Photo Friday: Catwalk Canyon

After finishing our Gila backpack, I drove into Silver City for lunch (also because to get home, I needed to drive to Silver City first), then continued on up US 190 to Catwalk Canyon, near Glenwood, NM. I know I claimed I'd share photos from the Bears Ears today, but I'm not done with those photo edits. Bear with me :D

It was hot, and I'd already hiked some 4 1/2 miles that morning, so I wasn't looking for a long outing. But I'd been told about the "catwalk," the bridges built into the side of the canyon, so I thought I'd take a look. I'd driven out from under the large rain event that had dampened our visit to the Gila Ruins (see last week's post).

The area is an official Recreation Area, so you need a Parks Pass or to pay a parking fee. I happily whipped out my NPS Geezer Pass and headed up the trail. 

At first it's a stroll along the stream in the trees, with zillions of locals playing in the water. Then you move onto something more like a trail.

The catwalk exists because in 1893 they needed water to run the mills to process the gold and silver they were bringing out of the hills. So (as one did in those days), they built a 3-mile pipeline up the narrow canyon. So they could service it, they laid planks atop the pipes to walk on--the "catwalk".

Soon I was on a walkway on the side of the canyon. This was obviously not the original catwalk, but is in fact a wheelchair-accessible walkway.

After a half mile, the walkway ends, but you can continue up a trail, crossing the stream several times. It was kind of shady and pleasant, so I kept going.

I found some remnants of the old pipeline(s).

These concrete platforms must have supported either the pipe itself or posts that held it up.

The original pipe was only 4", but in 1897 they replaced it with an 18" pipe. This must be a piece of the latter.

I never did decide if I was glad or sorry that this stairway is no longer part of the trail, and was in fact chained off. 

I eventually got as far as I could go without getting my feet wet. Since I was wearing my only dry shoes, I stopped. 

Prickly Pear flower.

I happily trotted back down to the car, making about a 2 1/4 mile walk of it, and drove on up into the mountains on the AZ border, looking for a campsite. The rainstorm, or another one, was hanging out up there, but after a good shower or two it dried up, and there was a sunset.

My take on Catwalk Canyon: If you're passing by and want to kill an hour or so, or want to picnic in the shade, it's a nice spot. I can't say it was the most spectacular desert canyon I've visited, and the crowds of people, as well as the modern constructed walkways, were kind of a negative for me. 

 

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 ©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2026 

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