On the trail of Geronimo - Geronimo Trail, New Mexico - Brief Article

Drive this New Mexico route for history and hot springs

New Mexico's new state scenic byway, the Geronimo Trail, is a 200-mile loop of Old West backcountry where the tales are taller than the mountains.

Old-timers still recall stories of Geronimo, the legendary Chiricahua Apache war chief for whom the trail was named. Out of pride for their native son and a desire to open the history and beauty of southwestern New Mexico to visitors, local residents spearheaded the creation of the trail in the past few years.

Starting at the Geronimo Springs Museum in Truth or Consequences, the well-marked trail coils through Hillsboro and Kingston, two mining towns that went bust a century ago but haven't given up the ghost. The log-beamed Black Range Lodge, which housed miners and cavalry in the silver boom days when Kingston had 7,000 people and 22 saloons, now shelters overnight guests within its stone walls. The 120-year-old Hillsboro General Store & Country Cafe still serves a memorable chocolate shake.

The trail switchbacks up Emory Pass to an 8,228-foot summit with see-forever vistas of the Rio Grande Valley, before entering the Black Range and passing the Gila Wilderness - the nation's first wilderness area, designated in 1924. The road then swoops down into the lush, peaceful Mimbres Valley, where MogolIon people flourished until around 1150, when they moved to a lower elevation. Some of the striking black-andwhite pottery they made can still be viewed at the Geronimo Springs Museum, back in Truth or Consequences.

The 45-mile dirt road up to Wall Lake is a rough, two-hour drive designated for high-clearance vehicles only and not recommended during winter. (If you'd rather avoid this rough stretch, turn around here, drive back to Truth or Consequences, and tour the other half of the trail the next day.)

From Beaverhead, just north of Wall Lake, it's an easy drive to the ghost towns of Chloride (population 17) and Winston. Chloride's heart is the Pioneer Store Museum, built in 1880 and finally shut down in 1923. Now restored and reopened, the log building houses old buttons, hair tonics, tools, saddles, and other artifacts.

After a day on the trail, dust yourself off in Truth or Consequences. First called Hot Springs, the town changed its name in 1950 to honor the loth anniversary of Ralph Edwards's radio show. (Edwards returns annually the first weekend in May, as he has for 50 years, for the Ralph Edwards Festival.) At the '40s-era Charles Motel & Spa, you can enjoy a massage and soak in the hot springs, where Geronimo went to heal his wounds. Contact: Geronimo Trail; (505) 894-1968. Geronimo Springs Museum; 894-6600. Black Range Lodge; 895-5652. Hillsboro General Store & Country Cafe; 895-5306. Pioneer Store Museum; 743-2736. Charles Motel & Spa; 894-7154. Forest Service; 894-6677.

Finding your way

The Geronimo Trail is a 200-mile loop in southern New Mexico. Pick up a map at the Geronimo Springs Museum in Truth or Consequences. From there, take State 187 south to State 152; turn west toward San Lorenzo. Turn right at State 35 and drive through Mimbres; bear right at State 150/61 and continue north. At Beaverhead, take State 59 to State 52 and Winston. Follow State 52 to return to Truth or Consequences. Call the Forest Service ahead of time to check road conditions between Mimbres and Beaverhead.

COPYRIGHT 1999 Sunset Publishing Corp.
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group