Fall Colors

Ranger surveys his domain

The night-time temperatures are getting cooler now and fall is definitely in the air. It's time to start thinking about good hikes with opportunities for viewing the fall colors in the Gila National Forest. The leaves are just starting to turn here, so prime color time is probably a couple of weeks away, but it never hurts to plan ahead. One of my favorite fall color trails is the Hillsboro Peak trail which has it's trail head at the Emory Pass overlook. The Sawyer Peak trail which also has its trailhead at Emory Pass is also good, but I think the views are better on the Hillsboro Peak Trail.

Another good place to see fall colors will be along the Crest trail from the Sandy Point trail head. Check to make sure that the Bursum road is still open before heading out on this one. The road is generally closed between October and April, depending upon the weather. Currently, the road is open. This year the forest service has set up a fall colors hotline and web site which will be updated every Friday until the colors are gone. More information is available at this link