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I am thinking of revising my vacation plans for next week yet again ...
Instead of a few days in Aravaipa Canyon, I am considering checking out some new territory in New Mexico.
I will spend a night at City Of Rocks - looks like a mini Joshua Tree, and I am looking forward to hiking, biking, and climbing it.
Next comes Gila Cliff Dwellings area ... looking for camping and hiking suggestions. I want to hike along a river and check out some hot springs. I know about the ones a half mile up from the Visitors Center. I know about Jordan, but don't want to hike that far.
Anything I shouldn't miss?

Sounds like you have a plan, but if you have any time in Silver City, check out the Mimbres pottery museum on campus. It's amazing. http://www.wnmumuseum.org/

Gila Cliff Dwellings is a nice spot, but I wouldn't bother camping there. Do the short backpacking trip up to the Middle Fork of the Gila instead. From just east of the the monument, take the (very easy) Little Bear Canyon trail about 4 miles to the Gila. There is great camping right there. Supposedly, you can make an 11-mile loop by taking the Middle Fork downstream, back to the the ranger station, and then it's a short walk back to the trailhead.

I think that Jordan Hot Spring is another 6 or so miles up the Gila from Little Bear--well worth it if you have the time,but I would stay away on weekends. We ended up getting there on a Monday morning and had it to ourselves. But we passed like 10 weekenders leaving the area on Monday morning.

The museum is pretty cool. I worked there one summer in college.

I would add a side trip to Mogollon and the catwalk as well. The drive from the City of Rocks over to the Cliff Dwellings is a nice one. Loved riding my bike through the Mimbres Valley when I lived there.

@SpiderLegs
Did you attend WNMU? I just graduated from there with an MA, this past May.

My boss attended WNMU ...

azbackpackr wrote:@SpiderLegs
Did you attend WNMU? I just graduated from there with an MA, this past May.

I attended for a few years and tired of small town living. At least back then Silver City had one of the biggest rates of alcohol consumption per person in the country. Grew weary of living with a town full of drunks. Plus the dating pool was pretty small. Moved back to Tucson and finished up at the U of A.

@SpiderLegs
I did the MA all online, just went there in May to "walk" in my graduation.

I don't know if you are into backpacking or not but my 2006 trip up the Middle and Down the West Fork, crossing over at Trotter, was one of my fav's about 55 miles. I posted the pics in my personal albums http://hikearizona.com/dex2/igallery/album.php?id=208; as others have said Jordan etc is nice but usually a little busy, on my trip I saw some hikers and some horsepackers on the mesa but no other hikers until out at the West Fork end. Then I stopped in at the ruins.

Is that area well recovered from the big fire a few years ago?

My experience from 2 years ago is that as long as you're on the floor of the Middle Fork, it seems largely untouched by fire. The floods, however, changed the area pretty dramatically - destroying portions of the trail and altering the stream course. However, its still one of the most beautiful areas to hike that I know of, whether you get to the hot springs or not. Just doing the loop from the cliff dwellings Visitor Center parking lot over to the Little Bear trail, through gorgeous and slotty Little Bear Canyon and back to the visitor center is a GREAT (if slightly longer) hike. Tibber took some great pictures in Little Bear that sell it pretty nicely http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=30758
Don't miss an amazing Mexican food meal at Jalisco Cafe - but take their heat warnings to heart.

Make sure you enjoy the Gila River as it winds out through the wilderness - this isn't too far from where they want to put in that damn dam...

writelots wrote: The floods, however, changed the area pretty dramatically - destroying portions of the trail and altering the stream course.

Before the flood, the stream and the trail seemed to randomly switch sides every couple hundred feet anyway. I don't know if I would recognize it being different, except maybe at a few memorable crossings.

When Mrs. big_load and I were down there, we met a Swiss through-hiker who was wearing shorts and flip-flops (air temp was in the teens). She said she had crossed the stream 56 times in the last hour. I still remember how painful it was to cross barefoot on the ice.

writelots wrote: Don't miss an amazing Mexican food meal at Jalisco Cafe - but take their heat warnings to heart.

I forgot all about Jalisco's. Used to live a few blocks away. Some of the best Mexican food in the country.

@writelots
Thanks for the great tips!