Forks Campground

Well spaced out and level area that was mostly empty on MLK weekend in January. Easy for any vehicle that can make it over the pass (take hwy 35, not the road from Silver City). Nice short walk to the river below. Easy access to the general store in town and the cliff dwellings. Beautiful location and there is so much to see and do in this valley. We left only to stay at the hot springs campground which was amazing.

Spent 3 nights here with our trailer and a rental car while we waited for the Ford dealership in Silver City to diagnose a “check engine” light on our truck. This was a convenient and peaceful place to be stranded!

The campground was less than half full in late September/early October. We claimed a great spot on the edge of the canyon, looking down on the river. It was a short walk down the road to the day use area where we found a terrific swimming hole at the foot of the tall cliffs. At night we watched the full moon rise over the canyon rim and made campfire s’mores.

Only minor complaints: campground is very close to (lightly trafficked) road, and pit toilets were swarmed with flies—especially the upper ones in campground.

From this base camp we ventured out to explore the cliff dwellings (rangers were doing a great job dispensing info and good humor from the parking lot, despite the pandemic policies) and enjoy a couple gorgeous wilderness hikes from the (closed) visitor center. Sampled the homemade ice cream and lifeline of free wifi (noon-4 only) at Doc Campbell’s. Made multiple round trips down the windy road to Silver City to deal with truck repair, and visit the (surprisingly open) museum of awesome Mimbres pottery at the university.

Not exactly how we planned things, but had a great time despite the headaches with our truck.

The mountain road up will definitely test your vehicle. We made it slowly up in our minivan pulling close to it's maximum capacity. The views are outrageous, gorgeous.

The campground will likely accommodate almost any size rig, though I'm no expert and I'd be wary of the road up. Site were level with well kept gravel surfaces. Cliff faces all around with spectacular views and a hike down to the river.

There are non-flush toilets. Nearest water is at the Gila Cliff Dwellings visitor's center, maybe 3 miles further up the mountain. There is unleaded regular gas at Doc Campbell's Post and I recall seeing some further down the mountain. Other than that I believe the nearest amenities are 30-40 miles away in Silver City (cute city!).

No service to speak of. Our AT&T cut out much sooner than other reviewers said (maybe 40 miles out?).

Gila Cliffs are incredible. We also made the short hike out to the hot springs (in the park). There are nearby businesses that have dug pools but they seemed much less fun and inviting to us. The hot springs in the river are free and seemed much nicer to us. It's a 1/5 mile hike each way and you have to cross the river twice.

Been living full time in our camper for the past 20 weeks, and this is our favorite camping spot (so far)!!

We had planned to visit Gila Cliff Dwellings and picked Gila Hot Springs Campground as our base, based on reviews and the notion of getting into a hot spring. We pulled in and were told “we’re all booked”. I asked about other options. “Go north on route 15. There’s an RV Park on the left.” So we went there and were told it would be $25.66 per night. It was a farm with a few campers on a dirt road with no personality and zero privacy. We decided to go back down Route 15 to check out some of the other spots we saw on the way up, and that we had read about in our search.

We went no further than ½ mile and turned left into Forks. Well, we were treated to an amazing campground with beautiful views of mountains and a river below from up high on a hill. Everything works out we say, and this was no exception.
Free camping with such privacy and incredible views! So great we had to open a bottle of wine and drink in the moment with all its peace and beauty. We were soooo happy to have found this spot.
There is plenty of room for smaller-sized rigs, and plenty of space between the sites for privacy. It is boondocking except for a restroom with a no flush toilet. No water and no trash. Fine with us, as we felt safe and in a beautiful place. Water is available at the Gila Cliff Dwelling Visitor Center 4 miles north on route 15, so bring your containers to fill up there.

The sad thing was seeing some trash left by others. We walked around our campsite area filling a small trash bag of equal parts soda cans, juice boxes, and candy wrappers to beer cans, bottles, and cigarette butts to assure us that parents are missing the opportunity to teach their children about the importance of taking care of out planet. Oh well.
We were so glad to have found this gem of a spot to call home for the night and would recommend it to anyone interested in a peaceful and beautiful spot to boondock near the Gila Cliff Dwellings.
Added note: others have advised to take Route 35 up and we will agree.

I loved this place! This free National Forest campground is located on a little bluff overlooking the Gila River. The forks of the river join together near here, hence the name of the place. On the opposite side of the river are beautiful cliffs, so it makes for a really pretty campsite view.

The place was totally empty when I arrived, so I was able to select a spot with the river right behind me, and a gorgeous view. It looked like most of the spots do have a view. I left just as the 4th of July crowd started arriving, so I suspect it filled up then.

The small campground has a clean pit toilet, but no other facilities. There is a short road you can walk down to reach the river, and that's a lovely spot for relaxing, sitting with your feet in the water, or some people even went swimming. The only water available is the river.

The road up here from Silver City is a winding little mountain road, all paved, but slow going. But it's a beautiful drive, so just take it slow and enjoy the scenery.

When I next visit the Gila, I think I'll end up staying at the same place. It's wonderful!