Silver City, NM, Day Hikes in the Gila National Forest, Jordan Hot Springs

Greg asked about Jordan Hot Springs. It's been many years since we've been there but I've put some of my experiences and photos together from that hike. 

We started at the Little Bear Canyon Trail #729 at TJ Corral just north of the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument Visitor Center. It's about 6 miles to Jordan Hot Springs which makes for a long 12-mile round-trip day hike. The last approximately 2 miles are up the Middle Fork of the Gila River. I remember counting 15 river crossings. The river was running high and we had several crossings with channels that were a couple feet deep with fast water. Usually the river is calf deep at best. Trekker polls are great for keeping your stability as you wade the river were rocks are often slick with silt or algae. 

I highly recommend never hiking the Middle Fork during the monsoon season in August and September without a comprehensive weather forecast. This river can flash flood from rains higher up in the mountains and out of view. People have been stranded in the canyon during flash floods.

Looking up the Middle Fork of the Gila River from the confluence with Little Bear Canyon.

The trail begins with a gradual climb for about 2 miles from TJ Corral to the saddle at the head of Little Bear Canyon. As we followed the trail down Little Bear the canyon begins to constrict into a narrows that twist down towards the Middle Fork. Not a good place to be caught in a flash flood. Wish I had a pic to show you. Little Bear deposits you to a fanfare of river music when the canyon ends abruptly and you step into the beautiful gorge of the Middle Fork of the Gila River.

An Arizona Sycamore glows in fall colors against a back drop of Middle Fork cliffs.

We did this hike during the first week of November. The fall colors were at their finest.

Cliff faces along the Middle Fork  reveal a powerful volcanic origin.

Spectacular pinnacles like dragons teeth bit at the sky.  

More pinnacles.

Jordan Hot Springs is about 2 river bends (1/4 mile?) above the confluence of the Middle Fork and Jordan Canyon. It's on river right as you are going up river.

Jordan Hot Spring. See the water pouring in at the top?

The spring is actually a warm spring. The water is about body temperature so you can sit comfortably in it for a long time. The blue-green algae gives it a crystal gem-stone clarity. The spring is shallow and small, barely waist deep when you sit in it. Two or three people can sit comfortable with room to stretch out.

Hiking the Middle Fork Trail 157.

A wind-blown stone sentinel looks to the horizon, waiting for the storm.

November is a fickle month. On our hike out a sunny day turns to overcast. It snowed the next day.

Well this is just a memory of a hike years ago. Things may be different now or, as timeless as the Gila is, it may all be the same. Discover it for yourself.

Keep Hiking.

Jackie