A Historic Canyon Ride with Geronimo Trail Guest Ranch
Learn about a historic ride into Dwelling Canyon in the Gila National Forest with Geronimo Trail Guest Ranch in New Mexico.
by Meris Esterly Stout
At Geronimo Trail Guest Ranch, located in the Gila National Forest in New Mexico, one of our favorite places to share with our guests is an area we call the Dwelling Canyon Trail Ride. The history of this canyon ranges from 50 to 1,000 years ago! The Mimbres people were in this area from 200-1150 AD. Today you can still see pictographs (paintings on the rock walls) they painted. You are also able to visit ruins of cliff dwellings. Once in a while, we even spot pottery shards they left behind.
About 100 years ago Basque Sheepherders brought sheep up through the area. Taylor Creek runs through the bottom of the Dwelling Canyon trail ride. With all the lush green grass, you can imagine how lucky the Basque where to find this place. You can see the stone shelters they built. You can also spot evidence of them adapting the caves for their own use.
In the 1930’s-40’s there was tin mining in this same canyon and you can see claim markers, old equipment and evidence of the mining process. In just one day, you can travel through thousands of years of history on the Dwelling Canyon trail ride.
The Dwelling Canyon trail ride is just one of the many trail rides you can embark on right from the ranch. Whether you ride horses or hike, you will enjoy some of the most beautiful, untouched country in America and learn about some incredible history here at the Ranch! You can visit pit houses and cliff dwellings once occupied by the Mimbres people of 200-1150 AD, search for pottery shards and arrowheads left behind and see pictographs painted on the rock walls by these early people. This is also the land where Geronimo was born and grew up in and where the Apaches once roamed.
Learn about Geronimo Trail Guest Ranch on their website, Top20Ranches and in the Equitrekking Vacation Guide.
