Silver City RV Park
Hiking business nearby (~31 mi away) — hasn't claimed their Roamze page yet
West Fork Shortcut
New Mexico
New Mexico
Free — you'll pick up right here.
1.1 mi
Distance
32 ft
Gain
No verdict for this trail
We won't guess. Here is exactly what we do and don't know.
What we do know
Inside Gila National Forest
2 managing-area boundaries mapped — agency alerts for them feed this page automatically.
Boundary data
What's missing
No access route mapped
We don't yet know which road reaches this trailhead, so we can't tell you if it's gated.
Nobody's filed a report here yet — be the first.
Why you'll love it
Quick trip — under 2 mi
Out & back
Here's your day, mapped
West Fork Shortcut
Suggested plan · check conditions before you go
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Meals
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Gear for the day
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Elevation & route
- Distance
- 1.1 mi
- Elevation gain
- 32 ft
- Highest point
- 5,735 ft
- Lowest point
- 5,700 ft
More about this trail ↓
Photos
Directions & GPX
Permits & access
- Managing agency
- National Park Service
- Fee
- No fee
- Surface
- Natural
Source for fee, surface: USDA Forest Service National Forest System Trails (EDW); National Park Service API
About this trail
West Fork Shortcut is a short out-and-back trail in New Mexico managed by the National Park Service. The route is 1.06 miles long with 238 feet of elevation gain.
Facts about this trail
The climb
- High point
- 5,735 ft
- Length (round trip)
- 1.1 mi
- Shape
- Out and back
Source: Roamze elevation profile and trail geometry (DEM samples along the mapped route)
When to go
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Gila Hot Springs, NM weather station, 4 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.
- Jan57° high17° low1 days with snow
- Feb60° high22° low
- Mar66° high25° low
- Apr73° high30° low
- May81° high36° low
- Jun90° high44° low
- Jul89° high53° low
- Aug87° high53° low
- Sep83° high45° low
- Oct75° high33° low
- Nov65° high24° low
- Dec56° high18° low1 days with snow
Where it is
- Wilderness Ranger District · Ranger district
- Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument · National Park Service
- Gila National Forest · National forest
- Managed by
- National Park Service
Conditions
Active alerts for Gila National Forest as of Oct 9, 2026:
Gila National Forest Occupancy and Use Prohibitions
information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Vandalism on forest defers maintenance, decreases public safety
information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Potentially Dangerous Animal Encounters
caution · posted Aug 24, 2026
Harmful algae detected in Lake Roberts
caution · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: USFS forest alerts
Nearby
- Little Bear Canyon Trail #729Hiking0.7 mi
- Grand Enchantment TrailHiking0.8 mi
- Ee CanyonHiking1.1 mi
- Gila Cliff Dwelling Visitor Center RoadHiking1.4 mi
- Forks CampgroundCamping4.7 mi
- East Fork Gila RiverCanoeing6.3 mi
- West Fork Gila RiverCanoeing6.3 mi
- Middle Fork Gila RiverCanoeing8.2 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Add to a trip & share
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Guided trips nearby
Local operatorsoffering guided trips. You book directly with them — Roamze doesn’t take a cut.
View operator
Burro Mountain Homestead RV Park
Hiking business nearby (~43 mi away) — hasn't claimed their Roamze page yet
