Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway
Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway is a State Scenic Byway in New Mexico. Within New Mexico it covers roughly 95 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
This loop in southwestern New Mexico climbs from the old copper-and-silver town of Silver City into the Gila country, the heart of the world's first designated wilderness. Its centerpiece is the Gila Cliff Dwellings, where the Mogollon people built homes inside natural caves seven centuries ago. The route winds through rugged forested mountains rich in hot springs and ghost-town history.
- Gila Cliff Dwellings
- Silver City
- Gila Wilderness
- Mogollon country
- hot springs
Plan a drive on Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway →
What is a State Scenic Byway?
State Scenic Byways are roads a state has formally recognized for their scenic, natural, historic or cultural value — each state's own curated collection of drives worth taking slowly.