Gila Wilderness

Thanks to the work of famous early 20th-century environmentalist and activist Aldo Leopold, the Gila River Wilderness was designated the world’s very first protected wilderness area on June 3, 1924. This monumental event paved the way for the establishment of a subsequent 759 designated wilderness areas in the United States. Thanks to his efforts much of what Leopold saw that was worth preserving in the Gila Wilderness is still intact today – and this trip will take us through the heart of that wild and beautiful landscape.

The Gila Wilderness represents a transition zone between the Chihuahuan Desert and the Rocky Mountains and is characterized by flora and fauna of each environment: Mesquite trees and ocotillo meet ponderosa and apache pines, Mexican wolves and black bear hunt beneath the shade of walnut and cottonwood trees along the rivers edge. The highlands boast one of the worlds largest and healthiest ponderosa forests and the desert lowlands bubble with the quiet sound of riverside hot springs.

Recent decades have seen a major push to exploit the Gila River’s already strained watershed and further diminish its streamflow. The Gila River Diversion Project, which aspires to dam and divert the Gila’s water has been persistently defended by local irrigators and water speculators, against the efforts of environmental groups and local activists. In that vein, our commercial river tours are offered in hopes of raising awareness of this remarkable river and stimulating outdoor recreation economy in southwestern New Mexico- all of which could play a part in persuading lawmakers to reconsider what would certainly be another “deadbeat dam” project.

Because of the fickle nature of the river flow on the upper Gila we are asking that participants take an open minded approach to their Gila River adventure in terms of watercraft. We also consider the Lower Gila Box a fantastic supplement for a Gila Wilderness run when river flows are not sufficient. The Lower Gila Box is easily done from Silver City, NM as well.

As the only commercial river operators on the Gila River, we are proud to be your escort on this trip down one of the southwest’s most prized bucket list river adventures.