2021 Karl Fox Memorial Fall Tour – Gila

Join the New Mexico Chapter of the BMW CCA for an epic overnight Annual Karl Fox Memorial Fall Tour of the Gila in southern New Mexico. We will begin the tour on Saturday, October 16th in Truth or Consequences and take the southern route of the Geronimo Trail National Scenic Byway through the ghost towns of Hillsboro and Kingston before winding through the Aldo Leopold Wilderness of the Black Range to San Lorenzo and the Mimbres Valley. We will have lunch at Restaurant del Sol before proceeding on the Trail Of The Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway, the route for the grueling annual Tour of the Gila bicycle race. We will have a scenic visit at the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument before proceeding on the byway through Pinos Altos, a former 1860s gold mining town, to the historic Murray Hotel in Silver City. (Read “Take the scenic route: Trail of the Mountain Spirits offers a picturesque trek through southwest NM” in the Albuquerque Journal.)

On Sunday, October 17th, we will head north on US 180 on the west side of the Gila to the Catwalk Recreation Area. From there, we will continue north on US 180 through Reserve and have lunch at the Eagle Guest Ranch in Datil. We will then proceed east on US 60 to the VLA (Very Large Array) Rest Site for a scenic visit. Continuing east on US 60, we will drive through Magdalena and end the tour at Socorro’s Historic Plaza.

We will meet in the parking lot of the Truth or Consequences Walmart Supercenter, just off I-25 Exit 79, at 9:30 with a 10:00 departure time. We have a block of rooms reserved and a special rate of $84 at the Murray Hotel in Silver City – call 575-956-9400 and select option 2, tell the clerk you’re with the New Mexico BMW CCA.