Just before we crossed the border of Arizona, we stayed one night at Head of the Ditch Campground in the Gila National Forest near Luna, New Mexico. It was completely empty on the Monday we drove through, and since we're suckers for both water access and privacy, we pulled right in. The San Francisco River runs through the campground, and is used for irrigation in nearby Luna Valley. The name came from the campground being located at the head of that irrigation ditch.
The dispersed campground was free, spacious, grassy, and very quiet (except some distant highway noise from trucks climbing the nearby mountain). We scouted out a few sites near the water, and found there was a separate area with more campsites and even a few trails across the river. So, across we went.
There were a few small pit toilets, some fire rings, and a long picnic table in a larger open area. We found a big skull near that table, and more large bones on a hike down one of the trails.
The coolest thing we found on that hike is still a mystery. We noticed this bright yellow sign on a tree along the trail.
Behind it was a very interesting rock pile. We haven't been able to find any information on it, so I can't say what it is. The rocks seemed to have been shaped into separate rooms or maybe old fox holes. Check out the video and let me know what you think.
Since we only stayed one night, we left our dining room table folded into a daybed for the dogs. They love window watching, and a soft place to nap makes it that much better.
The next morning, we drove across the border to Arizona to check out our next potential site - Luna Lake. It ended up being perfect and almost empty, so we packed up that same day and moved right over.
Box Canyon is located at the convergence of the Gila River & Mogollon Creek, surrounded by the colorful Mogollon mountains. This secluded, gorgeous, wild place with fantastic water access is just one of the countless free camping opportunities in the 3.3 million acre Gila National Forest. Box Canyon is only about 10 minutes from the tiny town of Cliff, New Mexico, but with a population of under 300, it was mostly farmland with one gas station/auto repair shop/restaurant combo. We were able to get supplies just over 40 minutes away in Silver City; an old mining boom town that both Billy the Kid and Butch Cassidy frequented in the late 1800's.
Signal dropped when the paved road turned to gravel, about 2.5 miles (5 minutes) from the actual camping area. The drive in lead through a field of prickly pear cacti and scrubby bushes, as the surrounding mountains loomed over us. From the overlook area up top, we could see most of the campground. Tall trees thick with lime green leaves lined the Gila River below, with a few giant white trees with twisted branches mixed in.
We picked the last spot at the end of the road. It had the best water access, and we hoped it would be low-traffic. It also had a bathroom, a dirt loop for turning around, and a big open area for tent camping / picnicking. We tucked the camper in a grassy area away from the road, next to a tree with the most thorns I've ever seen on it.
Just a short walk away was a sandy beach area where the river was mostly shallow. We didn't know if Java had ever swam before, so we were really curious to see what she would do. At first she just drank from the edge, but when she saw Khaleesi walk in, she put a few paws in. She was nervous, but also wanted to be wherever Leesi was.
maybe
maybe
nope nope nope
Eventually after two attempts, she came in for a treat! Once she got used to it, we all had a blast wading through the river.
Found a giant stick to chew on
It was so quiet that first night. All we could hear was the wind in the trees. Then, we heard something rustling near the front door. When Kyle peeked out to check, he was face to face with a baby javelina! It was so small, hairy, and cute! There were at least 3 adults and a bunch of babies heading toward the river. The herd came back once more during our stay, and we got a good video of one very curious javelina.
Later, on the night of the second javelina visit, we heard something much bigger walking around outside. Kyle's flashlight lit up a big black body, a huge cow! A herd of 8-10 of them paid us no mind as they passed right through our camp heading up the hill nearby. Some had bright white faces that almost glowed in the dark.
The next day, an ATV drove up when we were walking the dogs. An old man with a big hat asked us if we'd seen his cows. We told him what we'd seen the night before, and he drove off with a friendly wave. This was not the first time we were asked for help locating lost cows, and I hope it won't be the last. We also heard a lot of turkey calls in the area, and hens clucking. We didn't see them, but we saw prints, and a very big bobcat crossing the road!
Of all of the neat animal encounters we had at Box Canyon, I think my favorite was during our hike down the gated road from camp.
We stopped at the river to rest and let the girls drink. Down the path, we saw a man riding a mule but I was too shy to ask for a photo.
two teeny fish - shadows gave them away
Just after that, Kyle stopped in his tracks to pull the dogs back and called out for me to get my camera. He had almost stepped on a horned lizard, which then scurried off of the road into a nearby bush. He was SO CUTE!!!! He reminded us so much of our Bearded Dragon Mushu.
perfect camouflage
Kyle mentioned he might be one of those that squirts blood out of its eye, so after a few quick shots we left him to his business. Google Lens says the one we saw is a Greater Short-Horned Lizard, and after research, it IS one of the horned lizards that can shoot blood!! When threatened, they fill their lungs with air to appear larger and more horned. If that doesn't work, they can raise the blood pressure in their head so much that a stream of blood will shoot out of their eye ducts, sometimes up to 3 feet! Luckily, this is mostly used for protection from coyotes, and they rarely shoot blood at humans.
We had such a great time exploring and taking in the beauty at Box Canyon. During the week, we were mostly alone. There were a few other vans and tent campers in the other sites, but it was still very quiet.
The weekends, of course, were a different story. The first weekend we were there happened to be Easter. We left to get some supplies on a quiet Thursday morning, and came back to 8 vehicles parked right by our camper. We'd parked near a group camping area, and now a group had arrived. They had a huge party all weekend, including riding ATVs and dirt bikes up and down the road. This was great training for Java who hadn't been around such loud sounds, and who was still getting used to hearing voices outside without barking.
During one of our walks away from the noise, someone's big hound dog was loose and walked up behind Kyle and Java. Since she was just adopted, we haven't had the chance to test her with other dogs (besides Khaleesi) yet, so we were very thankful when both dogs just sniffed each other and the other dog kept on down the road. When the big group left that Monday, there was a lot of trash left - from plastic eggs to piñata parts. Java wanted to eat all the scattered food they left, so we ended up cleaning it up or kicking dirt over what we couldn't.
The girls have been getting along wonderfully, and Java is getting used to her new life much quicker than we first expected. She's very playful and sweet, loves training, and is getting more comfortable with our routines. She even wakes us up for cuddles every morning.
After Box Canyon, we head west into Arizona! Next post coming soon about Luna Lake near Alpine.
