Trail access now served from Catwalk parking area to Gold Dust Trail  

GLENWOOD, NM, May 9, 2023 – The Gila National Forest, Glenwood Ranger District has lifted the area closure encompassing a portion of the Whitewater Creek Trail #207. The trail segment had been closed since the summer of 2020, when hazardous overhanging rocks were identified near a popular swimming hole along the trail. A contractor completed rock-scaling mitigation work this spring, which removed the potential rockfall hazard from this trail segment.

“It’s been a long process to restore trail access up the Whitewater Creek drainage after fire and flood damage from the 2012 Whitewater Baldy Fire, and we still have a long way to go,” said Acting Glenwood District Ranger Brian Stultz. “This area is currently passable to hikers and is free of all boulders that had blocked it after the contractor’s initial rock-scaling efforts. The district has scheduled multiple projects that will further improve the walking surface of this trail segment, to occur this summer and fall.”

Whitewater Creek Trail is located northeast of Glenwood, New Mexico. It departs the Catwalk National Recreation Area and enters the Gila Wilderness, following the steep, narrow, rushing Whitewater Creek through a deep canyon to its headwaters.

The lifting of the area closure now allows hiker access up Whitewater Creek Trail to the Gold Dust Trail #810 intersection. Beyond that point, the trail up Whitewater Creek is in poor condition, requiring stamina and backcountry skills. Significant future trail reconstruction and maintenance efforts will be necessary to fully restore the trail to Hummingbird Saddle. For more information contact Maribeth Pecotte at 575-388-8211 or Maribeth.Pecotte@usda.gov.