The old ghost town of Mogollon, New Mexico – which is still inhabited by several very real, living people – is located in the Gila Wilderness Area of Western New Mexico. We recently took a trip there and did some dispersed camping in the Gila National Forest, just off of SH-158 in the Gila National Forest.
The Drive To Mogollon, NM
At first we attempted to drive to Mogollon from the east, along Bursom road. There was an active forest fire in the area, and a Forest Service ranger turned us around just after leaving FR-30. Still determined to visit the old ghost town, we headed up SH-52, – along a long, lonely wash-boarded road – past the Very Large Array space telescope, west of Magdalena, and then took SH-60 on west to Datil. From there we drove southwest, on down to Reserve, NM, on to SH-180 to near Glenwood, NM, where we turned off on SH-158 toward Mogollon. This round-about way took us nearly three hours, but the Very Large Array (as seen in the move Contact, starring Jodie Foster) was well worth it! These massive dishes are installed on a system of railroad tracks – and can be moved across the wide valley to aim them toward different parts of the galaxy to map the stars – and to listen for possible signs of intelligent life among the stars.
The drive up the mountain to Mogollon is not one for the faint of heart. The road is narrow and there are no guardrails. (Check out our video below.) There are some places where you must stop to let oncoming cars pass and RVs are not advised to use this road. At the Purple Onion Cafe in town, another patron told us that one RV owner had to back his rig up for two miles – down the mountain – as it was too narrow for him to proceed!
A Brief History of Mogollon, New Mexico
Mogollon is named after Juan Iganacio Flores Mogollon, former governor of New Mexico from 1712-1715. It was a major mining area in the 1800’s, with the Little Fanny, Champion, McKinley, Pacific, and Deadwood mines producing thousands of ounces of silver and gold. It was a lawless, wild area, and in some ways today still retains some of that energy. The Mogollon to Silver City stagecoach was robbed 23 times between 1872 and 1873 until the lone bandit was ultimately apprehended.
At one time there were two red light districts in Mogollon, New Mexico, along with several bars, banks and 2,000 residents. At its height, the population of Mogollon reached as many as 6,000 residents, most of whom were male, and working as miners at the “Little Fannie” mine. A series of fires in 1904, 1910, 1915, and 1942 – along with flash flooding of Silver Creek – finally put the nail in the coffin for the town. It is now listed as Fannie Hill Mill and Company Town Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places.
What’s There Now?
Today, Mogollon features a museum, The Old Kelly Store and visitor center, several private lodging places and The Purple Onion Restaurant, where we got very yummy chocolate milkshakes. The owner here was so nice! She brought Lulu Belle and Stevie Ray a big bowl of water (with ice!) to drink as we enjoyed our food.
There’s also a lovely little private park – situated just off the main street – where you can find clean men’s and women’s restrooms. Stevie Ray and Lulu Belle had a quick look inside, but then we noticed we had overlooked the “No Dogs Please” sign out front, so we moved on.
Dispersed Camping Near Mogollon, New Mexico
We camped in our Roam Adventure Company rooftop tent just outside of Mogollon, NM, beside a forest road. Dispersed camping is currently allowed in the Gila National Forest, but please check with the ranger station for updates, as the fire situation there has been quite serious. There were no campfires allowed at the time we were there, and this will probably be the norm until drought conditions in the area abate. The number for the Gila National Forest Ranger station is 575-388-8201. You can also see the Glenwood Ranger District’s Website. Be sure to leave no trace and always pack out what you pack in.
You may want to bring a tarp to place on the ground in your camping area, as the fine, powdery red dirt here seems to find its way into everything. This same fine red dust was apparently a problem for the early day – miners – who ultimately set up large sprinkler systems to keep it down in areas being mined.
We didn’t see any rattlesnakes during our time there, but did see a 4′ long skin shed not far from our campsite.
Stargazing in the Gila Wilderness Area
The night skies are exceptionally clear in the Gila Wilderness Area, with the exception being when active fires are burning like they were when we visited. Even with a haze in the air, we were still able to get a great view of the Milky Way just after midnight, and see a surprise passing of the ISS (International Space Station). Just up the road from the turnoff to Mogollon you can camp at the Cosmic Campground, an International Dark Sky Sanctuary.
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You can watch a video of our drive to Mogollon Ghost Town here on our YouTube channel.
Farther west, in Arizona is the Mogollon Rim – not to be confused with Mogollon Ghost Town. For our article and video of our drive there, please see Mogollon Rim Scenic Drive.
