s University Museum houses the world’s largest permanent collection of Mimbres pottery.
The historic districts also give your trip a sense of time and place: the Silver City Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, and the Pinos Altos Historic District in 1984. Fort Bayard was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 2004. Pinos Altos was Grant County’s first county seat; its town center is located on the Continental Divide in the Gila National Forest.
In the late 13th century, people of the Mogollon culture lived in caves above Cliff Dweller Creek at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. The monument’s visitor center contains a small museum with Mogollon artifacts from the cliff dwellings and the surrounding region. Grant County’s cultural history thus offers several points of interest, from historic districts and a former county seat to archaeological traces and museum collections.
Choosing a Hotel for Your Trip
Next, compare the location of the accommodation you’re considering with your own plans. This way, your choice can reflect whether you want to focus on trails and nature areas, museums and historic sites, or an event.
Discover more destinations: Silver City, Luna, Quay, De Baca County, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Eddy.
For the broader travel overview: New Mexico.
