Red Canyon
March 19 - 22, 2026
It's been three years since Dennis and I tried in vain to find the trail that drops into Mineral Creek below the ghost town of Claremont, high in the Mogollon Mountains. We returned this spring with the Gila Trails crew to help restore the missing trail.
Dennis and I camped at the trailhead the night before. It was a gorgeous spot in a dense Ponderosa pine forest, with sparkling Copper Creek just below camp.
Copper Creek was a great place for an icy splash after work!
Patrick and Dave readying tools for the next day's work.
The trail climbs slightly, then drops steeply — about 400 feet in .6 miles — to the confluence with Red Canyon. There's a tiny waterfall at the confluence, which became a very important landmark. With temperatures of nearly 90° — insanely high for late March — I stopped there at the end of each day's work to soak my clothes and my hair before hiking back to camp.
At lunchtime we sought relief from the heat in a shady slot just below the small waterfall.
We cleared about .75 miles the first day. It was tough going, since according to Melissa, our trail boss, there was no record of this trail ever receiving any maintenance.
On the second day, we finished clearing the upper section in the morning, and then switched to the shady canyon bottom during the heat of the day. Struggling with the heat, I knocked off early and hiked down to the confluence with Mineral Creek in search of a waterfall that Patrick had described as "one of the coolest things in the Gila".
Holy cow, he wasn't kidding! If you know where to look, there's a waterfall that tumbles about 80 feet into a pitch black grotto!
I had to take Dennis there! The next morning we hiked down to the waterfall, packing a powerful flashlight to light up the grotto for photos.
Human for scale!
The flashlight was surprisingly effective, not only lighting up the waterfall, but revealing a cave or possibly an old mine behind it.
But the video is the best, because you can hear as well as see the water tumbling into the grotto!
On our way back, Dennis and I lopped and limbed the last quarter mile of the trail, then joined the rest of the crew for lunch. Once again we soaked our clothing at the small waterfall before the long hot hike back to camp. I am very very grateful for Gila Trails. I love doing trailwork, and the support of this group has made it possible for me to visit places I would never go on my own!
