Neglected Mine Trail

April 24, 2026

Earlier this year New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors partnered with the CDT Coalition to reroute two miles of the CDT near Jack's Peak in the Burro Mountains south of Silver City. You can combine the old and new trails for a surprisingly thrilling four-mile loop.

You can pick up the trail at CDT trailhead on the west side of NM 90 about 20 miles south of Silver City. You can hike the loop in either direction. We chose to hike counterclockwise, starting with the newly rerouted section.

Our first critter sighting was a very chonky Crevice Spiny Lizard, who patiently posed for several photos, since it was a chilly morning and she really really didn't want to crawl back under her rock.

The terrain was surprisingly varied, with gloppy granite that reminded us of the Dragoon Mountains.

On this bone-dry south-facing slip, we nevertheless found an astonishing variety of spring wildflowers. These are Small Wirelettuce.

Desert Chicory

Burro Mountain Granite with a rakish angle.

Desert Dandelion

New Mexico Thistle with a "bonus bee".

Apache Plume.

Grounsel.

A nice spot for lunch among the rocks on the old trail.

Miss Lucie.

Red Domed Blanketflowers.

We took a brief side trip to visit the ruins of the Neglected Mine. Mindat reports that the Piñ Altos Mining Company did a minor amount of drilling in 1948. Charles Russell and Associates dewatered a shaft and sampled the 150-foot level in 1963. Workings reported in 1964 consisted of a 314-foot adit, three shafts with about 3895 feet od drifts and crosscuts, a shallow winze and numerous prospect pits. Ores included copper, gold, lead, zinc and bismuth.

Tunnel-like bosque on the return route.

A prickly pear cactus in bloom.