Best 4-day Gila Wilderness backpacking loop (GPS track)

Great video! Thank you Joe sharing your journey! Such a diverse place with all that gorgeous scenery!!

Thanks Kurt, I really appreciate the specific trail information you give in this video. The foot torture of hiking on small rocks made me chuckle and reminded me of the AT in Pennsylvania, aka Rocksylvania.

Kurt - wonderful video! I've been binge watching your channel since I discovered it! I spent 5 days / 4 nights in Gila at the beginning of June 2017. I went with a couple of buddies and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. Watching your video brought back many good memories. Our route was somewhat similar, only in reverse. Our loop took us from the visitors center up the Middle Fork to the Meadows, where we crossed over to the West Fork via Big Bear Canyon trail (#28). Once on the West Fork we hiked back to the visitors center. I loved your retrospect at the end of the video. If I were to do it all over again I would do your exact route in reverse. I feel like we missed out on some of the nicer parts of the West Fork entering it from Big Bear Canyon Trail.

We're are heading up from Texas to do this hike in a couple of months... Can't wait! Great video! I'm even more excited now!

Very good practical information on hiking this route. One of the best hiking videos I have seen.

Great footage ! GiLa looks incredible

Really enjoy your videos. I spend a lot of time at Guadalupe Mountains NP in West Texas but have been wanting to give New Mexico a try. Thanks for the great info and tips.

Great video! That looks like a really nice hike, and you gave some really good info on it. Thanks Kurt!

Really enjoyed the video, thanks for sharing! Also, thanks for sharing the gps waypoints.

Really enjoyed this video Kurt.

Thank you so much for the amazing video

Great video, thank you this information is great!!!

The Gila is my favorite spot on the planet, and you have a beautiful video. Unfortunately videos as nice as this will do to the Gila what REI did to the outdoors.

I did an almost identical route last May, just a little more distance. Started at the Cliff Dwellings parking lot and went all the way up the WestFork to Hells Hole to camp for day one. Day two, I went up to Woodland Park, then along Lilley Mountain and back to Prior Creek cabin to camp. Day three I went down to the Middle Fork all the way back to Little Bear and camped there before walking out on day four. Lessons Learned: probably should've left my pant legs zipped on (grassy river banks and flies were annoying), don't leave bug juice in the truck, Trail 29 sucks, watch out for big groups at Little Bear.

Your videos are great thank you

Nice job with video and commentary. Considering this loop -- can you comment on +/- of travel in a clockwise direction as you did (West Fork to Middle Fork) versus counterclockwise? Thanks.

Great video (as usual). Quick question, what camera or cameras do you use on your trips? Thanks!

Great video. I love New Mexico and spent some time there with my daughter who lives in Carlsbad. We climbed Guadalupe Peak (I know it's in Texas but it seems like New Mexico) and loved the whole area.

Nice video Kurt! I'm looking for something in the 40 mile range for May and this seems like a good option. It's about a 12 hour drive from here in Houston. I noticed you did about 10 miles on your 2nd day and 16 miles on the 3rd day. Are there logistical reasons for that (i.e. better campsites, more rugged terrain one day, etc.) or did you just feel like going farther that day? Trying to get a feel for if I could do it with 2 over-nights and what my best camping strategy would look like. Cheers!

Awesome video, Kurt! Very informative. Being from the north I don't have any desert hiking experience. Is this in a spot where it could be comfortably hiked in, say, February? Or is it pretty cold in winter?