03/11/2025
Article by D. Miller -
Silver City 1 of the Best 15 Small Towns in America to visit.
A century ago, the U.S. Forest Service set aside a large swath of natural landscape in southwest New Mexico as America’s first designated wilderness. Known as Gila Wilderness, this roadless 559,688-acre expanse of rocky canyons, mountain meadows and aspen glades is now honoring its 100th anniversary with a bevy of celebratory events—including speaker lectures, birding excursions, stargazing and hikes—throughout the year. For the more adventurous, the Gila 100, a 100-mile endurance run on October 12, will start just outside Silver City, which sits right on the wilderness’s southern edge.
At about 6,000 feet above sea level, the town’s prime, high-desert location in the foothills of the Pinos Altos Mountains keeps temperatures cool all summer long. Brimming with Old West charm, Silver City is a mining town turned artistic and outdoor hub. Painters, potters, weavers and glassblowers all find home in this walkable downtown filled with colorful murals and several historic Nuevo Deco-style structures.
The town’s plethora of art galleries range from the hand-painted furniture and vivid watercolor paintings of Aldea Gallery, to the rich fiber traditions of the American Southwest on display at Wild West Weaving, which also offers beginning weaver classes on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Shop for vintage goods at Silver City Trading Company, where a wide array of vendors feature everything from vinyl records to silver jewelry. For dining, the burning question at the charming Jalisco Cafe, known for its Southwestern fare, is whether guests want red or green chili smothered on their burritos or enchiladas, while Corner Kitchen serves up rotating breakfast and lunch menus that include regional items like papas locas (fried potatoes loaded with eggs, black beans, guacamole, salsa and cotija cheese), chilaquiles (an egg and tortilla chip breakfast dish) and barbecue sandwiches.
Silver City sits along the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, a 3,100-mile-long pathway that traverses the United States from the Canadian border to the Mexican border. About 45 miles north of Silver City is Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. The agricultural Mogollon (Southern Ancestral Pueblo) people turned these naturally eroded alcoves into homes in the late 1200s, and they’re still fitted with the original wooden beams. Both the monument and Gila Wilderness are surrounded by Gila National Forest, over three million acres of forests, mountains and open range that’s perfect for hiking, camping and stargazing.
