GPS TRAIL GUIDES

Guide yourself, or go with a group. If you have a Garmin Color mapping GPS, you can download our map onto your GPS!

“Open Riding” policy at Gila Monster ATV Jamboree. All activities sanctioned by the Gila Rough Riders at this year's Gila Monster ATV Jamboree will be held on Private Property at the Burro Mountain Homestead. Riding in the National Forest will be at the individual’s discretion. There will be a “ride board” where members can choose where, when and with whom they want to ride. There will be no official “Trail Guides”. Members, or groups of members may choose their own ride leader or not, as they please.

The Forest Service recently recognizing OHVs as a “legitimate use of our National Forests” as well as calling “Unmanaged OHV recreation a threat to our National Forests”, is the result of a welcome wake up call. Anything unmanaged is a mess. Proper management of OHVs on our Public Lands is long overdue. Get involved with your local public land managers because right now is a pivotal time in OHV management on Public lands. You can make a really big difference between having quality places to ride or no place at all. The environmentalists are using the opportunity of this upheaval in policy to shut us out anywhere they can. If you don’t fight for your right to ride, you will lose it.

Happy Riding, and remember, these public lands belong to all of us, sharing is what it is all about. Ride Safe and Ride Responsibly.

Alex Ocheltree, “Trail Boss” Gila Rough Riders

Here’s a map of the area along I-10 from Tucson to El Paso.

If you are coming from Phoenix or Tucson on I-10, take the first exit at Lordsburg, look for the railroad underpass marked “Silver City” onto N.M. 90. You will actually be heading north on U.S. 70, so be careful to make the turn onto N.M. 90 just north of Lordsburg or you will end up back in Arizona.

If you are coming over on U.S. 70 from Phoenix through Globe, turn left onto N.M. 90 just before you get to Lordsburg. This route is shorter for Phoenix folks, but I-10 is easier.

35 miles north of Lordsburg, you will see the huge mine tailings from the Tyrone Mine just south of Silver City. Turn left onto Tyrone/Thompson Road just before these huge piles of rock and dirt. The Burro Mountain Homestead has a large sign right at the intersection. Proceed 7 miles on this well-maintained county/forest road. The Burro Mountain Homestead will be on your left.

Turn at Deming onto U.S. 180 if you are coming from El Paso or Las Cruces.

If you are coming from Albuquerque and pulling a big rig, you will want to take I-25 to Hatch, cut across to Deming on N.M. 26, and head back up to Silver City on U.S. 180.

DO NOT TAKE N.M. 152 Through Hillsboro unless you have a small rig and like very twisty mountain roads. There are 350 turns from Hillsboro to Silver City. That’s my count.

Once you get into Silver City you’ll want to stock up on anything you might need for the event. We are not supplying lunches, libations, or fuel. So this is a good place, the last place, to stop and grab a bite or any supplies you might need. No dinner Thursday night, so stop and grab a burger or check out some of the local Mexican food…Jalisco’s, downtown, is really good, And don’t forget ATV Mountain Cycle for any last minute riding gear, spark plugs or whatever. ATV Mountain Cycle is located on the East end of town on U.S. 180 in the Albertson’s shopping center. Best liquor store in town. Snappy Marts are all over town, good deals on case beer.

Take N.M. 90 Southwest out of Silver City. This is Hudson Street. Proceed 10 Miles Southwest on 4 lane divided Highway 90 till you cross under a heavy railroad overpass just as N.M. 90 narrows to two lanes. Look for Tyrone/Thompson road just past the huge mine tailings on your right. The Burro Mountain Homestead has a large sign right at this intersection. Turn right onto this road and Proceed seven miles on this well maintained county/forest road to the Burro Mountain Homestead, which will be on your left.

Here is last year’s trail map. We are still working on the 2009 GILA MONSTER ATV JAMBOREE map. There will be a few tweaks. We will only be using four colors to mark the main routes we’ll be using. Kokopelli trail, Gila Monster Trail, Gnarly Trail(More difficult)and Adventure Trail. County Roads are marked in Yellow, pavement is black and highways are red. We made this map with years of Garmin GPSing, and slicked it up using “paint”, which was easier to use than Photoshop, which we used last year. This is the only coherent trail map of the Burros. You will get your own 11”x17” color laser copy of this map at check-in. It looks really good, laser color printed on high quality paper, ….and will last you many, many rides…

We are working on a GPS overlay of our map for Garmin mapping GPS. If you have a Garmin color mapping GPS, we can download our map onto your GPS. Who needs Trail Guides?

Below is a close up of the Willow Creek area south to NM Highway 90.

It is the same as the map above, just zoomed in….