Fort Bayard Champion Tree • Hike • New Mexico • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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Sep 17 2025

markthurman53

Guides 187
Routes 994
Photos 12,145
Triplogs 869

72 male

Joined Jun 27 2015
Tucson, Arizona

Fort Bayard Rec Trail, NM

Hiking		Sep 17 2025
		markthurman53 • Triplogs 869

Hiking	6.20 Miles	8,178 AEG

Hiking	6.20 Miles	3 Hrs 54 Mns	1.72 mph
	8,178 ft AEG	18 Mns Break

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Fort Bayard Champion Tree

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mamakatt22

On our return trip to Lubbock Ginny and I stopped off at Silver City for a couple days of hiking. Too dry in Tucson for hiking but not so in the Gila Mountains. Really green from the almost daily rains. After arriving in Silver City we headed to the Fort Bayard area and took the Big Tree Trail again, this time though we are going to go further up creek (Cameron Creek) from the big tree. No trail along this route but easy to follow game trails. We would then do a little bush whacking and head over to the wood Haul Trail #55 then return on the Stevens Ranch Trail #756.

Started out around 2:30 with thunder clouds overhead (they were heading to the northeast so luckily they weren't an issue.) We took the Big Tree Trail #755 to the Big Tree like on our previous trip but this time we headed further up Cameron Creek. Followed game trails along the west side of the creek and the going was pretty easy. Dropped down into the creek and the canyon becomes kind of dark and eerie, lots of enormous trees and signs of past ranching/mining. The source of the water in the pipe that we crossed along the Big Tree Trail I suspect is from Comanche spring in this canyon. Didn't make it to the spring due to the fact that it would require us wading through water in the creek. Quite a network of pipes in this canyon. Spooked out some bats from one of the rock cliffs and saw one of the largest bear tracks I have ever seen (baring the grizzlies in Glacier Park) Had to be from earlier today because it rained the night before. We followed the pipeline out which required some Bush whacking to get to the Wood Haul Wagon Trail #55. Spotted a large dead bird that turned out to be a Golden Eagle. Feathers and skeletal remains, The talons on this guy were 2 to 3 inches long. Very interesting Canyon and may require some more exploring on a future trip.

Cameron Creek was running in places. All other creek crossings had been running from the rains the night before but not running when we crossed.

Once on the Wood Haul Wagon Trail #55 the going was pretty easy. This is a two track trail as the name would imply. At the junction with the Stevens Ranch Trail #756 the Wood Haul Trail heads on up toward Black Peak and the Continental Divide Trail. We took the Stevens Ranch Trail back to our start point.

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Aug 12 2025

markthurman53

Guides 187
Routes 994
Photos 12,145
Triplogs 869

72 male

Joined Jun 27 2015
Tucson, Arizona

Big Tree Trail 755, NM

Hiking		Aug 12 2025
		markthurman53 • Triplogs 869

Hiking	4.00 Miles	381 AEG

Hiking	4.00 Miles	1 Hour 50 Mns	2.20 mph
	381 ft AEG	1 Min Break

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Fort Bayard Champion Tree

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mamakatt22

Ginny and I headed to Silver City in New Mexico and the Gila Mountains. I have never been in this section of the Gila Mountains so it was a bit of reconnoitering. It has been a couple months since the Guadalupe Peak hike where I tore my Rotator Cuff and I’m still healing from that and the fact that the weather is a bit warm and dry, I don’t anticipate we will be doing anything too strenuous.
After checking into the hotel and waiting out an afternoon thunderstorm we headed to the Fort Bayard area to hike on the Big Tree Trail. This is a short 4 mile round trip (actually 3.7 if you don’t take the wrong trail to start out with). The destination is a very large Juniper, second largest in the US (First being in California). Hiking this just at sunset and after a summer thunderstorm made for a very pleasant and scenic hike. Crosses a couple of creeks all part the Cameron creek basin. Beautiful walk through a Juniper, grassland and Cottonwood area. A very impressive big Juniper tree.
Easy trail to follow and signage is good. Many other trails crisscross the Fort Bayard area that encompasses the lower Cameron and Twin Creeks drainage. Great area to hike in late day when you only have a short time. The trails from this area can also be the start point for longer hikes up to Twin Sisters Peak and Signal Peak

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Apr 23 2017

rwstorm

Guides 1
Routes 138
Photos 22,415
Triplogs 1,041

77 male

Joined Feb 28 2003
Tucson, AZ

Big Tree Loop, NM

Hiking		Apr 23 2017
		rwstorm • Triplogs 1,041

Hiking	6.16 Miles	669 AEG

Hiking	6.16 Miles	3 Hrs 29 Mns	2.06 mph
	669 ft AEG	30 Mns Break

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Wood Haul Wagon Road Trail #55

Fort Bayard Champion Tree

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Second hike of the weekend spent in the Silver City area. This was a loop to see the wagon wheel ruts as well as the big Juniper tree. The Fort Bayard Trail System features some very nice trails (some along old wagon and ranch roads) in the foothills of the Pinos Altos Mountains. The old wood hauling wagon roads were established to bring timber down from the forested areas in the Pinos Altos Mountains to meet the needs of establishing the fort, as well as for nearby mining. Water for the fort is supplied from about 15 spring boxes about 7 miles north in both Cameron and Twin Sisters source regions. Along our hike up Stevens Ranch Road, and again over near the Big Tree, we encountered sections of 6-8 inch diameter very old carbon steel pipeline, no doubt dating back to the late 1800's to early 1900's and the early days of the fort operations.

I hadn't been up to Fort Bayard in many years and will say it is worthy of a return visit just to check out the old buildings and other historic sites (dates back to 1866).
newmexicohistory.or ... yard

Following the hike the rest of the group I was with headed back to El Paso, while I headed for downtown Silver City to spend the night at the Murray Hotel and check out the Little Toad Creek Brewery & Distillery (less than a block away...how convenient

).

The Murray is still a work in progress, but enough has been renovated and they have been open long enough to have it be a pretty smooth operation. I found it to be far better than the old and tired Palace nearby. Enjoyed riding the elevator to and from my 4th floor room. The Little Toad was fun and packed (as the bicyclists were winding down their event). I give the place good marks for food and atmosphere (the green chile cheese fries were nice and spicy! :sweat:

). Nikki, my server on roller skates, was helpful and it was a blast watching her zooming around working the tables! (Skateaway

).

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mexican cancer-root

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

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WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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