Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway
Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway is a National 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
Designated for its natural qualities
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Places to stop along Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway
Pinos Altos
An 1860s gold camp in the pines above Silver City, with an opera house, an old saloon, and a small mining museum.
Lake Roberts
A small trout lake in the Sapillo Valley, with campgrounds and good birding in the surrounding forest.
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
Mogollon homes tucked into five caves above a canyon, reached by a one-mile loop, at the edge of the world's first designated wilderness.
WebsiteMimbres Valley
A green river valley once home to the Mimbres people, whose black-on-white pottery is prized by museums worldwide.
Where to Stay along Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway
3 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway.
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Photos of Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway
What is a National Scenic Byway?
National Scenic Byways are roads recognized at the federal level for at least one outstanding quality — scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational — that gives travelers a reason to seek them out rather than just pass through.